Supporting Transgender Youth: A Law and Ethics Perspective

Description

This course does not offer CE Credits. The same course is available for purchase and offers 1.5 clinical CE hours for behavioral health clinicians.  See "related products" below.

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.

Format and Access

This is a non-interactive, self-study course and consists of over 1.5 hours of video instruction and an evaluation.

Course Details

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. This continuing education course is designed for licensed behavioral health professionals and provides training in suicide prevention using expressive arts as an integrative approach. However, this is not a creative arts therapy course and does not provide training in creative arts therapy.

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: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

About Ann Ordway, JD, PhD

Ann Ordway 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.

CE Hours

This course does not offer CE credits, just great content.

The same course is available for purchase and offers 1.5 CE hours for behavioral health clinicians. See "related products" below.

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.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement