Deaf Foster Care Experience

Christy talks about her Deaf foster care experience growing up in a foster family, while keeping in touch with her birth family.

Ineligble for Adoption Due to Being Deaf

Hi, I’m Christy LaSalle. I grew up fostered by one family. I was a ward of the state because I was considered disabled and ineligible for adoption back in those days. Adoption was only open – I was given away when I was three years old. I do remember my life with my birth family very well. So, I was given up and moved to a home in New Orleans – I just visited that house, which I also remember. The nuns looked for a school for me and found a school for the Deaf in Baton Rouge, where I moved. I didn’t have any parents then, but I did have legal guardians – my grandparents.

Pictures Matched with Memories

When I started school, I didn’t know sign language. I learned fingerspelling, or visible English. When my activities teacher was collecting pictures for family albums and found out that I didn’t have any, she decided to find my file and contact my birth to ask them to send pictures. Once I got the pictures, I was amazed that all the memories I had been holding onto matched the pictures. I remembered my mother, father and two sisters clearly.

How Teacher Became Her Mother

Later, I became very sick. When my social worker, who was based in New Orleans, was not helpful, my teacher took it upon herself to get involved and went to the hospital, where she found out that I had double pneumonia. Then she contacted my grandparents to ask if she could take care of me when I was discharged from the hospital. They agreed, and I ended up staying with the teacher permanently. She became my mother. Her door was always open to my birth parents and relatives – they considered her family, too. Everything worked out well and I ended up having two families. In fact, I am very close with my cousin, Teri, who signs. She is the only one who can sign and she is my blood cousin. 

Open Deaf Foster Care Is a Blessing

Open relations with my birth family has been the best, because I know which illnesses or ailments I might have and I know my medical history. I’ve become involved with their lives. I often go to the town where I was born to visit them. I am still close with my foster family. I took their last name. My mother’s father was also adopted, so we are both very close. He taught me the sign for football and played backgammon with me. When he passed away, he gave me his backgammon set, which I have held onto. He has always been special to me. Thank you.

Video description: Christy is sitting inside, with some shelves on the right. She is wearing glasses, a short-sleeved shirt and signing her Deaf foster care experience.

Resources:

https://fosteringtogether.org/deaf-and-hard-of-hearing/

https://deafcounseling.com/korean-american-deaf-adoptee-story/

The post Deaf Foster Care Experience: Christy’s Story appeared first on Deaf Counseling Center.

Korean-American Deaf Adoptee Shares Her Story

Kami tells her story as a Korean-American Deaf adoptee, recounting the touching moment her mother identified her out of a group of newly arrived babies. She also covers a few other adoption-related issues.

Each Adoption Experience is Different

Hi, my name is Kami and I’m a Korean-American Deaf adoptee. I was asked to share about my adoption experience. Every adoption experience is different – some are good, some are bad, some adoptees want to return to their home country. I’m blessed to have a wonderful family and great parents. I also have a sister – both of us were adopted from Korea, but we are not biologically related.

Korea Didn’t Allow Deaf Parents to Adopt

Going back to how all of this started, my parents had wanted to adopt a baby for a long time. After they connected with Catholic Charities, they saw my name and picture on a flyer. At that time, my name was Hye-Mee Park, which the Korean orphanage had given to me. Once my parents let the adoption agency know they were interested in me, the adoption process started. This involved a social worker visiting their home to make sure it was a suitable and good home, then interviewing my parents. Everything went well and they were approved. Next, more tests were run to confirm that I was Deaf, because at that time Korea didn’t allow Deaf parents to adopt hearing babies. They held the view that Deaf parents couldn’t raise hearing babies, which is obviously not true.

Korean-American Deaf Adoptee Was Mistaken for a Hearing Child

On the day of the test, I was 10 months old. It happened that I looked in the direction of a phone that rang at the same time, which caused everyone to think they had been mistaken and I was actually hearing. Remember, the technology for testing hearing was not as advanced back then. My parents were heartbroken when the agency informed them that they probably couldn’t adopt me. To their great relief, however, more tests were run and it was confirmed that I was Deaf after all. Interestingly, a blood test that I took years later showed that I carry the Connexin 26 gene, which is a Deaf gene. This means that one of my biological relatives is Deaf or carries the Deaf gene.

