Gender Identity Clinic: Winter 2012 Updates

Dear community members and partners,

The CAMH Adult Gender Identity Clinic (GIC) announces some new changes in our current practice as part of CAMH’s focus on improving access to care.

As you may know, staff conducted a policy review last year which launched in Spring of 2011.The eligibility criteria was changed to 18 years of age, and the length of the Real Life Experience (RLE) minimum requirements to three months for hormones, and 12 months for Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS).

The GIC’s core staff attended the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) conference this year where the new (2011) Standards of Care were presented. We are adopting the language and spirit of the move from Real Life Experience to Gender Role Experience. As always, clients must meet the diagnostic criteria, as well as the readiness criteria. We will work with all our clients to achieve an individually tailored care plan. 

Whereas previously all surgery approvals were separate appointments, we are piloting dual chest and hysto approvals for trans men considered to be ready for both procedures.

Since the spring of 2011, we have revised and refocussed our questionnaire to better understand your current goals and situation. We have also created a new information sheet accompanying letters for possible surgery approval appointments to better prepare clients for this meeting and their possible surgery.

In response to client and community feedback, we are piloting a new initiative through TelePsychiatry, which would allow us to conduct follow-up meetings with current clients at long distances or in northern areas. Please ask us for further details.   

Clinic Head and psychiatrist Dr. Christopher McIntosh and staff psychologist Dr. Nicola Brown welcome you to the clinic and look forward to meeting you. Our most recent staff addition is psychiatrist Dr. Wayne Baici who is with us one afternoon a week. We thank our consulting psychiatrists, current medical residents and psychology interns who play an invaluable role with us.

CAMH is a teaching hospital and we are helping to train students in the assessment and care for trans clients.You will be informed of any students who are involved in your assessment sessions. If you have concerns about this, please discuss this with clinic staff.

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