Free case management, home visiting, name change help, and crisis support for trans and nonbinary people of all ages. Across the South Coast of Massachusetts.
This page is the door into the trans and nonbinary side of the Network. Name change help, healthcare navigation, peer support, community events, and a list of people who will not make you explain yourself first.
We believe trans joy is a human right. Our services affirm, support, and celebrate trans and nonbinary people, full stop.
Recurring meetings where trans and nonbinary people show up for each other. Some in person, some virtual. No clinician in the room.
We walk you through name change paperwork, finding an affirming doctor, sorting out MassHealth, and figuring out what to do when something is not working. One on one. By phone, email, or in person.
Community trainings for schools, workplaces, and faith spaces. Public testimony on MA bills that affect us. Showing up where it counts.
You do not have to be in a worst case scenario to call. If you are in pain, in danger, or just need a person on the other end of the line, these services exist for that. We list them in order of who fits your situation, not by national name recognition. All are free. None will judge you for calling.
Who answers: a trans or nonbinary peer operator. Not a counselor, a peer.
Phone: 877-565-8860. Staffed M-F 1pm-9pm ET. For 24/7 crisis support call 988 and press 3.
Hours: Monday through Friday, 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM Eastern. Hold times can be long right now because volunteer capacity is limited. They return calls in the order received.
What they will not do: call emergency services or police on you without your explicit consent. One of the few crisis lines that promises this in writing.
Best for: adults who want to talk to someone who has been there. Not built for active medical emergencies.
Who answers: a trained crisis counselor focused on LGBTQ+ young people.
Phone (24/7): 1-866-488-7386
Text (24/7): START to 678678
Chat (24/7): thetrevorproject.org/get-help
Best for: LGBTQ+ people under 25. They will talk to you about coming out, identity, family, depression, suicide, anything.
Who answers: a trained crisis clinician based in MA. They can dispatch a mobile crisis team to where you are.
Phone or text: 833-773-2445
Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Insurance: not required. They serve you regardless of coverage.
Best for: a MA-specific crisis where you might need someone to come to you in person. This is the front door to mobile crisis on the South Coast.
Who answers: a clinician who can come to your home or wherever you are.
New Bedford and Fall River: 833-922-0111
Taunton and Attleboro: 800-660-4300 or 508-285-9400
Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Best for: when calling 911 feels like it would make things worse and you need a clinical face-to-face.
Who answers: a general crisis counselor. The dedicated LGBTQ+ youth specialty (the Press 3 option) was ended by the federal government on July 17, 2025.
If you are LGBTQ+ and under 25, call Trevor Project instead.
Phone, text, or chat: 988
Hours: 24/7
Best for: a general crisis where you need a counselor right now and the other options above are not the fit.
If you or someone with you is in immediate medical danger (overdose, severe self injury, active assault), 911 can be the right call. It can also be a risky one for trans people, depending on local response. If you have time and the situation allows, the mobile crisis numbers above will send a clinician instead of a uniformed officer.
We are building a list of local affirming providers and peer groups. If you have one to add, email eileen@sclgbtqnetwork.org.
This list is short on purpose. We only include orgs and providers who publicly say they affirm trans and nonbinary people, plus a few we know firsthand. If a name is missing it does not mean they are bad. It usually means we have not had time to verify, or we have not heard from anyone who has been there. Tell us what we are missing.
Free for everyone. All ages. Case management and home visiting are the core of what we do for trans and nonbinary folks: a person you can call who knows your situation, follows up, and helps you navigate appointments, paperwork, healthcare, and housing.
On top of that core: peer support groups (in person and virtual), help with name change paperwork, referrals to affirming healthcare providers we trust, and community events where you can show up without explaining yourself.
Phone: (774) 775-2656 (Eileen)
Email: eileen@sclgbtqnetwork.org
Community spaces in New Bedford, Fall River, and Taunton. See the Community Center page for current addresses and hours.
Trans-specific medical care, mental health, and care navigation. They accept SouthCoast patients. Telehealth available for MA residents.
Trans Health Program: fenwayhealth.org/care/medical/transgender-health
General appointments: 617-927-6000
Statewide trans advocacy. Runs the Identity Document Assistance Network (IDA) that helps with name and gender marker paperwork.
Web: masstpc.org
IDA Network: masstpc.org/what-we-do/ida-network
Free legal info line for LGBTQ+ people across New England. Also runs the Transgender ID Project for name and gender marker help.