First Encounter with Adoptive Deaf Parents in Chicago

Anyway, on the day I flew to Chicago, my parents also flew there to meet me. Only one of them was allowed to go into the airplane, so my mother went in. She saw all the babies sitting in the airplane and tried to figure out which one was me. Her instincts told her that one particular baby must be me, because out of all the crying and distracted babies, I was the only one sitting there quietly. When she checked the name on my wristband, she discovered that she was right!

Korean Diet and US Citizenship

My parents brought me home and fed me a Korean diet for a while, so as not to upset my stomach by introducing different foods too soon. Some of the food I was fed included strawberries with rice and soy milk. When I was three years old, I became an American citizen. My parents paid $50 for this, while today it costs $700-800 to become a US citizen. Since I was too young to take the citizenship test in court, the judge asked my mother the questions instead. She answered them easily because she used to be a social studies teacher. There were questions like “Who was the first U.S. president?”, so of course, my mother aced the test, and I was pronounced a U.S. citizen.

Bullying Experience as Korean-American Deaf Person

After this, I started my education at a Deaf school. This was a tough experience for me. Back then, most of the teachers hadn’t received the right training or been given the resources to teach children. Most of my peers and teachers and staff at the school were white. My peers would make racist slant-eyed gestures and call me stupid. That was when I was between 5 –  9 years old. Of course, I would arrive home from school crying. I wondered why it was wrong to be different. I even wanted to become white and didn’t understand why I had to be born Korean. Now, in contrast, I love being Korean and my identity is strong. People are much more accepting of diversity and we have more diverse people today. Teachers have better training on how to work with children and the curriculum and resources are improved. Times are different now.

Deaf Parents Open about Adoption

While I was growing up, my parents were always very open about my adoption experience. They explained everything to me and showed me the forms that my birth mother filled out for the orphanage. Both of my parents’ full names were on them, their ages, and the reason I was given me up for adoption. My mother was 20 and my father was 21 at the time My father was 5’ 10” tall, while my mother was only 4’ 8” tall. I’m 5’4” tall, right in the middle. Both had ended their relationship before they knew my mother was pregnant. Because they felt they were too young to become parents and raise a child, and Korean culture looked down upon single mothers, they decided to give me up for adoption. It has been a blessing for me to live here in the U.S. While it would be nice to meet my birth parents one day, this isn’t something that I have an extremely strong desire to do. I’m very content with my life right now.

Politically Incorrect Signs for China, Korea, and Japan

I’d like to share a few things that I seem to run into quite often. I often see some of my friends and other people still signing “China” like this (shows two index fingers pointing to outside of eyes; two C-hands on either side of eyes), “Korea” (shows two K-hands on either side of eyes), “Japan” (shows two J-hands on either side of eyes, shakes head “no”). This is pretty offensive. Use signs such as “China” (shows index finger moving across chest and down), “Korea” (shows bent B-hand touching top and bottom of side of head), and “Japan” (shows open and closed index fingers and thumbs moving away from each other). Don’t use the old signs.

Korean-American Deaf Adoptee asked Inappropriate Questions

Second, I get this question often: People ask me, “Where were you born?” or “Are you from far away?” They assume I’m a foreigner. Some Korean people are born in the U.S. and are Americans. Not all are born in Korea.  White people don’t ask other white people where they were born. It’s important to think about how you frame your question.

Another question I get often is from straight people who are curious about gay couples having children. They ask, “How do you plan to have children?” or “Will you use IVF or IUI?”. That’s a personal question. Some gay couples feel comfortable and open about sharing this type of information. It’s okay if a close friend asks me, but it’s a different story if someone who isn’t a close friend asks. Most people wouldn’t ask a straight couple how they plan to have children or if they would use IVF/IUI. There are so many different ways to make babies. Straight couples do use IVF/IUI, but they don’t get asked that same question. Again, be conscious about how you frame that question.

