Advocacy in Practice: The Role of Mental Health Providers in Creating Systems of Support for Transgender and Gender Expansive Youth

Background: Transgender and gender expansive (TGE) youth have seen both an increase in access to mental health and medical services in the previous two decades, and also a sharp increase in bills limiting access to care and supports in the past 3 years.Objective: Psychologists have a unique role to play in working with TGE youth, as we have been trained in research methodology, clinical practice and human behavior. As such, psychologists can effectively advocate for the best practices when working with TGE youth.Results: In this article, we provide a brief overview of general concerns of TGE youth from a mental health perspective and then outline various ways in which psychologists can use their training and experience to advocate for best practices when working with TGE youth utilizing a social justice framework.