Infoline (free): 800-455-GLAD (800-455-4523). Leave a voicemail or email, they return within about 3 business days.
Trans ID Project: gladlaw.org/id
Youth-led, youth-serving. Statewide programs, some virtual. Founded in 1980, oldest LGBTQ+ youth org in the country.
Web: bagly.org
A national curated list of trans+ resources, maintained by a Network funder. Hotlines, legal, advocacy, family support, and elder services in one place.
Visit: leonardlitz.org/transplus
Know somewhere we should add? Email Eileen at eileen@sclgbtqnetwork.org with the name, what they offer, and what makes them trans affirming in your experience. We add to this list as people tell us.
The paperwork side of transition can feel like a second job. Here is the actual map for Massachusetts, in the order it usually makes sense to do it. None of this requires a lawyer. Most of it is free if you cannot afford the fees.
The form: Petition to Change Name of Adult, CJP 27 (revised December 11, 2025). You file it at the Probate and Family Court in the county where you live.
Where to get the form: mass.gov, search for Petition to Change Name of Adult CJP 27.
Cost: filing fee, publication fee, certified copies. Total a few hundred dollars if you pay everything.
If you cannot afford the fees: file an Affidavit of Indigency. If your household income is under 125% of the federal poverty line, or you receive certain state assistance programs, the court waives every fee.
Privacy: a 2024 MA law lets trans people request the name change be sealed if publication would create a safety risk. Ask GLAD if you want help requesting it.
Need help with the form? GLAD Law Answers infoline: 800-455-4523, free. Or MTPC IDA Network: masstpc.org/what-we-do/ida-network.
The marker options: M, F, or X.
Documentation required: none. You do not need a doctor letter. You do not need a court order. You fill out a License or ID Card Application, indicate change of information, mark the gender you want, and bring it to an RMV Service Center appointment.
Cost: standard license/ID amendment fee. No surcharge for changing the marker.
Where: mass.gov/how-to/change-information-on-your-drivers-license-or-id-card
Order matters. Update Social Security first. Then MassHealth. If MassHealth records do not match Social Security, coverage can get stuck.
Social Security: you can change your name and sex marker on your record. SSA does not require a doctor letter for the sex marker change as of current policy. Visit ssa.gov or call your local office.
MassHealth: once Social Security shows your new name, call MassHealth Customer Service and report the change. They update your health plan.
MassHealth Customer Service: 1-800-841-2900. TTY: 1-800-497-4648.
If you hit a wall: the My Ombudsman program is independent and free, and exists for MassHealth members having access problems. Search My Ombudsman MassHealth on mass.gov.
Fenway Health and MTPC both maintain step-by-step checklists for MA. We are not reinventing them.
Fenway guide: fenwayhealth.org, search Name and Gender Marker Change Guide for Massachusetts.
MTPC quick reference: masstpc.org, search Quick Reference Guide to Legal Name and Gender Marker Changes.
GLAD Law (formerly GLAD) ID Project guide: gladlaw.org/id.
Want to do this with someone in your corner? The Network can sit with you and help fill out CJP 27, walk through the indigency affidavit, and answer questions about the RMV appointment. Email Eileen at eileen@sclgbtqnetwork.org or call (774) 775-2656.
Gender-affirming care in Massachusetts is comprehensive and covered by MassHealth. Many of the deepest specialty programs are based in Boston, with telehealth and accepting-new-patients pathways for SouthCoast residents. The Network can also help you find local primary care providers we trust. Tell us what you're looking for at eileen@sclgbtqnetwork.org.
Federally qualified health center with a Trans Health Program. Hormone therapy, primary care, mental health, surgical referrals. Telehealth available to MA residents.
Phone: 617-927-6202 (Trans Health Services). Insurance verification: 617-927-6000.
Web: fenwayhealth.org/care/medical/transgender-health
Best for: adults wanting a long-term primary care home with trans-affirming everything in one place.
Integrated practice with primary care, hormone management, case management, behavioral health, and surgical services. Trans-identified staff and community navigators.
Phone: 617-726-3525
Web: massgeneral.org/transgender-health-program
Best for: adults seeking a multidisciplinary team across medical, mental health, and surgical care in one program.
Comprehensive gender-affirming care including hormone therapy, primary care, and surgical referrals.
Web: brighamandwomens.org/transgender-health
Best for: adults already in the Brigham/MGB system or wanting access to its specialty network.
Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery. Comprehensive adult care.
Web: bmc.org/center-transgender-medicine-and-surgery
Best for: adults seeking surgical consultation alongside primary and hormonal care.