Third, people often ask me if I’m from North or South Korea. If I had been born in North Korea, I would be stuck there because no one can leave unless they sneak out. If they are caught, they will be sent off to a forced labor camp. It’s really a blessing to live here. Thank you for watching!

Video description: Kami is sitting on a white sofa with a blanket over the back, and wooden shelves and a window behind her. She is wearing a black top and signing her story.

Resources:

https://deafcounseling.com/deaf-hispanic-adoptee-treeans-story/

https://deafcounseling.com/deaf-adoptee-shares-her-experience/

https://adoptionnetwork.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-adoptee

The post Korean-American Deaf Adoptee: Kami’s Story appeared first on Deaf Counseling Center.

June 12 is Loving Day in the USA. This day celebrates the anniversary of the 1967 Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia. Interracial marriages were banned in Virginia and other 15 states in 1924. A Deaf woman, Debbie Colbert, shares her story about being in interracial relationships and how she dealt with people’s opinions.

Video transcript provided by Debbie Colbert: Debbie Colbert is signing. She is white, has long, dirty blonde hair and is wearing a teal V-neck t-shirt, with ILY symbol on the left side. She is sitting on a white leather sofa and the background is royal blue. She is also wearing various colors of beads bracelets on her left arm as well as a necklace with a heart-shaped rose quartz.

“Right now is the month of June. Loving Day is on the 12th of this month. I feel I the need to share my experience of being in the closet and being oppressed when I experienced acts of racism. I will explain several situations briefly here.

First of all, when I was living at a residential school for the deaf, I dated a guy and we both were not the same race. As we had been dating, several boys informed me that the guy I was dating got picked on by some boys, even though he was athletic; not the best, but he played well in some sports such as football, basketball, and was on the track team. But he was picked on by some boys because of us dating. Then one day I saw the boys gang up and pick on him. I just stood there and saw the whole thing. I confronted him about it. He brushed it off and said it didn’t bother him and he was okay. I didn’t feel right about it, so I ended our relationship. That was it. My parents were not aware that I dated that guy.

Years went by, I enrolled in Gallaudet University as a student. I started dating a guy and we both were not of the same race. Then, in the spring, my parents decided to come and visit me all the way from Illinois to Washington, DC. That was about a 12-hour drive. You know, in Gallaudet University’s dorm life, other students can come and visit also stay in your room. I was worried about that, so I told my former boyfriend, who wasn’t the same color as me, that my parents were coming and he needed to stay away from me. He was surprised by my decision that he needed to stay away because I didn’t want to upset my parents who drove all the way from Illinois to visit me. He didn’t complain, but accepted my suggestion out of his love for me. When he was around, I saw him and I became very nervous, so badly that I wanted to hide myself. My parents kept asking me if I had a boyfriend. I told them no because I had no interest in dating as of yet. After my parents left, he and I were back together and everything went back to normal.

On my parents’ second visit, I told my ex-boyfriend that he needed to avoid me again. He expressed his frustration because he felt that I was rejecting him. I was surprised at his reaction because I thought he would understand about my being in the closet about dating someone outside of my race. He insisted that if I really loved him, I would introduce him to my parents, but I was not ready to come out of my closet. During my parents’ visit, he became more bold. He would approach my parents and tell them that he liked me and we were in the same class, which was not true. He was an employee during that time. I immediately said bad things about him to my parents after he left. That he was goofy and dumb. Now I looked back and think to myself that I let fear get the best of me.

The third time around of my parents’ visiting me, I told him not to be around me again. This time, he became furious and we argued about my being selfish and being in the closet when it was time for me to get out, but I was still not ready. My parents and I went to the Abbey. It was once called Rathskeller, then it changed to the Abbey, but over time, it changed back to Rathskeller. I was busy having fun with my parents. All of sudden, I saw him with a lady whom I had seen around on campus. He was flirting with her. I was upset. My mom noticed and asked me if I was alright. I told her yes. Then, the next day, I went up to him and asked him why he did that. He pressured me to introduce him to my family, so I did. I told my mom that I was dating him, but it was nothing serious, and I kept on making some excuses like he was no one special and he was just someone to hang out with and have fun.

