Exploring the needs of transgender peoples living in Northern Ontario through service providers' experiences

Abstract

The experiences of people who identify as transgender have begun to be discussed in some service provider areas such as mental health services, hospitals, and educational facilities. Transgender individuals would benefit from services being implemented that specifically pertain to their needs, for example, specialized counselling, support groups, and safe spaces. There appears to be a required need for an increase in community understanding, practitioner understanding, and appropriate and available services. With the transgender population increasing and individuals identifying earlier in life, it is crucial that practitioners have appropriate training and education to work with this population. It is also important that communities have the resources and services required by the transgender population. This study explored health and social service provider perspectives on supports for transgender people in Timmins Ontario. Ten service providers participated in semi-structured interviews. A qualitative thematic analysis was completed and revealed three main themes: (1) Social work approaches that are present and needed; (2) Services that have been developed and services still needed; (3) Strengths of the community. The study concludes that social work approaches should be paired with gender theory when working with transgender people, Timmins Ontario requires more transgender specific services to meet the needs of the transgender community, and that service providers would benefit from additional specialized training. It is recommended that service providers advocate for specific transgender service development, additional training and education, and become familiar with using gender theory in practice.