UNC Psychiatry Gender Equity and Wellness Initiative

Mission Statement:

Our mission is to provide coordinated evidence-based care for gender diverse individuals ages 4-30 years and their families exploring or undergoing gender affirming treatment in the state of North Carolina and the local Southeast region. 

Goals:

1. Provide an educated and informed evaluation on gender identification and expression in transgender, non-binary, genderfluid and agender individuals.
2. Serve as a resource locally for high quality gender informed psychiatric and psychologic consultation to individuals and their families exploring or undergoing gender affirming treatments.
3. Provide psychiatric and psychologic consultation to community partners providing care for individuals seeking gender affirming interventions.
4. Collaborate with other UNC gender affirming care providers in areas to improve quality of care such as department and hospital wide workgroups and clinical research projects.
5. Follow the most recent standards of care published by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and educate coordinating providers on relevant recommendations.
6. Provide when requested documentation needed for GAS.
7. Link with and outreach to community stakeholders in order to coordinate and expand care models.
8. Participate in multi-site clinical research with other programs across the Southeast region and in the country that deliver gender affirming care.
9. Train the next generation of gender affirming providers (medical students, psychology and psychiatry trainees).
10. Contribute to advocacy efforts for evidence based affirming care.

Our Services:

On average, we provide an evaluation and 1 – 4 follow up sessions with an informed and experienced psychologist or board certified psychiatrist to provide assessment and support to individuals and families experiencing gender dysphoria and who are undergoing the decisions that surround gender affirming care. Treatments can include assessment of gender expression, identification, and dysphoria, guidance on social transitioning, recommendations for family therapies, recommendations on medical consultations, guidance on medical transitioning, and when relevant, recommendations for supportive therapies.

What we offer:

• Gender-affirming consultation and evaluation
• Referrals to and collaboration with other providers (e.g., endocrinology, family medicine, surgery)
• Letters of support for initiation of gender-affirming hormone care or referrals for surgery
• Ongoing psychotherapy and medication management services, in select cases
• Advocacy, education, and clinical training

Referrals

We accept referrals from other mental health providers and medical providers seeking consultation on their transgender or gender non-binary patients (ages 4-30 years) undergoing or exploring all forms of  gender affirming care.

We also accept self-referrals from individuals or family members of individuals (ages 4-30 years) who are interested in exploring a gender-affirming evaluation, and also those in need of support or consultation during any phase of transition.

All insurances are accepted, including Medicaid and UNC Charity Care.

A PDF referral form can be found here (https://www.med.unc.edu/psych/wp-content/uploads/sites/839/2020/09/UNC-GE-Clinic-Referral-Form-08-2020.pdf). We welcome self-referrals and referrals from providers or community organizations. After referral, you will be contacted by phone or UNC MyChart to schedule an initial appointment.