Deaf Lesbians’ Systemic Barriers to Adoption

Ella and Judy discuss the challenges they faced as first-generation lesbian mothers dealing with systemic barriers to adoption.

Domestic Violence Led to Move

Judy: I had five children who I brought with me to Kansas from Oklahoma due to domestic violence that caused a breakdown in spiritual growth, as well as physical, emotional and verbal abuse. I moved to protect my children from this. We lived in a shelter for a long while. 

Ella: Just before she left Oklahoma, we both had met and fell in love. Because of this situation with her husband, I supported them the best I could, visiting from time to time. On each visit, I spent time with the children, and got to know them. They were quite young then, the oldest around 8 – 9 years and youngest around 2-3 years old. That was during 1983-1984.

Search for Housing Suitable for Five Children

Judy: Finding our own place with five children was next to impossible. Thanks to a friend in the Vocational Rehabilitation Division, who helped us locate a townhouse that was part of a coop. With that, we finally settled a bit.

Ella: Judy filed for divorce…and after one year, what happened?

Judge Rules in favor of Lesbian Mother

Judy: I got my (maiden) name back. I also got full custody of my children. I was thrilled! My lawyer knew that I was a lesbian and was worried that the judge’s ruling would prejudice against me. However, to our great relief, the judge ruled in my favor! 

No Child Support From Former Husband

Ella: A blessing indeed! At that hearing, the judge also ruled that Judy’s ex-husband must pay monthly child support. How much was that?

Judy: $200.

Ella: Only $200 for five children.

Full Custody Gave Mother Freedom to Take Children to Another State

Judy: When I got full custody, I could then take my children anywhere we wanted to move. 

Ella: So they all moved to California, joining me. Not one penny of the $200/monthly child support came from her ex-husband. Luckily, we both managed to find jobs and places to rent. It wasn’t easy, but we scraped by and eventually, we bought a house. The whole time, we worked together as a family. 

Blended Family Means Multiple Relationships

Oh, one important point, before Judy and the children moved here, I told several people about falling in love with her and that she had five children. One friend told me that since Judy had five children, I am not having a relationship with only one person but with six people altogether. That hit me hard. It is not right to focus on Judy alone and ignore the children. All the children were as important as Judy and need to be seen as a part of my relationship with Judy (Family picture showing Ella and Judy at top left, with four boys and one girl, all smiling). 

Without Adoption, Unrecognized Status as Nonbiological and Non-adoptive Mother

Judy and I shared finances and childcare, but problems existed because of my unrecognized status. Even though my insurance covered all of the children, to ensure they would be taken care of, I had no rights when it came to the children. For example (turns to Judy), do you want to share this incident?

Unable to Make Decision during Medical Emergency without Adoption

Judy: One time I flew to North Carolina for something job-related. That night I arrived, as I was getting ready for the first day of work, someone pressed the light flasher at the door. I opened the door and was told that there was an emergency at home. My son had an infected appendix, necessitating surgery, and I had to fly home before I could start my work there.

Ella: The reason for this was…even though my insurance covered that boy and along with the fact that he lived with me – when the hospital found out that I wasn’t his legal mother, they kicked me out. I explained to them that his mother was in NC for work for the weekend, but they just went “sorry” and made the boy wait for Judy’s appearance and permission before they could operate on him. I had no choice but to call her in North Carolina and tell her to fly back home. At that point, it was very clear that I had zero legal relationship to the children. 

Barriers to Adoption When Children Under 18 Years of Age

Judy: That’s what started us thinking about adoption. We did our homework, researched how adoption would work in our case, what would be expected of us, what our house would need to be like, what the requirements would be, and so on. We learned that it would be extremely expensive.

Ella: That’s right, because they were under 18 years of age, plus we were two women. Back in 1983, that was a big deal – although nowadays it can be challenging, it’s much easier – However, back then, it was much harder. So figuring out what would work best was a struggle. Also, since the children’s father was still alive, he could use his privileged status to block any adoption effort on our part. If Judy died, the children would go back to their father instead of staying with me. It was a complicated situation. But, out of the blue, things took a turn….what happened?

Death of Ex-Husband Makes Adoption Easier

Judy: My ex-husband died.

Ella: Our youngest was 12 at that time.

Judy: I was now free to marry again. I could share my children with Ella. She had been fully involved in raising my children and I felt it was not right to limit her. I wanted to share my children with her because I loved, respected and truly appreciated her hard work and the fact that she accepted the children as her own and took on the responsibility of caring for them. She deserved to be recognized as a good mother.