My mom was concerned about my dating someone who is not the same race as me. She told me to think about my future, like I might encounter oppression, some friends would not want to be friends with me, and my job. She was focused on my future. Meanwhile, my dad said nothing, as usual. He followed whatever my mom said. My mom lived like a queen when I was growing up.

On Thanksgiving, in between my parents’ first and second visits, I was with my family visiting my grandparents for Thanksgiving dinner. My grandmother boldly told everyone at the table that she was told I was dating a black guy and that he made me become a wild woman. My stomach turned upside down and I froze because I didn’t know how to react. But my step-grandfather, who was the only grandfather I knew growing up, immediately told my grandmother off by saying if you heard those rumors, please make it go in one ear and out the other ear. He proceeded to eat, so we all ate.

Many years later, I met my husband. We both decided not to have a wedding because I felt that no one would want to come to my wedding since he is hearing and I am deaf and we were an interracial couple. I didn’t think people wanted to come and witness us. My husband agreed, so we got married at the Justice of Peace and I was pregnant at that time. My friend asked if my parents knew I got married and was expecting a baby. I told her no, but she kept on asking me, which made me feel uneasy. So I told her that I would let the rumor reach my parents. 

My mom found out through the grapevine, so she contacted me via TTY asking me if I was married and pregnant. I told her yes, but I was very vague about being married. In a few months, my parents informed me that they were moving from Illinois to Pennsylvania. I was not too thrilled because it knew it was time for me to get out of the closet. But then I thought to myself, maybe my baby would change my parents’ hearts about me being married to a black man and having a biracial baby. 

On that very night of my parents moving, my mom saw my beautiful baby girl. She informed me that family members would come to see us, too. Then family members came. They were upset to see me with my biracial baby, so my mom went out to try convince them to come in, but they refused because of me and my baby. They were arguing about me being with a black man and having a biracial baby. I stood there and watched them arguing from the window. I saw the whole conversation and it was very hurtful to watch because they didn’t realize that I’m my mom’s firstborn child. My parents had been trying for two years to conceive a child and finally had me. My parents were so proud to have me as their firstborn child and those family members tried to turn my mom against me. I was very hurt when I watched them talking about me. 

When my mom came back in the house, she had tears rolling down her face. I decided not to talk about it. She told me she felt bad about the whole thing and I told her to forget about it. I didn’t even tell my mom that I had seen the whole conversation between her and my family members. Still today, I’ve never told those family members that I saw their conversation with my mom. I simply put it in a can and canned it tightly because it was too ugly to talk about. My mom loved my husband and always asked for him. When she saw him, she always waved at him and chatted with him. My husband, Derik, liked my mom as well. They tended to chat with each other. My mom passed on 8 years ago, so that’s the end of the story. I am going to share some other stories about my peers and the deaf community.

Alright! Here is my other story: When I was a student at Gallaudet University, I was dating the same boy for a while. I remember how he used to stop by in the hallway, trying to get my attention while I was in my class, just to say hi to me or tell me to come out of class to steal a kiss from me. One day he was hiding something in the back and told me to come out. So I did…He handed me a bag and told me to take a look inside the bag. I was surprised to see a nice Seiko watch in a box. Seiko wristwatches were so popular back in 1980. I asked him why, because it was not Christmas, since it was Spring and my birthday was not until Fall. He said he got the wristwatch just because he loved me. He put it on my left wrist. I was so proud. I had to run back to my class and he had to go back to work. As soon as I sat on my chair, my friend asked me what’s up. I told her that I got a nice wristwatch. My friend, who is a person of color herself, immediately told me that black people always buy wristwatches from drug dealers because they made fake wristwatches. So my wristwatch was not a real Seiko but a fake one. I showed my friend the bag and a box with the department store on it, but she said he pretended that he had bought it from a store. I thought to myself, wow it’s really sad that people don’t like people from different races, but again I was confused because she is also a person of color. I was hurt by that, and I decided not to tell him what my friend had said. Ever since I was dating him, I can see people’s attitudes toward me were not the same. I had to be extra careful because I can be easily removed from them. I felt oppressed by that on a daily basis. I had some women talking to me about why I was dating a black man. They told me they would rather it was someone like Billy Dee Williams, who was a famous singer a long time ago. They would rather someone like him than my ex boyfriend who had very black hair. Billy Dee Williams’ hair was very soft and looked almost like white people’s hair. They were telling me many things about why they would not date black men…I felt oppressed. It was hard because people treated me differently ever since I dated my ex-boyfriend. I went through a lot and it was nothing but peer pressure. I plan to write a book about it one day soon.

