Gender Diversity

Please be aware that there is high demand for this service, and there may be some delay between acceptance of the referral and initial consultation. Please continue to see your referrer regularly whilst waiting for your appointment.

Children and adolescents who are gender diverse are part of the spectrum of human diversity. Those who are gender diverse may experience Gender Dysphoria, which is characterised as distress arising from the incongruence between a person’s gender identity and their assigned and/or presumed gender at birth.

The Women's and Children's Hospital Gender Diversity medical and mental health support teams aim to improve the health, wellbeing and function of gender diverse South Australian children and young people.

The Gender Diversity Multidisciplinary Team works together with the child or young person and their family to provide individualised care that is aligned with the Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for Trans and Gender Diverse Children and Adolescents.

Our mental health team offers initial consultation, ongoing mental health support as required, support with social transition (including a binder program supported by the WCH Foundation), psychiatry assessment and mental health opinions for medical management.

Our medical support team provide medical management for young people following a referral from a gender-trained specialist mental health opinion; and offers specialised fertility counselling. The team also support the treatment administration for young people seeking puberty suppression and gender affirming hormones.

Our multidisciplinary team includes support from the WCH Hospital School and WCH Patient Ethics. Please contact us if you would like to discuss options or any concerns you’re having with school whilst waiting for an appointment with the Gender Diversity team.

All appointments are held at Women’s and Children’s Hospital, North Adelaide.

The Gender Diversity Team will accept new referrals across South Australia for any child or young person up to the age of 17 years with concerns regarding their gender identity from:

• General Practitioners
• Paediatricians
• Psychiatrists
• Psychologists
• Mental Health Professionals

A written referral should be sent to the Gender Diversity Team at CAMHS Consultation Liaison Service:

Referrals

• Fax: (08) 8161 7032
• Email: Health.CAMHSGenderDiversityService@sa.gov.au

Please complete in full the referral form below and ensure that the referral includes specific details of who to contact (e.g. young person or parent) to arrange appointments. Appointments are triaged based on information provided in the referral so as much detail provided as possible is helpful to support timely appointments.

• Adolescents who are under 16, or who lack decision-making capacity, require a parent/legal guardian to be aware of the appointment and to attend with them.
  
• The referrer will be sent a letter once the referral has been received and accepted. Please contact your referrer in the first instance for updates regarding your referral.
• Please be aware that there is high demand for this service, and there may be some delay between acceptance of the referral and initial consultation. Please continue to see your referrer regularly whilst waiting for your appointment.

Referral Received and Reviewed

Our team will review your referral and arrange an appointment with one of our specialist mental health clinicians.

• An appointment letter will be sent once an appointment is available.
• Due to the high demand for the service, there will be some wait time for your first appointment. Unfortunately, the team cannot specify exact time frames for appointments.

Initial Consult with the Mental Health Team

Attend your First Appointment with our Mental Health Team – In person / via Telehealth – WCH CAMHS Consultant Liaison Department, Level 1, Zone C.

• This appointment is a ‘get to know you’ with one of our mental health clinicians and is an opportunity to discuss how we can support your gender journey at WCH.
• Adolescents who are under 16, or who lack decision-making capacity, require a parent/legal guardian to be aware of the appointment and to attend with them.
• You may be offered an option for additional appointments for mental health support, a referral to our specialist gender team psychiatrist, or fertility counselling at this time.

Mental Health Opinion

Following your first appointment, you may be offered appointments for a Mental Health Opinion (a specialised mental health assessment for young people seeking medical affirmation – puberty suppression and/or gender affirming hormones).

• You may see a mental health clinician nurse, psychologist, social worker, or a psychiatrist from our team.
• There will be some time between your first appointment with the team, and your appointments for a Mental Health Opinion.
• These appointments take place in person at WCH CAMHS Consultant Liaison Department, Level 1, Zone C.
• You will often require more than one appointment for your opinion to be completed by the specialist clinician prior to referral to our Gender Diversity Medical Team.

Referral for Medical Management

Following completion of your mental health opinion, you will then be offered an appointment with our Fertility Counselling Specialist and our Gender Diversity Paediatrician, Paediatric Registrar or Paediatric Endocrinologist.

• Medication is not commonly commenced at the first appointment with the medical team.
• Physical examinations are not routinely required. Investigations including blood tests, imaging bone density scans and height/weight/blood pressure measurements may be required prior to commencing any medications.
• Legal guardian/parent consent may be required for young people under the age of 16 years prior to commencing medical management.
• Young people who commence gender-affirming medication will require ongoing regular follow-up appointments with the WCH Gender Diversity Medical team.
• All appointments take place in WCH Paediatric Outpatients, Level 1, Zone A

Medical Nursing Treatment at WCH

Part of the Gender Medicine Nurse Consultant role is to provide Clinical Treatment, including assisting and supporting with puberty suppression and gender affirming hormone testosterone injection administration as required.

Nursing treatment areas may alter between the Paediatric Outpatients Department (Level 1 Zone A) and Medical Day Unit (Level 4 Zone C) depending on what day your treatment takes place.

It is requested that you collect your medication from WCH Pharmacy on your way to the appointment (Ground Floor, Kermode Street Entrance). There will be a gap payment for the medication – this does not need to be paid on the day of the appointment. Please liaise with WCH Pharmacy should you have access to Close-The-Gap or Concessions schemes or any concerns regarding this payment.

Your local GP Clinic may also be able to support you with injection administration closer to home. Please let us know in your medical appointment if you would like us to arrange this for you.

WCH Hospital School

A supportive school environment plays an essential part in the wellbeing of gender diverse young people.

Our WCH Hospital School staff may be able to provide assistance and support to young people and their families who are seen at the WCH Gender Diversity Service. Please let us know at your Gender Diversity appointments if you have any current concerns with your schooling.

General Practitioner Support

It is important that all youth aim to find a trusted and affirming GP to support your health and wellbeing. The Gender Multi-Disciplinary Team will partner with your GP to support your gender affirming care. Please see your GP for all other medical related enquiries. A list affirming GP’s can be found on the TransHealth SA Website.

Referral, Waitlist, Mental Health Support and Appointment Enquiries:

CAMHS Consultation Liaison

• Phone: (08) 8161 7227
• Email: Health.CAMHSGenderDiversityService@sa.gov.au

Appointments are held in CAMHS Consultation Liaison (formerly Department of Psychological Medicine)

• Level 1 Zone C
  Women's and Children's Hospital

Gender Diversity Service, Medical and Fertility Appointment Enquiries:

Gender Diversity Medical Nurse Consultant

• Phone: (08) 8161 8752 (normally out of the office Tuesdays)
• Email: Health.WCHGDClinicNurse@sa.gov.au

Appointments are held in Paediatric Outpatients Department:

• Level 1 Zone A
  Women's and Children's Hospital

Please note: the Gender Diversity Team does not provide ‘Mental Health Crisis’ Support.

Under 16 years

If you are under the age of 16 years, and the matter is considered a ‘mental health emergency’ please present to your closest emergency department, the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Emergency Department.

Over 16 years

If you are aged between 16–18 years and you have an urgent mental health concern, please present to your closest emergency department, the Urgent Mental Health Care Centre (215 Grenfell St, Adelaide SA 5000) or make contact with the Mental Health Triage Service on 13 14 65.