Adoption of Two Oldest Children

Ella: Two things: yes, it would mean the world to me to be recognized as the children’s legal mother…and also, there was the issue of what would happen if Judy died – where would the children go? Even though they had lived with us – with me – all those years, if Judy were to die, they would be taken away from me immediately and probably become wards of the state. That was a terrifying thought. However, adoption was expensive and there was great bias in the system. 

Importance of LGBT-Friendly Lawyer for Adoption Process

The year when our youngest was 12, the two oldest were 18 and 19, we found a good lawyer who was a lesbian herself and specialized in handling lesbian and gay adoptions, and met with her. She told us that adopting the two oldest children would be easy because they were adults, and could consent to the adoptions on their own. Adopting the younger children was more complicated because it would involve home study, transfers, and other things. 

When I asked the two older children if they wanted me to adopt them, they both responded with an enthusiastic “yes!”. It was a heartwarming moment. With the lawyer’s help, we filed for the adoptions and everything went smoothly. It was such a special and breathtaking feeling at the moment when the adoptions were finalized. We felt even more connected. For the younger three children, though, we decided to wait until our financial and home situation was better. However, after that, life went on, and lots of things happened throughout the years. We were very fortunate that nothing very serious happened though, and that we all stayed together. The adoption idea for the three younger children was put on the back burner.  

Adoption of Remaining Three Children

We became grandparents, and life went on…until our daughter developed some health issues and had to check about applying for social security benefits. She learned she could not get her father’s social security due to his debt. She wondered if she could apply under my social security. “That would be fine” I said, “Sure, we could look into that.” However, in order to do this, we needed proof that she was my daughter. That’s when we realized that we should revisit adopting the three younger children.

Judy: Yes, right. We discussed with the three older children –

3/3 Ella: – the three younger children.

Judy: They were all over 18 by then.

Ella: Oh, ok. 

Judy: … and they all said “why not?” to the adoption idea. So, we went ahead…and then what happened?

Through Adoption, A Fully Recognized and Legal Family at Last

Ella: We contacted that same lawyer who helped us with the two older children. To help us save money, she gave us tips on how to properly prepare forms to submit to the court. Everything worked out and a court date was scheduled. How many people came with us to court that day?

Judy: We had a full line-up of people – some grandchildren came, even our nephew, Tim. We all went to court, the whole family was there to celebrate, and even Ella’s mother went.

Ella: It was really nice and touching. The judge, who was a man, went through everyone’s names and other details, then asked each child if they agreed to the adoption. When our third child said “Yes, I do agree”, my heart melted. After that, our fourth and fifth children gave their consent. The judge turned to me and asked me if I wanted to adopt all of them and be their mother. I replied, “of course”. The judge pounded his gavel and proudly announced that the adoptions were finalized. Judy and I looked at each other, beaming. We were now a fully recognized and legal family, bound not only by love, but by law, too. That was a powerful feeling (picture of Ella standing in the courtroom with three adult children and judge, all smiling, with their arms around each other). The beaming judge said he thought we had a beautiful story, which meant a lot to us. It was nice to see people’s attitudes slowly changing throughout the years, from strong resistance and negativity to full acceptance and support.

First-Generation Deaf Lesbian Mothers

Judy: I think it’s important to note two things. First, when we moved here, we were pioneers. There were hardly any Deaf lesbians who had children in California. There were quite a few hearing lesbians with children, but no Deaf ones that we knew of that time. If we had problems and needed help, there was hardly anybody for us to turn to. It was tough and we felt alone – 

Ella: Our support system was quite nonexistent. 

Prior Experience with Stepmother Role Critical

Judy: – it was awful. Ella’s side of the family had a hard time accepting me. We suffered through it. Second, I think Ella was very lucky that I had experience being a stepmother to two children from my first marriage, the person who died. I took on raising my ex-husband’s two children and learned how to be a stepmother. Now, when Ella was one to my children, I knew how important it was to support her.

Ella: She was very good.

Co-Parenting as a Team

Judy: When there were conflicts with the children, it was hard, but it was important for us to stand strong together, and for the children to see me, their mother, in alliance with Ella. It was also important that we discussed any conflicts between the two of us in private – 

Ella: It wasn’t easy, but…

Judy: – discuss until we came to an agreement, then come out and talk with the children. The children always knew we worked together, always. That was an important lesson. 