My experience in a deaf community: Years and years later, I got married and have biracial children. A woman came up to me informing me that her daughter is dating a black man. I was surprised by that, because it was out of the blue that she came to me and informed me. I thought to myself, can she see that I’m married to a black man and have a biracial child with me. It was just my daughter at that time. She blurted out to me, saying that she would rather that her daughter was a lesbian than dating a black man. I was tempted to say, “What if your daughter was going with a black lesbian?” but instead, I said to her that maybe it was because her daughter had fallen in love with him, which was her decision. She said no, then she showed me her arm and pointed at her arm. I was not sure what she meant by that, but I had to be careful because my daughter was with me and I thought about my husband, so I decided to say nothing more. So I am always careful with people around me like her. I’ve encountered so many acts of racism in my life. Now, I’m telling you from my life experience up to now. I’m so glad I live for myself and stay with who I am. I married my husband, Derik, and we have two beautiful children. My family is one of a kind and I am truly blessed to have them. I can’t worry about what people are thinking and what their opinions are. If people don’t look at me as a person but negatively focus on what I have, I keep myself away from them. But as for people who look at me as a person, Debbie, and accept what I have, that’s who I want to be around. I’ve learned to be very selective about people, for my protection, after the acts of racism I’ve experienced with some people. That goes the same with my job, because people forget that I’m married to a black man and have biracial children and they slip and demonstrate their acts of racism. So I am always careful around those people.

Alright! Here is my other story: When I was a student at Gallaudet University, I was dating the same boy for a while. I remember how he used to stop by in the hallway, trying to get my attention while I was in my class, just to say hi to me or tell me to come out of class to steal a kiss from me. One day he was hiding something in the back and told me to come out. So I did…He handed me a bag and told me to take a look inside the bag. I was surprised to see a nice Seiko watch in a box. Seiko wristwatches were so popular back in 1980. I asked him why, because it was not Christmas, since it was Spring and my birthday was not until Fall. He said he got the wristwatch just because he loved me. He put it on my left wrist. I was so proud. I had to run back to my class and he had to go back to work. As soon as I sat on my chair, my friend asked me what’s up. I told her that I got a nice wristwatch. My friend, who is a person of color herself, immediately told me that black people always buy wristwatches from drug dealers because they made fake wristwatches. So my wristwatch was not a real Seiko but a fake one. I showed my friend the bag and a box with the department store on it, but she said he pretended that he had bought it from a store. I thought to myself, wow it’s really sad that people don’t like people from different races, but again I was confused because she is also a person of color. I was hurt by that, and I decided not to tell him what my friend had said. Ever since I was dating him, I can see people’s attitudes toward me were not the same. I had to be extra careful because I can be easily removed from them. I felt oppressed by that on a daily basis. I had some women talking to me about why I was dating a black man. They told me they would rather it was someone like Billy Dee Williams, who was a famous singer a long time ago. They would rather someone like him than my ex boyfriend who had very black hair. Billy Dee Williams’ hair was very soft and looked almost like white people’s hair. They were telling me many things about why they would not date black men…I felt oppressed. It was hard because people treated me differently ever since I dated my ex-boyfriend. I went through a lot and it was nothing but peer pressure. I plan to write a book about it one day soon.

