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Inclusive Mental Health Symposium Preview: Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Mental Health, Presented by Elizabeth Hill
Nutley Family Service Bureau (NFSB) will host our first “Inclusive Mental Health Symposium: Enhancing Provider Understanding of Mental Health for Persons with Disabilities,” a virtual event, on Thursday, April 24 from 9:30 am – 5:30 pm.” The event is funded by the New Jersey Division of Disability Services through the Inclusive Healthy Communities initiative. This article is part of a series of previews of symposium presentations.
As Executive Director of the New Jersey Human Services Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Elizabeth Hill advocates for the increased accessibility of programs and services for deaf and hard of hearing communities. This division within the Department of Human Services manages a wide range of services such as hearing aid programs, equipment distribution, case management, hearing sensitivity training, and education for service providers and organizations. They also manage directories for sign language interpreters and real-time transcription providers.
Elizabeth’s career journey began in mental health, providing licensed clinical social work for the deaf and hard of hearing communities and coordinating accessible mental health services for children and families.
“I’ve always been passionate about breaking down barriers and working towards a more inclusive community,” said Elizabeth, who is deaf herself. “Deaf and hard of hearing people deserve to be on a level playing field with the same access to mental health counseling and other services as everyone else.”
Under Elizabeth’s leadership, the Hearing Aid Assistance for the Aged and Disabled expanded significantly to increase access to hearing aids. She also led the implementation of a groundbreaking model state government program for deaf and hard of hearing children aged 0-5. The program provides language instruction services to children and their families throughout New Jersey.
“Parents or caregivers receive free services, including sign language training in daycare, an early childhood program, preschool, or at home,” Elizabeth said. “We want every child to be academically ready to continue learning when they start school. Without that language access during critical early years, the child’s ability to develop cognitive skills could be impacted. We help them develop that essential foundation for the rest of their life.”
About the Presentation
Elizabeth Hill will explore how deafness and hearing loss fit within a holistic framework that acknowledges the whole person, as well as the diverse communication and linguistic needs of deaf and hard of hearing individuals and how these factors influence mental health service delivery. She will also discuss how the New Jersey Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing supports service providers in delivering accessible, culturally competent care.
“Deafness is an invisible disability,” Elizabeth said. “You can’t tell by looking at me that I’m deaf. You wouldn’t know unless I told you or used sign language. Because deafness is not immediately visible, communication can be difficult and frustration levels increase. These are very vulnerable individuals. Having the awareness and knowledge to overcome these barriers is critical for counselors who treat the deaf and hard of hearing community.”
Elizabeth will discuss why understanding a person’s disability, as well as their gender, place of origin, socioeconomic status, and other factors, is necessary to treating the whole person and making mental health counseling truly accessible. This requires knowledge of the norms and values that are specific to the culturally deaf community and may involve the use of sign language or assistive technology.
There is immense diversity within the deaf and hard of hearing community. For example, people who grew up using sign language experience barriers because most of society doesn’t use sign language. On the other end of the spectrum, older adults who develop age-related hearing loss, whether mild or severe, face a very different set of challenges. There are also deaf individuals who moved to this country, don’t speak English, and only know sign language that is native to their country.
“Part of our office’s mission is to cater to each individual’s specific needs and learn how we can help them,” Elizabeth said. “We always try to stress that there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution because everyone is very unique in where they come from, what their needs are, what their level of hearing loss is.”
Sadly, there is a serious shortage of mental health clinicians who are trained to work with the deaf and hard of hearing population. There is also a general shortage of sign language interpreters, which can lead to language deprivation and have a negative impact on a person’s mental health.
“We need to make mental health treatment more accessible,” Elizabeth said. “We should be able to provide the same level of service delivery, regardless of disability. This symposium is an opportunity to create more awareness, bridge those gaps, and increase the number of service providers who have the skills and understanding to treat deaf and hard of hearing communities.”
To learn more about symposium presentations, download the symposium schedule, and purchase tickets, visit the Inclusive Mental Health Symposium page on the NFSB website.