Ella: Yes. That’s our story (picture of Ella and Judy in front, with all five adult children standing behind them, smiling, with orange leaves on the trees in background).

Video description: Judy (l) and Ella (r) are seated on a sofa with a few plants behind them. Both are wearing short-sleeved shirts, glasses, and signing their story.

Resources:

https://deafcounseling.com/adoption-a-deaf-adoptive-parent-kyms-story/

https://deafcounseling.com/deaf-adoption-unwanted-medical-advice-story/

https://deafcounseling.com/deaf-indian-adoption-maureens-story/

https://deafcounseling.com/deaf-transracial-and-trans-country-adoption/

https://awaa.org/blog/adopting-a-deaf-child-meet-levi/

The post Adoption Barriers Faced by Deaf Lesbians appeared first on Deaf Counseling Center.

Deaf Transracial and Trans-country Adoption

Edna shares her family’s experience with Deaf transracial and trans-country adoption.

Deaf transracial and trans-country adoption: Hello everyone, I’m Edna Johnston. My topic is adoption. I have four children, all of whom I adopted, including one who was conceived and born with my wife of 16 ½ years. I think adoption is a beautiful concept and the perfect solution for straight people’s mistakes. Since gay people don’t procreate – well, now they can have babies with their own DNA, but couples can’t both pass on their DNA together (video screen moves, “stop, I’m filming” – “that’s my kid”, fixes screen). Adoption is an awesome win-win – we can have children and children who need families get them. I did choose to have Deaf children and my wife, who is hearing, agreed. Things changed later though, and we ended up with two Deaf and two hearing children – two girls and two boys. It’s really nice that I wanted Deaf kids and I got what I wanted.

Do’s and Don’ts – Adoption Questions

Anyway, I think people are more open and curious about adoption today and view it positively. There are, however, still some “Do’s” and “Don’ts” when it comes to adoption. I notice that people often want to know how the adoption process works. I don’t mind sharing that information. What’s important is the intent behind the question. People ask if it is expensive, how we could afford it, why we picked this country to adopt from – this last one is probably because there are not many countries to adopt from that have Deaf children, and it’s usually the same few countries people adopt Deaf children from, so I can understand the question. Often when people ask why we chose a certain country, it’s because our children are Black. This is called transracial adoption, or adoption across race. My wife and I are white, while our children are a different race – Black – and they are also from another country, which is called transnational adoption, although I rarely use that word. I usually say transracial.

Deaf Transracial and Trans-Country Adoption – White Parents and White Privileges

I have learned so much about my children’s country through celebrating their food, culture, clothing, values, and through meeting people in the community, including Deaf people from their native country. It has been an incredibly rich experience. I have also learned a lot about myself as a white person and my white privilege. For example, I have my Deaf lens, which means as a Deaf person, I expect hearing parents to learn how to sign if they have children, no exception. If you have Deaf children, you must celebrate Deaf culture, community, values, art, history and so on. In the same way, I also have another lens as an adoptive parent. I believe that I should celebrate and acknowledge my children’s heritage in a similar way.

Reciprocal Relationship with the Black Deaf Community

There are some needs that I cannot meet as a white mom. For example, braiding hair is something that I am just not good at, so I share this activity with the Black Deaf community. It’s not a threat to me as a parent at all. The more open I am with the community, the more my kids benefit. It’s like teamwork, a reciprocal relationship. It’s similar to how in the Deaf community, Deaf and hearing parents collaborate for the children’s best interest. That’s a beautiful side of adoption.

Transracial and Trans-Country Deaf Adopted Children as Strong Beings

I have the utmost respect for children who are adopted from any other country. They are survivors, strong beings, transplants from other countries who moved here and had to learn everything about a new country, a new language – both a complex written language and sign language – new everything, including new people, new demographics that are completely different from their native country, new families. They have to learn to trust, to deal with trauma from their past, to handle people who say bad things about their being adopted, and on and on. I think they are some of the strongest people on earth.

No Need to Call Children “Adopted Children”

I ask that you own up to it when you say something by mistake. For example, someone came up to me and said, “I met your adopted kids”. My response is, “They are my children and I don’t call them my ADOPTED children – they are my kids, period.” I’m like a mama bear – if anything threatens my children, I will protect them because they are my kids. I don’t see them as my “Black kids” or my “adopted kids” or my “African kids” – they are MY kids and that’s it. This isn’t to say that I am colorblind, of course. They are my kids and carry our names. So own it if you slip up and say something that might be racist. Just check – it’s okay. Everyone is human. Own it. “How much did the adoptions cost?” is a question I detest. So is profiling, or assuming that all children who are adopted from other countries have language delays, special needs, or aren’t really Deaf but are autistic or something like that. The stigma is real.

