The Gender Affirmative and Supportive Surgery Evaluation Tool (Gender ASSET) is an assessment tool developed by trans and genderqueer mental health professionals Becca Keo-Meier, MSW and Colt M. St. Amand, Ph.D. The Gender ASSET was designed for mental health providers to use in support of transgender clients preparing to undergo surgery as a part of their gender transition. This online course includes a Gender ASSET workbook along with on-demand training videos and sample letters.
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) sets forth the Standards of Care (SOC). The 7th version of the SOC recommends transgender clients provide their surgeons with one to two letters from mental health providers before they are cleared for surgery. However, the majority of mental health providers have neither received adequate nor comprehensive training in providing this type of evaluation and are not familiar with the multiple surgical options available or the process of recovering from a major surgery.
Led by Dr. Colt M. St. Amand, this multi-part workshop is designed for mental health professionals who would like to receive training on evaluating and writing letters for transgender clients who desire to undergo gender affirming surgical procedures. The specific focus will be on assisting clients to be practically prepared for the process of surgery and recovery. This course is best suited for mental health providers who have some experience working with transgender clients.
Continuing Education (6 APA CEs)
We have partnered with the National Register to provide continuing education credits for The Gender ASSET. The National Register of Health Service Psychologists is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The National Register maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
About Instructor
Dr. Colt M. St. Amand
Colt Meier St. Amand, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist who routinely provides training on gender affirmative treatment of transgender clients. He provides education on gender and sexuality as a lecturer in the Psychology Department of the University of Houston and an assistant professor in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services at Baylor College of Medicine. In his part-time private practice, Dr. St. Amand provides therapy, consultation, and evaluation services to transgender clients as young as 4. He directs the Transgender Health research lab at the University of Houston, which focuses on examining the effects of testosterone on the mental health and quality of life of transgender men as well as the experiences of parents of transgender children. He is a member of the hormone therapy committee for the WPATH Standards of Care version 8. Dr. St. Amand is completing his MD at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.
Learning Objectives
Gender Affirmative Supportive Surgery Evaluation Tool (ASSET)
- Discuss and critique the history of mental health evaluations for transgender clients seeking gender affirmative surgeries.
- Explain the purpose of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care criteria for surgeries related to gender transition.
- Identify and discuss multiple gender transition-related surgeries with clients.
- Use the Gender Affirmative Supportive Surgery Evaluation Tool (Gender ASSET) to conduct mental health assessments of transgender clients preparing to undergo gender-affirming surgery.
- Identify the application of the ethical concepts of autonomy and practice within one’s scope of competence in the development and use of the Gender ASSET with transgender clients.
- Use the Gender ASSET to provide education on the process of undergoing and recovering from specific surgical procedures to transgender clients.
- Identify and discuss multiple pre-operative preparation steps as well as post-operative recovery supplies for transgender-related surgeries.
- Prepare letters in support of transgender clients accessing surgery for insurance coverage and for coordination of care with surgeons.
Course curriculum
Course Completion 1-Year time limit
Instructional Level: Advanced
Course Content
Bonus material
Gender Affirmative Supportive Surgery Evaluation Tool (ASSET)
Workbook
The Gender Affirmative Supportive Surgery Evaluation Tool (Gender ASSET) to conduct mental health assessments of transgender clients preparing to undergo gender-affirming surgery.
CE Certification
Continuing Education (6 APA CEs) or Certification of Completion from Gender Education Network
Download Materials
There will be PDFs available with each section for you to keep for your references
Course Beneficiary
GENDERBANDS
Genderbands was founded in March of 2015 as a way to fundraise for founding President Ian Giles’ top surgery. In June of 2015, the organization broadened its efforts and restructured into its current state. Genderbands is an international nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that serves the transgender, gender non-conforming, and other gender diverse communities. The organization is volunteer-lead and executes programming, services, and events on both a local and international scale. Genderbands operates primarily through the support from partnerships, direct sales, and the solicitation of donations.
Ratings and Reviews
What did I expect? A dry, fact filled, course--lots of slides--like many online courses. What liked most is the course, every section, no matter how technical, is the delivery of information that reinforces our duty to be compassionate, to foster resilience and to humanize such an invasive process; required to access basic human rights. Thanks for the course, I look forward to live courses.
This course was incredible! I feel so prepared to facilitate access to care for anyone who needs it in a competent, caring, and affirming way. I feel very prepared and knowledgable after completing this course and find it truly invaluable for my clinical practice. This is critical to the care I provide and I can't wait to implement all the skills I've learned here!
Dr. Colt does a fantastic job covering a wide range of advanced material in a fun and engaging way. Not only will you get exposure to the content knowledge this course offers, but you also walk away with multiple great resources, examples, and guides. The Gender ASSET protocol itself provides an organized and comprehensive evaluation tool for working with transgender and gender diverse clients.
This course not only introduces an invaluable tool but also provides a comprehensive knowledge base and practical examples for utilizing the Gender ASSET. I highly recommend this course for any mental health professional that works with gender variant/trans clients/patients!!
VERY thorough and appreciate the "real life" case experiences you bring to the material. Appreciate the strength-based lens you used throughout this training. Appreciate your conceptualization! Please make this part of the Global Education Curriculum and Training for WPATH certification. I received this so much better from a trans id clinician in the field rather than older cis men and women who m
Dr. Keo-Meier's Gender ASSET training provides mental health clinicians with the necessary knowledge required to properly assess and prepare clients for gender affirmative surgical procedures. Participants will exit the training feeling more confident with the evaluation process, various surgical procedures, and with providing letters of support/referral letters to medical professionals. This trai
This course was super informative. Dr. Colt did a wonderful job explaining the importance of the therapist and the role they play in facilitating change, beyond writing letters for the gender affirming patients. I wish there was a part two to this course it was just that good. I highly recommend this course. Thank you Dr. Colt for sharing your knowledge and expertise.