Information for clients

Learn more about attending the Gender Clinic.

The first steps

If you are interested in attending the Gender Clinic please first read the information pack (linked below) then provide a referral from a medical practitioner, such as a GP or medical specialist (preferably your GP). Secure eReferral by HealthLink is now our required method of referral; we no longer accept referrals by fax, email or post. Find up-to-date information about how health professionals can send a referral to Monash Health Specialist Consulting Clinics on the eReferrals page on our website.

Gender Clinic information pack

PDF document

Referrals

Gender Incongruence and Gender Dysphoria are internationally recognised medical conditions, for which patients are entitled to seek treatment, however not all medical practitioners have experience with servicing the trans and gender diverse community and may not be aware of what is needed. If you are worried that your GP will not refer you, please remember you can ask for a second opinion from another GP or contact Your Community Health – Trans and Gender Diverse Services, a Victorian Government funded initiative that provides Peer Navigation Services among other services.

Private providers

At Gender Clinic we know that being able to choose a service provider is important for some clients. Therefore minimising the barriers to accessing trans affirmative care is an important goal of Gender Clinic. If you want to consider these alternative pathways, you can find a list of private providers in the service providers section of the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health main page (linked below).

Informed consent primary care options

For clients who only wish to commence hormone therapy we encourage referral to one of the clinics that provide care under the informed consent protocol, unless your GP or provider recommends a more comprehensive mental health assessment. For more information about our intake criteria and a list of relevant clinics, see our Information for health professionals page.

Australian Professional Association for Trans Health – List of Victorian Providers

External website

I have sent my referral, now what?

You should soon receive an email or letter that confirms the receipt of your referral: if that has not arrived after a month please email genderclinic@monashhealth.org. Shortly you be will contacted by our social worker regarding an intake appointment; our aim is to have that within 8 weeks of receiving the referral. This appointment will be held via phone call.

The intake appointment should last no longer than 30 minutes. During this appointment, we will provide you with information about what services we offer. The purpose of the intake appointment is to explore your goals for attending the clinic and to ensure that the gender clinic is the most appropriate service for you. We may suggest alternative services that you can consider. Please note that you will only be added to our waitlist at the end of this appointment.

We will also provide you with information about emergency mental health support should the need arise while you are on the waitlist; and explore with you what you can do while you are waiting on the waitlist.

Gender Clinic strives to provide an accessible service for all our clients; prior to your first appointment please let us know about any special requirements. We can account for additional needs such as a carer/support person attending, disabled parking access, or a sensory room.