Don’t Put So Much Importance on DNA and Genes

It’s important not to place so much importance on DNA and genes. DNA does not always guarantee that a family is close. Some families are so dysfunctional and not close at all. I’m close to my kids even though we don’t share DNA. I feel there is way too much emphasis on DNA. For example, some school activities ask students to bring in baby pictures, which doesn’t show much sensitivity to adopted children who may not have any baby pictures of themselves. It’s important to be sensitive. Overall, adoption has been a good experience. I hope you might consider adoption one day, or be open to the idea of having your own children and adopting, too, or even be less fixated on the importance of DNA and continuing your bloodline. There are so many different ways to have a family. Many thanks!

Resources:

https://deafcounseling.com/adoption-a-deaf-adoptive-parent-kyms-story/

https://deafcounseling.com/deaf-adoption-unwanted-medical-advice-story/

https://deafcounseling.com/deaf-indian-adoption-maureens-story/

https://adoption.org/know-adopting-deaf-child

The post Deaf Transracial and Trans-Country Adoption appeared first on Deaf Counseling Center.

Advice for Prospective Adoptive Deaf Parents

Maureen shares her Deaf Indian adoption experience and offers two important pieces of advice for prospective adoptive parents.

Communication Access and Medical-Related Issues

Hi, I’m Maureen Behrens. I’d like to share my adoption story, focusing on communication access and medical-related issues. I adopted my daughter about 10 ½ years ago, through the Holt International Adoption Agency based in Oregon. When they told me that I had been matched with my daughter, I was elated and over the moon! My heart was pounding and so full of love at that moment. I was looking forward to it with much anticipation.

Lip-reading Instead of Sign Language

Through the adoption process, I worked closely with my social worker. The Indian agency was required to send me reports every three months, covering any issues related to medical, emotional, behavioral, social, and lipreading. The reports I received would indicate things such as weight gain, height, etc. I noticed that they always mentioned lipreading, so I asked my social worker to let them know that I wanted my daughter to learn to sign because otherwise, she would have no way to communicate with me when we met. She wouldn’t know how to tell me when she needed to go to the bathroom or if she needed a drink of water, for example. Because my speech skills are nonexistent, we’d be at loss for communication.

Foster Family Refused to Teach Sign Language

The foster family, however, refused my request and continued to teach lipreading/speech skills. I argued back and forth with them through my social worker for six months, until finally, with just one week remaining before we were to meet, we got lucky. My daughter was moved to another foster family who lived closer to the building where she could learn ASL. A woman named Ida Thomas – bless her heart – had learned ASL from a Canadian pastor who had gone to India and met her at church. It was our lucky break. Ida taught my daughter for one week, covering signs for colors, plane, chair and so on.

First Encounter Between Deaf Adoptive Parent and Deaf Indian Adopted Child

From the moment when my daughter arrived and we met each other for the very first time, we had an amazingly powerful and instant bond, connecting through our both being Deaf. Interestingly, the same social worker who had advocated on my behalf for my daughter to learn sign, was totally astonished and remarked that she had never before seen such a strong first connection between a parent and adoptive child. To my great appreciation and gratitude, we made a written agreement that from that point on, any Deaf child who was placed through that agency would learn to sign. After we flew home, my daughter continued to learn and pick up more ASL.

Medical Biases Toward Deaf Indian Child/Adoption

Secondly, related to medical issues, in one of the reports I received every three months prior to my daughter’s arrival, I had noticed in one picture that her eye looked a bit out of focus. I asked the social worker to share my concerns about my daughter’s eye, but was told by the Indian agency that everything was fine. In addition to this, the doctor had written that my daughter had “growth retardation”, which meant that she would not grow anymore. Upset, I asked the social worker what that meant, but was told it was nothing. Despite my protests, she continued to say it was nothing. To my relief, right after my daughter arrived, she had a big growth spurt. My instinct about her eye, however, was correct. After seeing a doctor and undergoing a series of tests at the California School for the Blind in Fremont, it was confirmed that she had low vision and a few other diagnoses.

Importance of Asking Questions and Trust Your Instincts

My advice to anyone who may be considering adopting in the future is be sure to ask plenty of questions. Trust your instincts and speak up if you feel something isn’t right or if you notice something. Don’t let the agency do everything without considering your input. When I mentioned my concern about communication access and stood my ground, I was eventually able to get my daughter access to signing, and the same thing was true with my concerns that were related to medical issues. Thank you for watching.

