Another victory: This is great news for Deaf Missourians! Once again, however, it is important to note that the issue is not just access to services via interpreters in mental health settings, but access to Deaf counselors, therapists, social workers and psychologists. The majority of Deaf people seeking mental health services want to work with Deaf professionals and receive services directly in their own language – not via interpreters. When it comes to mental health services, direct provision in American Sign Language is the best and preferred option. Still more educating needs to be done, and perhaps more lawsuits need to be filed down the road to ensure that Deaf people actually receive the best standard of care in mental health settings.

Missouri Association of the Deaf Win Suit Against State

From KBIA

May 11, 2012
By ASSOCIATED PRESS

A federal judge has approved settlement of a lawsuit filed on behalf of more than 1,000 deaf Missourians over mental health services for the deaf.

U.S. District Judge Matt Whitworth approved the settlement Thursday in Jefferson City in a suit filed by the Missouri Association of the Deaf and 13 named plaintiffs. Attorneys for the plaintiffs say about 20 percent of deaf persons in need of mental health services are children.

The suit accused the state of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide adequate mental health care for the deaf. Among many provisions, the settlement requires greater availability of sign language interpreters and development of outpatient and inpatient centers staffed with clinicians and case managers trained in aiding the deaf.

http://kbia.org/post/missouri-association-deaf-win-suit-against-state

http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2012/05/11/settlement-okd-over-deaf-mental-health-services/

TAGS: missouri associaton of the deaf Jefferson City judge matt whitworth lawsuit

ASC is featured in the August 2011 issue of SIGNews. Check out the interview by Sara Collins here and learn more about the only Deaf-owned and operated counseling practice in the country:

Alternative Solutions Center’s Crusade in Addressing the Gaps in Mental Health Care for the Deaf

Suing for Equity in Services: Early last month in Florida, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc., together with the National Association of the Deaf, filed a lawsuit seeking accessible medical services for Deaf citizens in the state. The lawsuit charges Humana Insurance and the Florida Department of Financial Services with violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Humana providers allegedly refused to provide ASL interpreters for Deaf patients. Humana also refused to accept VRS calls from Deaf members.

A National Issue: Although this lawsuit was filed in Florida, the issue is a national one and the results will carry implications across the country. Very few insurance companies reimburse providers for the cost of interpreters during appointments and very few providers willingly pay for interpreters. Deaf consumers are left with few options for accessible medical and mental health services. It is also typical for insurance companies to give Deaf members a list of in-network providers who claim to be fluent in ASL, but who, in reality, have often taken only one or two ASL classes and have minimal or no knowledge of ASL and Deaf culture. When Deaf consumers voice complaints, both the insurance company and the providers point fingers at each other, refusing to take responsibility.

Best Solution: So, what is the ideal solution for meeting Deaf consumers’ needs? We offer the following guidelines to insurance companies:

1. When it’s an option, make it possible for the Deaf person to see a Deaf provider fluent in ASL. This should be a priority and the preferred standard of care over matching the Deaf consumer with a hearing therapist who signs or a hearing therapist and an interpreter. If this means authorizing out-of-network services, do it. Research shows that psychotherapy sessions and certain types of medical consultations can be conducted successfully using videophones and webcams. Studies also show that Deaf people prefer working with Deaf therapists and that utilizing interpreters in psychotherapy sessions not the best option.

2. Hire a consultant to evaluate in-network providers’ ASL skills. Require hearing providers to hold national sign language interpreting certification from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) or meet an advanced level of ASL proficiency. If providers fail to meet this standard, remove them from the list of providers who are qualified to work with Deaf consumers.

3. Require in-network providers to provide ASL interpreters, period. If they refuse, take them off the provider list.

Really, it is as simple as that.

Click here to read the full article about the lawsuit: Humana, State of Florida Sued for ADA Violations

The Deafhood Monologues: An episodic play of Deaf experiences, chronicles and reflections delivered through poetry, stories, and presentations in American Sign Language. Inspired by “The Vagina Monologues” and “Understanding Deaf Culture: in search of Deafhood”.

December 3-4, 2010
Little Theatre – California School for the Deaf
39350 Gallaudet Drive
Fremont, California 94538

SHOW TIMES
Friday Evening: 7:30PM ~ December 3, 2010
Saturday Matinee: 2PM ~ December 4, 2010
Saturday Evening: 7:30PM ~ December 4, 2010

Go to www.deafmonologues.com to buy tickets!

Vlog Summary: Bipolar disorder is a term that is once again receiving a great deal of attention on television, in newspapers, and even in the Deaf community. Britney Spears’ behaviors of late, for example, have spurred rumors that she might have bipolar disorder. Although ASC does not endorse psychiatric labels, we do think it is important to clarify some misconceptions about bipolar disorder. As Sharon Duchesneau explains, bipolar disorder is a serious medical condition characterized by intense, chemically based mood swings. Symptoms of mania can include overly optimistic mood, racing thoughts, bursts of creativity, high energy, excessive activity, reduced need for sleep, grandiosity, impulsivity, making decisions quickly without thinking them through, gambling, promiscuity, and overspending. Depressive symptoms can include feelings of sadness or worthlessness, sleeping too much or too little, overeating or not eating at all, difficulty finding pleasure in life, lack of hope for the future, and suicidal ideations or attempts.

Not everyone with bipolar disorder has the same experience with mood swings. Some adults may have manic symptoms for weeks or months, then a period of stability, then weeks or months of depression. Children and teenagers tend to have more fluctuations in moods, sometimes experiencing mania and depression in the same day.

Bipolar disorder can be difficult to diagnose, not only because it looks different in everyone, but also because many people with bipolar disorder use alcohol or drugs to self-medicate. This can worsen or mask the symptoms. Once diagnosed properly, however, bipolar disorder can be controlled with a careful regimen of medication, psychotherapy/counseling, sleeping, eating, and exercising regularly, and a supportive network of family and friends. Although the movies and media often over-dramatize bipolar disorder and perpetuate the myth that people diagnosed with bipolar disorder tend to be violent or stupid, this is far from the truth. People with bipolar disorders can lead happy and fulfilling lives. Actors Robin Williams and Patty Duke, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, and astronaut Buzz Aldrin are just a few renowned Americans who have lived with bipolar disorder.

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REFERENCES

American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington, D.C, American Psychiatric Association, 2000.

Duchesneau, S. M. & McCullough, C. A. (2006, June 21). Label Jars, Not People. ASC on the Couch. Retrieved (date retrieved), from http://www.ascdeaf.com/blog/?p=65

Redfield Jamison, Kay (1995). The Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

To cite: Duchesneau, S. (2008, January 21). The Facts about Bipolar Disorder. ASC on the Couch. Retrieved (date retrieved), from http://www.ascdeaf.com/blog/?p=333