My experience in a deaf community: Years and years later, I got married and have biracial children. A woman came up to me informing me that her daughter is dating a black man. I was surprised by that, because it was out of the blue that she came to me and informed me. I thought to myself, can she see that I’m married to a black man and have a biracial child with me. It was just my daughter at that time. She blurted out to me, saying that she would rather that her daughter was a lesbian than dating a black man. I was tempted to say, “What if your daughter was going with a black lesbian?” but instead,  I said to her that maybe it was because her daughter had fallen in love with him, which was her decision. She said no, then she showed me her arm and pointed at her arm. I was not sure what she meant by that, but I had to be careful because my daughter was with me and I thought about my husband, so I decided to say nothing more. So I am always careful with people around me like her. I’ve encountered so many acts of racism in my life. Now, I’m telling you from my life experience up to now. I’m so glad I live for myself and stay with who I am. I married my husband, Derik, and we have two beautiful children. My family is one of a kind and I am truly blessed to have them. I can’t worry about what people are thinking and what their opinions are. If people don’t look at me as a person but negatively focus on what I have, I keep myself away from them. But as for people who look at me as a person, Debbie, and accept what I have, that’s who I want to be around. I’ve learned to be very selective about people, for my protection, after the acts of racism I’ve experienced with some people. That goes the same with my job, because people forget that I’m married to a black man and have biracial children and they slip and demonstrate their acts of racism. So I am always careful around those people.

LOVING DAY…I am glad I have a loving family. I cherish my children and my husband. My husband and I may not have a perfect marriage but…that makes us The Colbert Family. I love you all.”

The post Loving Day: Deaf Interracial Relationships appeared first on Deaf Counseling Center.

 Posting Date: June 5, 2019

AIDB is sensitive to the needs of individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired and/or Deaf or Hard of Hearing and for qualified applicants and employees will make reasonable accommodations.

POSITION:     School Psychologist or Psychometrist/Counselor

Health and Clinical Services, Psychology Department

To Serve Primarily at the Alabama School for the Deaf 

WORK SCHEDULE: 197 days each academic school year

POSITION REQUIREMENTS: 

School Psychology Certification:

• A valid Class A or Class AA Professional Educator Certificate in School Psychometry or School Psychology

                                                  or

• A valid Class AA Professional Educator Certification in School Psychometry or School Psychology and hold a Doctoral Degree

                                                    or

• A valid Nationally Certified School Psychologist Certificate and may be eligible for Professional Educator Certification in School Psychology by completing the application process and meeting all requirements assigned by the Alabama State Department of Education within the first three years of employment.

School Psychometry Certification and School Counselor Certification:

• A Class A or Class AA Professional Educator Certificate in School Psychometry and School Counseling

                                                     or

• A Class A Professional Educator Certificate or Professional Leadership Certification and may be eligible for a Provisional Certificate in School Counseling by completing the application process and meeting all requirements assigned by the Alabama State Department of Education within the first three years of employment.

                                                        or

• Master’s Degree or higher degree in an area of counseling other than school counseling from a senior institution that was regionally accredited at the time the degree was earned and holds a valid license issued by a state board of examiners in counseling and may be eligible for a Provisional Certificate in School Counseling by completing the application process and meeting all requirements assigned by the Alabama State Department of Education within the first three years of employment.

                                                            or

• A Class A Professional Educator Certificate in School Psychometry and may be eligible for a Provisional Certificate in School Counseling by completing the application process and meeting all requirements assigned by the Alabama State Department of Education within the first three years of employment.
• Successful work experience in the field of Psychology, or Psychometry and Counseling.  
• Knowledge of and experience with students who are deaf or hard of hearing is desired.
• An ability to work with both sensory impaired and non-sensory impaired (i.e. staff/parents).
• An ability to relate to parents/staff on a consultation basis and/or in facilitating staff meetings.
• An ability to adapt counseling methods for use with students with a sensory impairment.
• An ability to incorporate counseling skills/methods in a practical manner with students/clients.
• An ability to address cultural issues within the counseling context.
• Must possess a minimum sign language proficiency level of SURVIVAL upon employment.  INTERMEDIATE must be obtained within 18 months of employment and ADVANCED according to the AIDB evaluation system must be obtained within the first 30 months of employment. (All applicants must provide documentation of sign language proficiency or take a sign language proficiency evaluation available through AIDB.)
• Upholds the professionalism and ethical standards of psychologists/counselors.
• Acts as an advocate for students/clients.
• Acts as coordinator in sharing and interpreting information about student’s/client’s needs and concerns as related to psychological issues.
• Engages in professional growth and development activities.
• Responds to crises in accordance with AIDB guidelines.
• Demonstrates a well-developed ability to express in written form.
• Demonstrates an ability to organize and complete tasks on a timely basis.
• Willing to work a flexible schedule (example: two days work hours (11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.)
• Performs other duties, including cross campus duties, as assigned by the employer, i.e., Senior Counselor, and/or the Executive Director of Health and Clinical Services.
• Upon offer of employment, the ABI/FBI record check must be completed based on the Alabama Child Protection Act of 1999 pursuant to Act 2002-457.  A non-refundable fee of $48.15 is required at the scheduled appointment.  Suitable criteria must be confirmed by the Alabama State Department of Education prior to beginning work. 