Video description: Maureen is sitting in front of a light-colored all, wearing a black top, and signing her story.

Resources:

https://deafcounseling.com/adoption-a-deaf-adoptive-parent-kyms-story/

https://adoption.org/know-adopting-deaf-child

https://deafcounseling.com/deaf-adoption-unwanted-medical-advice-story/

The post Deaf Indian Adoption: Maureen’s Story appeared first on Deaf Counseling Center.

Feeling nostalgic after reviewing our archives. Here’s a throwback video by our (much younger!) Sharon, sharing thoughts about a new sign for “counseling”, 13 years ago in 2006. We are happy to see that use of this new sign that we suggested has slowly spread over the years, and more people have opted to use this sign over the traditional power-imbalanced one. Deaf Counseling Center has always believed that our counselors and clients are equal as humans, and just happen to be sitting in different chairs. The open hands sign for counseling reflects this perfectly!

Transcript: Hi, I’m Sharon Duchesneau. I want to discuss language today. Language, words, and signs sometimes have deeper meanings within them, including those that can demonstrate power. I think it is important to take a look at this. For example, both the English words “fireman” and “policeman” contain “man”, which focuses on men and suggests that men in those professions are more important. When this was recognized a while ago, we started using the words “firefighter” and “police officer” instead. Luckily for us, some ASL signs don’t always acknowledge any gender. The sign for “police” (shows C-handshape over heart), for example, is missing a gender marker, as is the sign for “firefighter” (shows B-handshape moving on forehead). That makes it nice, but some ASL signs do show power imbalance.

After traveling to different countries such as Australia, Germany, and New Zealand, I noticed one particular sign (shows sign – both palms up, and hands moving forward and backward alternately), which is the sign for “counseling”. I like this sign! The reason I like it is because it shows the dynamics of two people talking, relating with each other, and establishing a two-way rapport. This contrasts with the traditional sign for “counseling”, which suggests a one-way direction, with the counselor constantly giving advice, and everything directed and focused on fixing the client. In my work with different people – families, children and individuals – I always feel like I get something out of these relationships as well, and the new sign for “counseling” reflects this. Another sign for “therapy” (shows T-handshape on open palm) suggests “helping” the client, which again conveys the idea of the relationship being one-way. The three traditional signs for “counseling”, “help”, and “therapy” don’t quite show the more balanced rapport that the new sign for “counseling” does.

Even though I’m not a linguist, when I think about the origins of the traditional signs for “counseling” and “therapy”, I imagine that years ago, the people who first worked in the mental health field with Deaf people were hearing professionals, who viewed their work as “helping”, and who came up with the traditional sign for “counseling” which includes the concept of helping Deaf people. I’m just guessing here. I do wonder if now is the time for us to consider tossing out the old signs for “counseling” and “therapy” and replace them with the new sign. What do you think? Thank you.

(video description: Sharon is sitting in an armchair and signing. A plant and French door are behind her.)

Resources:

https://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/THERAPY/707/1 Old therapy signs

The post Rethinking the ASL Therapy Sign (2006) appeared first on Deaf Counseling Center.

The purpose of this position statement is to acknowledge and emphasize the importance and need for specialized sign language interpreting services in the delivery of mental health services to deaf individuals. While direct mental health services are optimal and always preferred, such services are not always available. When there are no direct mental health services, it is critical to ensure effective communication through specialized sign language interpreting services, which must be complete with sensitivity to cultural affiliation and awareness of the dynamics involved, in the delivery of mental health services to people who are deaf.[1] The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) wishes to use this platform to increase meaningful access to mental health services by elevating the knowledge, awareness, and sophistication with respect to use of sign language interpreting by mental health professionals, healthcare delivery systems, and deaf consumers. The sections below highlight critical information for mental health providers, interpreters and the deaf community to gain a comprehensive understanding of how to better serve and support deaf individuals.

Direct vs. Interpreted Mental Health Services

The NAD recommends that individuals who are deaf be referred to specially trained providers for direct mental health services (see NAD Position Statements on Mental Health Services) whenever possible and that appropriate support services, guided by consumer choice, be made available, if necessary. In situations where it is not possible to find a service provider who is able to provide direct mental health services, or because of consumer preference, the NAD strongly recommends that service providers work collaboratively with qualified sign language interpreters who have specialized mental health interpreting expertise.

