Cost: $55 for 0.55 CEUs
     Cancellation Prior to August 1 - Full Refund
     Cancellation August 1 - September 7 - 50% Refund
     Cancellation after September 7 - No Refund

Contact Amy at the email above to Register by September 7, 2019

A person with language deprivation will typically struggle with concepts of time, story sequencing/developing a coherent narrative, a sense of self, cause-and-effect/the concept of why?, expereinces of powerlessness/confustion, rigid modes of behavior, ability to learn from mistakes (use of generalizations), lacks awareness of others' need for context, lacks theory of mind (understanding others' perspectives), lack of understanding of limits to others' ability to figure out the message, abstract concepts, difficulty learning, emotional regulation, acting out of emotions/feelings, struggles in relationships, can lead to victimization or victimizing, competency to stand trial, reduced fund of information, etc.

The target audience for this workshop is service providers who specialize in some aspect of Deaf mental health (therapists, rehabilitation counselors and specialists, direct care staff, substance abuse providers, teachers, and education staff, interpreters, etc. The presenter will discuss various aspects of working with individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing impacted by language deprivation. This course will include a discussion of barriers that Deaf/hard of hearing individuals face, unique characteristics of the population, best practice approaches, and cultural and linguistic differences that are part of the developmental process for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

About the Presenter

Melissa L. Anderson is a psychologist and clinical researcher in the implementation Science & Practice Advances Research Center (iSPARC), Department of Psychiatry, UMass Medical School. She completed her graduate work at Gallaudet University, where she studied intimate partner violence and trauma in the Deaf community. At UMass, Melissa offers outpatient therapy to Deaf clients recovering from trauma, addiction, and comorbid disorders; provides psychological evaluation and treatment on a Deaf inpatient psychiatric service; and conducts eommunity-engaged research on best approaches for working with Deaf clients. Supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health, she and a team of Deaf and hearing clinicians, filmmakers, actors, artists, and community members are currently developing and testing a digital American Sign Language therapy manual for treating trauma and addiction.