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Assessment

1. Selects, administers, scores and interprets individual psychological assessments for the low-incidence populations of the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind (AIDB).
2. Provides reports/findings within a designated time frame.
3. Provides evaluation services through Health and Clinical Services, as directed.

 II Intervention

      A. Counseling

1. Provides mental health counseling for selected and/or referred students/clients and such follow-up services as are necessary with staff, parents and students/clients.
2. Provides support for students through group, play, peer counseling, or staff/faculty intervention where appropriate.
3. Provides appropriate referral resource suggestions, as warranted.

      B. Psychiatric Clinics

1. Acts as liaison for staff, students/clients and parents/guardians for clinic purposes.
2. Acquires appropriate documentation on students/clients for psychiatric clinics.
3. Provides appropriate follow-up to psychiatric clinic recommendations.

       C. Human Rights Committe

1. Acquires appropriate documentation on students/clients for the Human Rights Committee meetings.
2. Provides appropriate follow up the Human Rights Committee’s recommendations

III.  Consultation

1. Plans and/or participates in appropriate staffings.
2. Provides consultation for referrals through Health and Clinical Services, AIDB, and/or an Institute program, as needed.
3. Assists with development and implementation of appropriate inservice training and staff development, as requested by the Senior Counselor and/or the Executive Director of Health and Clinical Services.

   IV. Research and Evaluation

1. Develops, directs, and/or participates in appropriate research projects as requested.
2. Develops and/or participates in program evaluation where relevant.
3. Provides appropriate documentation of services provided.

SALARY:    D2 56 – $43,143 – $57,555 MA Degree, Provisional Certification

                     E2 59 – $44,622 – $62,227 Class A Professional Educator Certification 

                     E2 61 – $48,575 – $67,686 Class AA Professional Educator Certification 

                     E2 62 – $50,045 – $69,710 Class AA Professional Educator Certification 

                           with Doctoral Degree

                     Annual salary is based on days worked each academic school year.

                     Direct Deposit is required.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION:  June 19, 2019

This is an exempt position and is not subject to overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Click Here if you would like more instructions on how to apply for this job.

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If you want counseling services for yourself, email info@deafcounseling.com.

Do you have an interest in providing specialty behavioral health services to clients and their families in a flexible, community setting? Are you a natural problem solver, possessing the critical thinking skills to collaboratively and creatively help clients achieve their recovery goals? Are you an organized and efficient clinician, paying close attention to accurate documentation practices? If so, we have the perfect place for you at Aspire Indiana to thrive with our Deaf Services Team.

At Aspire Indiana, you can be part of an organization that is dedicated to expanding best practices and innovative approaches to client care.  Our organizational mission is: Together . . . making health and well-being a reality!  This mission not only applies to our clients, but extends to our commitment to helping our employees live healthy lives as well. This includes a job that pays well, a culture that supports positive daily experiences and work-life balance, and opportunities for personal and professional growth and community service.

To continue our work as innovators and leaders in the integrated healthcare field, we need sharp, collaborative, and disciplined contributors who demonstrate care and consideration for client beliefs, values and judgments. If you think you may be a valuable team player in this type of environment, read on to learn more about our Licensed Staff Therapist position.