The NAD urges mental health professionals, interpreters and the Deaf Community to recognize the unique challenges faced by mental health providers and interpreters working with deaf consumers in mental health settings and to be aware that there is a need for specialized training in order to meet those challenges. The mental health care field is broad and includes both deaf and hearing service providers in the areas of psychotherapy, psychiatry, counseling and social work, psychological testing, substance abuse treatment, forensic therapy, and more. Settings may range from a client’s home, private offices, hospitals and prison facilities.

According to the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf’s (RID) Standard Practice Paper on Interpreting in Mental Health Settings, “Mental health professionals depend heavily on language form and content for diagnosis and treatment. Nuances in communication, including affective tone and subtleties of language structure, may be significant for diagnosis and treatment effectiveness.” (RID, 2007). While there is great variability in ability to recognition of mental health terms in English by hearing people, a reliable study exploring cultural and linguistic barriers to mental health service access found that deaf participants’ ability varied even more widely (Steinberg, Sullivan, & Lowe, 1998). In addition to understanding terminology specific to mental health settings, interpreters face complex interpersonal dynamics stemming from the symptoms of psychological disorders, diagnostic and treatment goals specific to various mental health settings, as well as the unique communication and therapeutic objectives of each member of the mental health treatment team.

Interpreters are encouraged to adhere to high standards of ethical practice (RID, 2007), which includes ensuring that they have appropriate training in mental health interpreting prior to accepting work in such settings. Interpreters need to be prepared for a variety of group dynamics including but not limited to: hearing clinicians working directly with deaf consumers; hearing clinicians working with deaf consumers and their hearing family members or partners; and deaf mental health professionals with various interpreting needs. These scenarios present their own challenges and complications (Hauser, Finch, & Hauser, 2008) and interpreters would benefit from training and preparation in order to be qualified for such jobs.

Credentials in Mental Health Interpreting

Though the RID lists standards of practice in mental health interpreting, as of early 2012, RID does not have any specialist certification for mental health interpreting.[2] There are several independent programs focusing on mental health interpreting, but there is no uniformity in those programs. The only known certification program that provides intensive training in mental health interpreting is offered through the Alabama Mental Health Interpreter Training. (Alabama Department of Mental Health Administrative Code, 2003; Crump, 2012).

Requirements of Mental Health Interpreters:

Intrapersonal Awareness
While mental health professionals are trained to deal with patients and situations that are emotionally charged, most interpreters are not. As such, interpreters working in the mental health setting must have keen intrapersonal skills in terms of strong awareness of biases and values, triggers, limitations, and potential for countertransference. The ability of the interpreter to self-manage and remain calm during a mental health interpreting assignment is paramount to a successful mental health session for the deaf consumer. Intrapersonal skills can be developed with training, supervision, and peer support, and such skills can guide decisions on accepting jobs in this field. A few aspects of the assignment to consider prior to accepting the job would be: culture, race, gender, religious affiliation, and sexual orientation.

Expertise in Language and Culture
In order to avoid misdiagnosis in deaf consumers, it is critical that interpreters not only have receptive and expressive fluency in American Sign Language, but are extensively trained in mental health techniques. Mental health interpreters must be familiar with and able to utilize different interpreting modalities. Furthermore, the interpreter must be prepared to educate providers on the possible need for longer sessions, the need for appropriate pausing during sessions, or changes in how questions are posed. Providers may rely on interpreters for cultural information. For optimal results, the interpreter’s communication with the service provider and the consumer prior to the first session is critical (Hamerdinger & Karlin, 2003).

Some deaf consumers, especially those with a lifetime experience of mental illness, may also have limited language or information deficits. This can make it much more difficult for a provider working through an interpreter to appropriately differentiate between such deficits and symptoms of mental illness. It is important to ensure that the interpreting process does not mask the language deficits of consumers as clinicians rely on accurate interpretation to make inferences about mental processes (Crump & Glickman, 2011).

Confidentiality & Professional Boundaries
Throughout the United States, limited resources often restrict options for interpreter services. Deaf consumers may encounter the same interpreters at general life events or appointments that were present for their mental health appointments. These encounters could create some conflicts or discomfort for both the individual and the interpreter. Maintaining confidentiality becomes even more crucial.

