1 Hour / 1 CE

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Incarcerated Transgender Residents: Considerations for Assessment, Management, and Intervention is presented by Sarah Miller, PhD, ABPP.

This badge-earning program can be shared digitally on platforms like LinkedIn or your resume and counts toward a certificate. Enroll in this program to earn credit towards the Correctional Mental Health Certificate and share your new digital credentials.

Transgender and gender-diverse individuals are a marginalized community facing significant barriers in general society that are often exacerbated by the dynamics of correctional institutions. 

This program provides an overview of relevant considerations for clinical and correctional staff toward a goal of providing more holistic care to this population while accounting for institutional needs. Relevant case law, federal regulations, and professional guidance will be discussed. 

A multidisciplinary systems-based model of care is reviewed. This program highlights the role of mental health and allied professionals in working toward both quality individual care and institutional-level approaches to addressing the needs of transgender and gender-diverse individuals. 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe unique aspects of providing gender-affirming care in correctional settings
  • 2 Describe important individual and systems-based factors for clinical and correctional personnel to consider in addressing the needs of incarcerated transgender and gender-diverse individuals

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for mental health professionals who are familiar with the LGBTQ+ community and wish to deepen their expertise in supporting transgender and gender-diverse individuals within correctional settings. It is particularly relevant for those specializing in forensic or correctional mental health, social work, or counseling, as well as those working with justice-involved or incarcerated populations.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Psychologists
    • Social Workers
    • Counselors
    • Forensic Mental Health Specialists
    • Correctional Mental Health Providers
    • Professionals supporting transgender and gender-diverse clients

  • Experience Level

    This training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals with varying levels of experience working with transgender and gender-diverse individuals in correctional settings.

    • Beginner: Participants have foundational knowledge of LGBTQ+ populations and are seeking to understand the unique challenges and clinical considerations for transgender and gender-diverse individuals in correctional environments.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience providing care to LGBTQ+ individuals and/or working in correctional settings, and are looking to deepen their understanding of legal, clinical, and systems-based approaches to gender-affirming care within institutions.

  • Practice Setting

    Clinicians practice in secure, security-driven correctional environments where they deliver gender-affirming, trauma-informed care within the constraints of institutional policies, safety protocols, and operational needs. Work is interdisciplinary and systems-based, integrating mental health services with custody, medical, and administrative operations while adhering to relevant case law, federal regulations, and professional guidance.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • State and federal prisons
    • County and municipal jails
    • Juvenile detention centers
    • Forensic inpatient units/secure psychiatric hospitals
    • Reception/assessment centers and segregation units
    • Reentry, parole, and probation-affiliated clinics or programs
Presented By

Sarah Miller, PhD, ABPP

Sarah Miller, PhD, ABPP is board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. She is the Director of Maine’s State Forensic Service and the Training Director for the University of Maine Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology. She conducts criminal forensic mental health evaluations, provides consultation to examiners, attorneys, judges, and clinicians, and delivers trainings to clinical and legal audiences statewide. She also served as the Vice Chair of the Forensic Division of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD). She previously worked with the Behavioral Health team in the Maine Department of Corrections in a variety of clinical, supervisory, and administrative roles.

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Identification of concerns and complexities regarding transgender and gender diverse individuals in correctional settings

  • Review of legal and clinical guidance (e.g., Kosilek v. Maloney, 2002; Edmo v Corizon, 2019; Prison Rape Elimination Act; World Professional Association of Transgender Health Standards of Care, APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People)

  • Systems-based model of care (Miller, Hodges, & Wilner, 2020)

Earning a Certificate

This is a badge-earning program, which means it will help you earn a certificate that can be showcased on digital platforms like LinkedIn.
View Certificates

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).


Sponsorship Approval Statements

Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Palo Alto University maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, 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-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), 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-0356. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, 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-0073.