LAPIS
letter access project in seattle
ABOUT LAPIS
LAPIS—Letter Access Project in Seattle—is a service that provides mental health assessments and support letters from licensed mental health professionals for trans individuals accessing trans-affirming healthcare in Seattle and across Washington State
LAPIS is entirely free of charge to anyone using our services.
LAPIS is working towards sustainability through donations. We do not accept donations from those seeking services. Donations come from other community members who want to support the trans community.
LAPIS currently provides services to those who are 18 years of age or older.
About our Clinicians
The clinician you meet with for an assessment will:
Be fully licensed in the state of Washington as an independent mental health care professional (LICSW, LMHC, or LMFT)
Have completed the course “Trans 202: Competent Clinical Transgender Care with WPATH SOC 8 Updates.”
Have multiple years of clinical experience working as a therapist with trans clients, as well as doing assessments and writing letters for trans clients.
Operate with a cultural humility mindset, acknowledging that we cannot and will not make assumptions about the trans experience. We are committed to learning and growing and updating our model of how to support the trans community and trans individuals.
This means that we can include a statement regarding experience and knowledge in transgender care in a letter of support, which is a statement that many insurance companies seem to now require. This is a barrier for many clinicians who do not have specific experience or a “specialty” in this area.