Confidentiality in mental health interpreting requires a level of discernment and critical thinking unique to this setting. The NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct encourages interpreters to “share assignment-related information only on a confidential and ‘as-needed’ basis (e.g., supervisors, interpreter team members, members of the educational team, hiring entities)” (RID, 2005). While it is important for the interpreter to receive some information on what has been happening with a deaf consumer’s treatment, there must be strict protocols to maintain confidentiality. When communicating in writing, it is imperative that interpreters learn standards of such communication, be aware that such communication may become a part of the client’s official file and understand relevant confidentiality laws such as HIPAA and Federal Regulation 42 CFR, Part 2.

Ethics, Supervision & Peer Consultation
Mental health providers are expected to adhere to high standards of ethical practice.[3] In mental health work, there is higher risk for abuse of power, vicarious trauma, boundary crossings, and burnout. As such, providers are encouraged to engage in regular supervision and peer consultation. Interpreters working in such settings need to be held to the same standards and benefit from the opportunity to work with supervisors and/or consult with peers (Atwood, 1986; Fritsch-Rudser, 1986; Dean & Pollard, 2009, 2011; Keller, 2008; Hetherington, 2011; Anderson, 2011). In order to achieve higher standards of supervision in mental health interpreting, the NAD recommends building a pool of experienced interpreters who are qualified to perform supervision and are available to work with new mental health interpreters on a national level.

Qualified Mental Health Interpreters
The NAD recommends the following qualifications for interpreters working in mental health settings:

1. Fluency in American Sign Language;

2. Fluency in English and register choices;

3. Culturally competent;

4. Attending a comprehensive training curriculum for mental health interpreting

5. Mentoring with experienced mental health interpreters (at least 50 hours);

6. Individual or group supervision and peer consultation;

7. High standards of ethical practice; and

8. Knowledge of relevant ethical literature or decision-making models in interpreting.

The NAD recommends that a certification process for specialization in mental health interpreting be set up through nationally recognized means. Alternatively, a standardized portfolio system can be used to emphasize the individual’s specialization in mental health interpreting. It is also recommended that interpreters maintain their skills with continuing education in the area of mental health with every certification cycle (15 hours annually or 60 hours per four year RID certification maintenance program cycle). To achieve this, developing more options for seminars to meet the required 60 hours of continuing education in a four year period in the area of mental health is critical. In order to recruit more interpreters specializing in mental health interpreting, the interpreter training programs are encouraged to provide students at least one class focusing solely on mental health interpreting for a full quarter or semester to capture their interest in this specialization.

In summary, mental health interpreters are an important component in the mental health delivery system for deaf individuals with mental health needs, as they provide auxiliary services when a service provider is unable to deliver direct mental health services or when a deaf consumer requests it. While the field of mental health interpreting has aimed to set higher standards over the past decade, this position paper hopes to raise the standards by defining qualifications, expanding the credentials and requirements for mental health interpreters, as well as addressing the professional boundaries, ethics, supervision, and peer consultation in this profession.

References

Alabama Department of Mental Health. (2003). Chapter 580-3-24, Mental health interpreter standards. Retrieved from http://www.alabamaadministrativecode.state.al.us/docs/mhlth/3mhlth24.htm
Anderson, A. A. (2011). Peer Support and Consultation Project for Interpreters: A Model for Supporting the Well-Being of Interpreters who Practice in Mental Health Settings. Journal of Interpretation, 21(1), pp. 9-20.

Atwood, A. (1986). Clinical supervision as a method of providing behavioral feedback to sign language interpreters and students of interpreting. In M. L. McIntire (Ed.). New dimensions in interpreter education: Curriculum and instruction (pp. 87-93). Proceedings of the 6th national Convention of the Conference of Interpreter Trainers. Chevy Chase MD.

Crump. C. (2012). Mental Health Interpreting Training, Standards, and Certification. In K. Malcolm and L. A. Swabey (Eds.). In Our Hands: Educating Healthcare Interpreters. (pp. 54-76). Gallaudet University Press. Washington, D.C.

Crump, C. & Glickman, N. (2011). Mental Health Interpreting with Language Dysfluent Deaf Clients. Journal of Interpretation, 21(1), pp. 21-36.

Dean, R. K. & Pollard, R. Q. (2011). The importance, challenges, and outcomes of teaching context-based ethics in interpreting: A demand control schema perspective. Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 5(1), pp. 155-182.

Dean, R. K. & Pollard, R. Q. (2009, Fall). “I don’t think we’re supposed to be talking about this:” Case conferencing and supervision for interpreters. VIEWS, 26, pp. 28-30.

Fritsch-Rudser, S. (1986). The RID code of ethics, confidentiality and supervision. Journal of Interpretation, 3, pp. 47-51.