Position Summary

This full-time Staff Therapist will provide outpatient individual, family and group therapy services. The primary population served will be deaf children, adolescents and adults struggling with mental health disorders, and behavioral health needs. Duties include, but are not limited to: evaluations/assessments, treatment plans, crisis intervention/emergency services, and individual, family and group therapy/counseling services.

Education

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, or a directly related field required from a college/university accredited by the US Department of Education required

Experience

• Two (2) years’ experience in a clinical setting working with a variety of populations required
• Community Mental Health experience highly preferred
• Must have good diagnostic and treatment planning skills

Licensure

• Must be recognized as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) by the State of Indiana, or licensed eligible by the State of Indiana

Background Checks

• Employment is contingent on background checks as required by Aspires policies which may include: Drug Test, Criminal History, Sex Offender Registry Search, State Central Registry Check, Employment Verification, Education Verification, and Professional References

 Salary is based on licensure and/or related experience

 Aspire Indiana is committed to providing a quality fringe benefits package that includes:

Up to a $2,000 Hiring Bonus
Group Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance and Prescription Coverage
On-Site Health Clinic for Eligible Staff
Flexible Spending Account Program
Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability
Life and AD&D Insurance
Paid Time Off (PTO)
Paid Holidays
Paid Bereavement and Jury Leave
Retirement Plan With Generous Employer Match
Mental Health & Addiction Loan Repayment Assistant Program
Public Loan Forgiveness
CEU’s Obtained through Aspire
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
A Casual Dress Attire
A Friendly Relaxed Atmosphere

We are committed to the health and wellness of our employees and are proud to be a tobacco free work place.

For more information about employment with Aspire, please visit Aspire website at www.aspireindiana.org.

For more information about counseling services, please visit www.deafcounseling.com or email info@deafcounseling.com.

For more information about the position, please contact Hilary Davis-Reed at hilary.davis-reed@aspireindiana.org or at (317) 587-0518

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Making a Difficult Topic Easy to Discuss: Deaf children everywhere are at higher risk for sexual abuse than hearing children. This captioned video in British Sign Language uses Deaf-friendly storylines to teach Deaf children the important concepts of body privacy and not keeping secrets if someone asks to look at or touch the inside of their underpants. The video demonstrates to parents and counselors how to share the Underpants Rule with Deaf children, as well as how to have a conversation about a topic that many adults feel uncomfortable raising with children. We like the fact that the video features a Black mother and son in one story. We also appreciate seeing a female character who makes an inappropriate request of a Deaf child, breaking the stereotype that all sexual abuse perpetrators are male.

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Video image description: A Deaf woman of color with light skin, signing in ASL (transcript below). She has warm brown eyes, dimples, curly brown shoulder-length hair, rectangle-shaped brown glasses, and is wearing a black top over a white top. She is sitting in an office with shelves filled with boxes, a plant, and a blue wall behind her.

Transcript:

Lillian: My name is Lillian and I am from Connecticut. I am here to talk about colon cancer because March is Colon Cancer Awareness month. It is represented by the color blue in items such as ribbons or clothing. Colon cancer is the third most common form of cancer. Many, many people die from this terrible disease. I have had stage 4 colon cancer for the past two years and am still getting treatments for it.

The goal of Colon Cancer Awareness Month is to promote awareness about colonoscopies. If you are 50 years old or have a family history of colon cancer, get a colonoscopy. If you are 51, 52 or 53, go now for a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy involves inserting a tiny camera into your large intestine through your anus. The doctor will remove any small pre-cancerous polyps that may be growing on the lining of your large intestine. If the polyps are not removed, they can grow larger and become cancerous.

This is what happened to me. I was 50 and did not think it was important to go for a colonoscopy. I waited for one year. I was experiencing stomach pain, losing weight, feeling weak and sick. Then I found out that a baseball-sized tumor had been growing in my large intestine during that year.

I strongly encourage you to get your colonoscopy done NOW if you are 50, 51, 52 or 53 years old. If you have a family history of colon cancer, get a colonoscopy when you are 40. A colonoscopy removes all polyps that can turn into cancer. That is the best gift.

Related articles and videos:

UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center – Deaf Community Outreach Cancer Education Videos in ASL

Colon Cancer by Deaf Trinidadian

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