Writing Gender-Affirming Letters: Best Practices for LCSW

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm ET

LIVE WEBINAR

Presenter: German Sanchez, LCSW, RDT

FREE FOR ALL ATTENDEES

This workshop is approved for 2.0 continuing education credit hours for licensed social workers, licensed mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists and licensed psychologists

Please ensure that you register and/or join on Zoom with the name you would like to appear on your certificate.

Workshop Description

Clients seeking gender-affirming care usually need referral letters from mental health professionals. Unfortunately, many individuals encounter difficulties in finding providers who can write these letters, leading to significant barriers and delays in accessing essential and life-saving treatment. As a result, members of the transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming (TGNCNB) community often experience harmful gatekeeping that hinders their access to the affirming services they require.

This workshop will explore the benefits of learning how to writing gender-affirming letters for clients. The workshop is designed to provide social workers with the knowledge and skills required of how to write effective and compassionate letters supporting individuals seeking gender-affirming care. Participants will engage with real cases as a tool to practice letter-writing and receive feedback from peers and the instructor. Further exploration of ethical considerations when writing gender-affirming letters will be discussed.

Learning Objectives

After the completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Describe the purpose and requirements of gender affirming letters
• Discuss ethical considerations in writing gender-affirming letters
• Demonstrate how to write gender-affirming letter that are trauma informed and client centered

This workshop is approved for 2.0 continuing education credit hours.

NASW-NYS is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (Provider ID #0014), licensed mental health counselors (Provider ID #MHC-0053), licensed marriage and family therapists (Provider ID #MFT-0037) and licensed psychologists (Provider ID #PSY-0088).

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Presenter:

German Sanchez, LCSW, RDT is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Register Drama Therapist (RDT) in New York State. German is a graduate of the Catholic University of America National School of Social Services, as well as the New York University Steinhardt Drama Therapy Program. German has worked with clients in various settings from substance abuse clinics, hospital inpatient/outpatient programs to community mental health clinics. German has done individual, group, couples and family therapy in all these settings covering various topics, with various populations to include HIV positive at-risk community, active military, veterans, children, adolescents, adults, older adults, families and couples. German uses various approaches to help clients achieve their goals to include CBT, structural family therapy, CPT, brain spotting, drama therapy, solution focus, psychodynamic, sex therapy and psychodrama in his practice, reflecting a diverse and adaptive approach to meeting his clients' needs. German is currently serving as an Army New York National Guard social worker. His work focuses on supporting military personnel in navigating the challenges of military life. German is also a Clinical Supervisor at the HEAT Program, where he guides clinicians working with high-risk populations. In addition, he holds the prestigious role of NASW-NYC President, where he advocates for social justice, professional development, and leadership within the social work community.