Hamerdinger, S., & Karlin, B. (2003). Therapy using interpreters: Questions on the use of interpreters in therapeutic settings for monolingual therapists. Journal of American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association, 36(3), pp. 12-30.

Hauser, P. C., Finch, K. L., and Hauser, A. B. (2008). Deaf Professionals and Designated Interpreters: A New Paradigm. Gallaudet University Press. Washington, D.C.

Hetherington, A. (2011). A Magical Profession? Causes and management of occupational stress in sign language interpreting profession. In L. Leeson, S. Wurm, M. Vermeerbergen (Eds.). Signed Language interpreting: Preparation, practice and performance (pp. 138-159). St. Jerome Publishing. Manchester, UK.

Keller, K. (2008). Demand-control schema: Applications for deaf interpreters. In L. Roberson & S. Shaw (Eds.).Proceedings of the 17th National Convention of the Conference of Interpreter Trainers: Putting the pieces together: A collaborative approach to excellence in education. (pp. 3-16). Conference of Interpreter Trainers. San Juan, PR.

Steinberg, A. G., Sullivan, V. J., and Loew, R. C. (1998). Cultural and Linguistic Barriers to Mental Health Service Access: The Deaf Consumer’s Perspective. American Journal of Psychiatry, 155(7), pp. 982-984.

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). (2005). NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct. Retrieved from http://rid.org/ethics/code-of-professional-conduct/

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). (2007). Standard Practice Paper on Interpreting in Mental Health Settings. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3DKvZMflFLdWmFVV2tydVRFTHM/view

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Participating in the Campaign

Who: Anyone who is Deaf or an ally of the Deaf community, who lives in the US

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Deaf as an Inclusive Term: Far from viewing “Deaf” as a way of excluding people, we see the term as an inclusive one. To us, “Deaf” refers to any people who happen to be Deaf. It has nothing to do with having Deaf or hearing parents, or using ASL, SEE, spoken English, cued speech, or any other communication modality. Neither does it matter if one was mainstreamed, educated at a Deaf school, or homeschooled. Degree of hearing loss, being Deaf from birth or being late-Deafened, using a hearing aid or a cochlear implant – none of these, in our minds, precludes anyone from being Deaf.

Capitalizing Deaf parallels capitalizing African American, Jewish, Hispanic, and so on, with each of these capitalized designations referring to a group of people with their own culture and physical characteristics (i.e., skin color, bloodline, hearing status). All of these terms are inclusive. Some Jewish people may be observant Orthodox Jews, centering their lives around their religion, while others may simply identify as Jewish through their family lineage and never set foot in a temple. Some Jewish people speak Hebrew, while others don’t. Similarly, some Hispanic Americans may be fluent Spanish speakers, while others, perhaps third- or fourth-generation Hispanic Americans, may not be conversant in Spanish at all. Some may have dark brown skin, while others may have light brown skin, and still others might “pass” as Caucasian.

None of these differences function as exclusionary criteria. Jewish people are Jewish, African Americans are African American, and Deaf people are Deaf, no matter what individual differences might exist within these groups.

Deaf as a Practical Term: By using Deaf as an inclusive term, we are able to avoid the cumbersome use of a string of words describing different kinds of Deaf people. Which is easier reading?:

A) It’s important to know that being Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing, hearing impaired, Deaf-blind, or late-deafened itself is not a cause of depression.

Or

B) It’s important to know that being Deaf itself is not a cause of depression.

The practice of switching back and forth between Deaf and deaf, depending on the situation, is awkward and unnecessarily complicated. We don’t see jewish, african american, or latina/o being used to differentiate less-observant Jews, lighter-skinned African Americans, or non-Spanish speaking Latina/o people. It is simpler to reserve the use of “deaf” for when it is not referring specifically to people. For example: “She was deaf to his pleas”.

Of course, when distinctions need to be made between Deaf people (i.e., for research or assessment purposes), we understand the usefulness of terms like those mentioned above (i.e., hard of hearing, late-deafened, etc.). We also respect people’s choices in how they decide to describe themselves.

Deaf Pride: Why not just get rid of the big D and use “deaf” to refer to all people who are Deaf? We did consider doing this, but in the end, we felt it important to acknowledge that Deaf people are a unique group of people. In the same way that the J in Jewish is capitalized, the B in Black, and the L in Latina/o, we choose to capitalize the D in Deaf to reflect our pride in our community and culture.

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