Gender-affirming primary, surgical, and mental health care.
Web: bidmc.org/centers-and-departments/gender-affirming-services
Best for: adults in the Beth Israel Lahey Health system.
Gender Multispecialty Service. Ages 3 to 25. Endocrinology, psychology, and social work team. Founded 2007 as the first major US program for trans youth.
Phone: 617-355-4367
Web: childrenshospital.org/programs/gender-multispecialty-service
Best for: trans and nonbinary children, adolescents, and young adults plus their families.
Trans Health Program services specifically for youth, including hormone therapy assessment and mental health support.
Phone: 617-927-6202
Web: fenwayhealth.org/care/medical/transgender-health/youth
Best for: trans and nonbinary youth wanting community-based care outside a hospital setting.
MassHealth covers hormone therapy, surgeries, and behavioral health for gender-affirming care. Coverage details published at mass.gov.
Web: mass.gov/gender-affirming-care-for-masshealth-members
If a claim is denied, the My Ombudsman program (free, independent) can help you appeal.
OutCare Health MA: outcarehealth.org/outlist/massachusetts
New England Gender CARE consortium: negendercare.org/consortium-members
Compass (transmasculine focus): compassftm.org/resources
Best for: people wanting to filter by insurance, geography, or specialty before calling.
Want help finding a provider or navigating insurance? The Network walks you through it. Call (774) 775-2656 (Eileen) or email eileen@sclgbtqnetwork.org. We help you compare options, prepare for first appointments, and follow up if a referral does not land. Know an affirming provider we should add? Share their name with us and we grow this list with the community.
Family and friends often want to help and are not sure how. Schools, employers, faith communities can too. This page lists the most useful starting points and the support the Network can offer locally.
Peer support for parents, families, and allies of LGBTQ+ people. Founded 1973. Meetings in person and online.
Closest to SouthCoast: South Shore PFLAG and Greater Boston PFLAG. No PFLAG chapter currently in NB/Fall River/Taunton.
Helpline: 866-427-3524
Web: pflag.org/findachapter
Sister hotline to the main Trans Lifeline, for cisgender family members and partners trying to understand and support a trans loved one.
Phone: 877-565-8860. Staffed M-F 1pm-9pm ET. For 24/7 crisis support call 988 and press 3. Check translifeline.org for current routing.
Web: translifeline.org
An Act Relative to Gender Identity (2012) prohibits discrimination in MA public schools based on gender identity. Schools must respect a trans student's name, pronouns, restroom and facility access, and athletics participation consistent with their gender identity.
Web: doe.mass.edu/sfs/lgbtq/genderidentity.html
National student-facing guide to school protections. Useful for trans students who want to know what they can ask for.
Web: glsen.org (search Know Your Rights)
Legal information for students experiencing discrimination in MA schools. Free legal infoline.
Phone: 800-455-4523
Web: gladlaw.org/issues/students-massachusetts
SCLGBTQ Network offers community trainings for workplaces on trans inclusion, pronouns, restroom and facility access, and creating affirming workplace policies. Sliding scale for small SouthCoast businesses.
Contact: eileen@sclgbtqnetwork.org or (774) 775-2656
National benchmark for employer LGBTQ+ inclusion practices. Worth sharing with HR.
Web: outandequal.org
The Network keeps a working list of SouthCoast faith communities that publicly affirm LGBTQ+ people. Ask Eileen for the current list.
Email: eileen@sclgbtqnetwork.org
You don't have to figure this out alone. Email Eileen at eileen@sclgbtqnetwork.org or call (774) 775-2656. We help families, schools, employers, and faith communities show up well for the trans people in their lives.
Two printable PDFs you can post at home, share with a friend, hand to a school counselor, or print for a community space. Both updated quarterly.
A one-page printable summary. Crisis lines, name change steps, healthcare, Network contact. Designed to magnet to a fridge or pin to a counselor's wall.
Coming June 2026
The full guide for parents, providers, and advocates who want the complete picture. Crisis lines, name change, healthcare, family support, all in one printable booklet.
Coming June 2026
Spot something wrong or want to add? Email eileen@sclgbtqnetwork.org. Both guides updated quarterly.
We are building three more pieces of this page: a list of affirming healthcare providers in the SouthCoast, a guide for family and allies, and a downloadable Trans Resource Guide PDF you can share or print. Targeting June 2026. If there is something you want included, email Eileen at eileen@sclgbtqnetwork.org.