![Supporting Transgender Youth A Law and Ethics Perspective]()
The stakes have never been higher for clinicians working with transgender youth. In the midst of a growing tide of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and an increase in mental health crises among marginalized youth, behavioral health professionals are on the front lines of care, advocacy, and ethical decision-making. This course offers vital tools for protecting and empowering one of the most vulnerable—and resilient—populations.
When lives, licenses, and futures are on the line, clinicians need more than compassion—they need clarity, confidence, and clinical skill. This course equips you with practical strategies and an ethical framework for supporting transgender youth in an evolving legal landscape.
Dr. Ann Ordway, JD, PhD, brings over two decades of experience as a family law attorney and counselor educator, with specialized expertise in high-conflict family systems and court-involved roles. As a national and international presenter on ethics, legal issues, and child advocacy, Dr. Ordway provides a rare depth of insight at the intersection of law, counseling, and vulnerable youth care.
With empathy and precision, Dr. Ordway teaches clinicians how to navigate ethical challenges, legal risks, and emotional complexities when supporting transgender youth. Her teaching combines research-based information with clinical relevance and practical application for telehealth and in-person settings.
This course covers essential terminology, gender identity development, the impact of systemic oppression, legal barriers to gender-affirming care, and the emotional toll of marginalization. Clinicians will also explore common ethical dilemmas—including issues of confidentiality, consent, and documentation—along with strategies for advocacy and affirming therapeutic presence.
Key Takeaways:
Understand risks and resilience: Learn to recognize unique clinical risks facing transgender youth and how to build affirming, strength-based support systems.
Navigate ethical gray areas: Gain clarity on confidentiality, consent, and privilege when working with minors and their families.
Bridge law and ethics: Understand how state laws, HIPAA, and ethical codes intersect—and how to act in the best interest of the youth you serve.
Why this course?
Real-world expertise: Taught by an attorney and counselor educator with extensive experience in legal and clinical issues affecting youth.
Mission-aligned training: Offered by the Telehealth Certification Institute, whose mission is to empower clinicians through excellence in continuing education.
Timely, relevant content: Addresses the urgent needs of clinicians navigating an increasingly politicized and complex care environment for LGBTQ+ youth.
Learning Objectives:
Identify 3 key areas of risk posed specifically to transgender youth and strategies for offering clinical support.
Explain 2 ethical challenges faced by clinicians providing telehealth support for transgender youth.
Explain the intersection of law and ethics pertaining to professionals providing clinical support to transgender youth.
Now more than ever, behavioral health professionals must be prepared to meet the legal and ethical challenges of caring for transgender youth. Let this course be your guide to becoming a trusted, informed, and affirming presence in the lives of the young people who need you most.
Add this course to your cart to begin learning instantly.
This is a non-interactive, self-study program and consists of over 1.5 hours of video instruction and a post-test.
Availability: From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.
Who Should Attend: This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.
Teaching Methods: This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.
How to Attend: Instructions for attending and completing a course can be found here.
![Ann Ordway Headshot]()
Ann Ordway, JD, PhD
Ann Ordway, JD, PhD, has a law degree and a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision. She is a retired family law attorney following approximately 20+ years of private practice in New Jersey, where she primarily worked with high conflict divorce dynamics, parenting coordination, and child advocacy. She received her MA and EdS in Counseling from Seton Hall University and completed her Practicum and Internship at the Counseling Services program on campus. Ann has been trained as a family mediator, a Guardian Ad Litem, and as a Parenting Coordinator. Clinical experience has included work with high-conflict families, victims of domestic violence, anger management with accused offenders of domestic violence, and school counseling. Ann has taught graduate-level clinical mental health and school counseling for nearly 14 years, both in-person and via distance learning. She was the College Academic Director of Counseling at a University in Phoenix, Arizona, and she is a former president of the Arizona Counseling Association. She is currently the program director at the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, where she facilitates the delivery of trainings for an international, interdisciplinary audience of family law professionals.
Dr. Ordway’s doctoral dissertation on the experiences of parenting coordinators working with high-conflict couples engaged in intimate partner violence dynamics is the foundation of her current research. She is a national and international presenter, and has published in peer-reviewed journals on topics related to high-conflict families, the impact of divorce on children, ethics, and the preparedness of counselors for court-involved roles and general court involvement.
Disclosure Statement: The instructor(s) for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.
Credit Hours: This course consists of 1.5 ethics continuing education hours of credit.
Counselors:
![NBCC ce Logo]()
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.
Marriage and Family Therapists: Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations. You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135, effective May 8, 2025.
Social Workers:
![ACE ce Logo]()
Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1.5 ethics continuing education credits.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.
Psychologists:
![APA CE Logo]()
Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.
Art Therapists: Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.
Other Professionals: This course qualifies for 90 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.
This course is a non-interactive, online self-study.
Participants may request a printed version of their certificate of completion to be delivered by mail. A shipping/handling fee of $6.95 will be charged per request. Shipping internationally may require an additional charge.
Closed captioning is offered for all live webinar participants.
You can click on the following links to view our policies:
