Transgender Awareness Within State Hospitals: Addressing Gaps in Training

Individuals in the transgender ( trans ) community continue to face stigmatization, discrimination, and violence in the United States (Benson 2013; Bradford, Reisner, Honnold, & Xavier, 2013; Lombardi, Wilchins, Priesing & Malouf, 2001; Shipherd, Green, & Abramovitz; 2010). They remain underserved in many domains, including housing, healthcare, and employment (Bradford et al. 2013). This paper focus on the needs for trans-specific training within the U.S. state hospital system. Although many institutions, including state hospitals, are implementing diversity initiatives to increase the sensitivity of their employees to a broad range of identity statuses, transgender affirmative trainings are often non existent or inadequate; trans-specific issues may fall under the broad umbrella of LGBT (lesbian, gay bisexual, and transgender) awareness, and conflation of sexual identity and gender identity is prominent (Corliss, Shankle, & Moyer, 2007). This paper supports the development and implementation of transgender-specific training to foster discussion, create more supportive environments, and lay the foundation for a culture of inclusion within U.S. state hospitals. Part I examines the unique needs of and challenges facing members of the transgender community. Part II addresses specific needs and gaps in current state hospital training. An index outlining common terminology follows the manuscript. Finally, the accompanying Appendix includes a proposed training manual that could be adapted by state hospitals as a supplement to current training protocols. It is intended for general use within the hospital, and would be appropriate for staff from all specialties. The manual provides basic information related to serving members of the trans community, and is intended as an introductory guide or refresher for mental health practitioners across a wide variety of domains