Supporting Transgender Students in School Mental Health

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Subject: Supporting Transgender Students in School Mental Health

To friends & colleagues of the National Center for School Mental Health,

Transgender students continue to face individual and institutional discrimination, with a spike in legislative attacks on transgender youth in recent years. These attacks are often framed as necessary to protect cisgender women and girls but are ill-informed and have detrimental effects on the safety and well-being of both transgender and cisgender youth. Sadly, what is framed as “preventing child abuse” has the opposite effect by forcing transgender children into traumatic situations and withholding life-affirming and medically and psychologically necessary healthcare.

Gender-affirming healthcare for transgender children is associated with improved mental health and reduced risk of depression and suicide (nearly 1 in every 2 transgender people attempt suicide at some point in their lives, an unfortunate testament to levels of discrimination they experience). As we support effective and equitable school mental health for all, it is crucial that we educate ourselves on these issues and stand with transgender young people. Now more than ever transgender students, staff, and family members need support and action. Some ways you can get involved are:

Support your local GSA and PFLAG chapters.
Educate yourself on allyship with readings and resources.
Make your support visible with graphics and posters.
Contact your elected officials and voice your support for transgender young people and legislation that protects them and reduces discrimination.
Follow organizations who share current information on working with transgender youth, such as The National SOGIE Center at UM School of Social Work, The Trevor Project, GLSEN, the Transgender Law Center, and the National Center for Transgender Equality.
Honor and celebrate transgender people on March 31st during the International Transgender Day of Visibility.

As always, we appreciate your continued work to make school mental health effective, equitable, and accessible to all students.

Thank you,

The National Center for School Mental Health

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Subject: Supporting Transgender Students in School Mental Health