Washington. The S3C Foundation commends the professional organizations that filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on October 28, 2026, in International Partners for Ethical Care, Inc. v. Ferguson (No. 25-840). We especially recognize the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE), a part of the American Counseling Association (ACA), which brought the voice of the counseling profession into this case alongside the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, the Association of LGBTQ+ Psychiatrists, and Physicians for Reproductive Health. The brief was filed by Advocates for Trans Equality, Public Counsel, and Wiley Rein LLP (Advocates for Trans Equality, 2026).
What this case is about
A group of parents is challenging Washington State laws that govern how licensed shelters support transgender youth who have run away from home, including referrals to outpatient mental health services. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the parents lacked standing to bring the case (International Partners for Ethical Care Inc. v. Ferguson, 2025). The amici ask the Supreme Court to affirm that ruling or to dismiss the case as improvidently granted (Brief of Amici Curiae Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice et al., 2026). Oral argument is scheduled for December 7, 2026.
Why this matters to S3C
The S3C Foundation is a Washington-based nonprofit dedicated to trauma education, dissociation, and survivor-centered support. The laws at issue protect young people in our own state at one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. A young person who arrives at a shelter after leaving home has often already lived through rupture, rejection, or danger. For many of these youth, the shelter is the first place in a long time where an adult asks what they need and listens to the answer.
Trauma research and clinical practice point in the same direction: safety and connection come first, and healing happens in relationship. A referral to outpatient mental health care at the moment a young person reaches out for help is a protective intervention. It gives that young person a trained, caring adult to talk with and a path toward stability, and it can open a path back toward family when that is safe.
What the research shows
The amicus brief gathers peer-reviewed research showing that gender identity development is a typical part of childhood and adolescence, and that transgender youth have a persistent, stable understanding of who they are. The brief also documents that parental acceptance is associated with lower rates of suicide attempts, better mental health, and closer family relationships, while family non-acceptance is associated with the outcomes these parents say they fear, including family conflict and youth running away. The brief notes that no research suggests laws like Washington’s increase those risks (Brief of Amici Curiae Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice et al., 2026).
These findings match what trauma clinicians see every day. Attachment is protective. Acceptance is protective. Young people do best when the adults around them choose curiosity and care.
Our commitments
The S3C Foundation:
Supports Washington’s laws that ensure youth in licensed shelters can be connected to outpatient mental health care.
Affirms that all LGBTQAA2S+ people, including youth, deserve ethical, affirming, and trauma-informed care.
Honors the families who are working to understand and support their children, and encourages any parent who is struggling to seek support of their own. Acceptance is often a process, and it is never too late to begin.
Will continue to center survivors in our education and advocacy, and to equip clinicians, caregivers, and communities to respond to young people with safety, dignity, and care.
Statement from our Executive Director
“Every young person who walks through a shelter door is carrying a story, and often that story includes trauma. What helps in that moment is an adult who listens and a path to care. Washington’s laws offer exactly that. We are grateful to SAIGE and the other professional organizations for bringing the science, and the counseling profession’s voice, to the Supreme Court on behalf of youth who deserve to be safe and supported,” said Emma Sunshaw, PhD, Executive Director of the S3C Foundation.
Learn more
Advocates for Trans Equality press release: https://transequality.org/news/a4te-urges-supreme-court-dismiss-challenge-washingtons-laws-protecting-trans-youth-shelters
Full amicus brief: https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25-840/430964/20261028140352819_25-840%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf
About the S3C Foundation
The S3C Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Washington State focused on trauma education, dissociation, and survivor-centered support. Learn more at s3cfoundation.org.
References
Advocates for Trans Equality. (2026, October 28). A4TE urges Supreme Court to dismiss challenge to Washington’s laws protecting trans youth in shelters [Press release]. https://transequality.org/news/a4te-urges-supreme-court-dismiss-challenge-washingtons-laws-protecting-trans-youth-shelters
Brief of Amici Curiae Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice et al. in Support of Respondents, International Partners for Ethical Care, Inc. v. Ferguson, No. 25-840 (U.S. filed Oct. 28, 2026). https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25-840/430964/20261028140352819_25-840%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf
International Partners for Ethical Care Inc. v. Ferguson, 146 F.4th 841 (9th Cir. 2025).