'All About Me' Deaf Recovery Package
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‘All About Me’ Deaf Recovery Package Guidance Book Introduction Background Welcome to ‘All About Me’, a recovery ‘All About Me’ is the result of hours of package developed by groups of Deaf discussion and reflection in local Deaf people to help support Deaf people with wellbeing groups or forums and in mental health problems. This booklet meetings with representatives from Deaf describes the reasons for creating “All mental health services in England. About Me” and how it was developed. It includes a practical step by step guide ‘All About Me’ will be used to structure in its use and guidance notes for each recovery planning, within Community, domain. The domains are as follows: Inpatient and Secure settings, and should 1. Communication become a focal point in Care Planning meetings and Reviews of Care between 2. Identity Deaf service users and Deaf and hearing 3. Understanding my Mental Health professionals/workers, interpreters, family 4. Problems and carers. 5. Rights 6. Services 7. Information 8. Healthy Living 9. Activities 10. Relationships page 2 Understanding Deaf Culture Understanding Deaf people – In communicating with each other, Deaf Deaf people will share experiences with important things to know when people will also point at people, objects each other where they have had a cross- working with Deaf people and directions – this is not considered cultural misunderstanding with hearing rude in Deaf culture although it is in people, with humour, knowing that Deaf people view themselves as a hearing culture. other Deaf people have more than likely cultural and linguistic minority and are as been through similar experiences. a distinct group but, not a ‘sub culture’ Eye contact is necessary for Deaf people because the word sub has negative to communicate with each other Deaf people’s education connotations. Deaf people celebrate and hearing people. Regardless of it Every Deaf person has a different story of themselves as a vibrant and diverse being undertaken through British Sign how they learnt language and how they group. Language or communicating with their were able (or not able) to access and voices. understand education. How do Deaf people behave differently from hearing people? Common experiences Deaf people go to a range of schools To get other Deaf peoples’ attention, Deaf people have pride in their which vary widely in meeting their Deaf people will: community and do not feel ‘disabled’. communication needs, even within Deaf schools. Deaf people, as children, • Stamp on the floor to create vibrations Deaf people sometimes find that may have gone to a mainstream • Wave their hands they have problems with attending hearing school that offers support • Turn the lights on and off appointments – due to their name being from a resource centre/unit for Deaf/ called via a tannoy system, for example. hearing impaired children. Specialist • Touch each other’s shoulders Deaf schools vary in how they meet the communication needs of their pupilsthrough oralism/spoken language, total communication or British Sign Language. page 3 Quite often Teachers of the Deaf were The advantageous group are those Bear in mind that the Deaf person may not specially trained in Sign Language Deaf and hearing children that are communicate through a variety of ways: and as a result pupils’ language born to Deaf parents. These children’s • Booking a qualified British Sign development and hence language development generally progresses as a Language Interpreter (yellow badge acquisition has been further delayed. hearing child would, within a hearing holder) The longer term impact has been that family. upon leaving school literacy levels have • Ensure you have eye contact been historically low for the majority of How can hearing people ensure they • Pen and paper Deaf people. To further compound the meet the needs of Deaf people? • Lip-reading low literacy levels, is the fact that 90% Helping Deaf people to feel less of Deaf children are born to hearing marginalised and therefore, less • Gestures parents. The majority of whom cannot disenfranchised is easily achieved by • Pointing (many choosing not to learn BSL) use making reasonable adjustments. • Make sure that there are alternatives sign language that is sophisticated to intercoms or anything that could be enough to enable their child to learn a barrier for the Deaf person accessing through incidental learning and shared your service conversation just as a hearing child would within the family. However, • Ensure your letters to them are in plain there are some Deaf children born English to exceptional hearing parents who • Do not state, ‘if unable to attend understand/appreciate how crucial Sign please ring this number’. Provide a text Language for their child’s development. number for Deaf people to contact your service. page 4 Deaf peoples’ general life Deaf recovery Also important to Deaf people’s recovery Deafness has a lot of stigma attached to Effective communication is essential to is the attitude and expectations of it – which has impacted Deaf peoples’ begin developing a relationship with people/support network around them – lives historically. They may have missed a Deaf person. Where communication being Deaf is not something to mourn out on promotions at work, for example. meets the Deaf person’s needs, the and struggle on through life; as with any Or, have been late for work (yet again) Deaf person feels equal and respected. person, Deaf people can do anything. because the announcement over the Without communication, it is not tannoy at the train station, notifying a possible for the Deaf person to express And remember to smile…! platform change, was not heard. Most their needs or wishes or understand what Deaf people are ‘experts’ on reading Deaf people are stoical about life and other people want or intend. The Deaf people’s body language and facial given that it is difficult to access jokes person’s preferred communication may expressions. It is one of many gains from from a hearing spoken culture, tend to vary, and the effort to find out how they being Deaf and a visual communicator. create their own jokes which are largely want to communicate is appreciated. The Deaf people appreciate it when hearing drawn from the negative but sometimes ideal standard of healthcare would be people are friendly, understanding and funny, experiences they have had being direct communication in their preferred showing some interests in their culture. misunderstood, marginalised and language, that is – for the healthcare disenfranchised. practitioner to be fluent in British Sign Language. If this is not possible, a Deaf peoples’ social life qualified skilled experienced British Sign For various reasons, some Deaf people Language interpreter is the next best may not have met Deaf people growing alternative. up; and were therefore socially isolated from their peers. Often, their parents were hearing and didn’t want the Deaf person to learn sign language (because of the stigma). page 5 Working with BSL/English The Interpreter/DPCS Including the ‘lived Deaf Interpreters and Deaf • Needs to have a minimum 3 years post experience’ into service Professional Communication qualification. provision Specialists (DPCS) in Mental • Needs to be experienced in a wide Health Services variety of clinical settings and To be part of a culturally Deaf therapeutic sessions. community, Paddy Ladd suggests 9 factors that indicate a Deaf person’s Essential Standards: • Have a clear understanding of All communication providers need acknowledgement of their identity, the different clinical roles in a culture and community1. to be qualified and registered with a multidisciplinary team. professional body such as NRCPD (The • Using BSL and sharing the culture that National Registers of Communication • Be familiar with psychiatric surrounds the Deaf Community. terminology and medication. Professionals working with Deaf and • Having a shared experience of Deaf Deafblind people) or similar. They need The Service education (oral/BSL). to have professional indemnity insurance • Books the same Interpreter/DPCS on a and an up to date DBS. • The shared experience of oralism and regular basis to allow rapport and trust its effect on self worth. to build within the triadic relationship, Best Practice Guidelines essential for ongoing therapy sessions. • The shared experience of being Interpreters and DCS (Deaf audiologically Deaf in a hearing world. Communication Specialist) will not only • Include preparation and debrief into session time. • Having the knowledge of Deaf social interpret spoken or signed language organisation and informal Deaf history but will also include relevant cultural • Ensure the wellbeing of the and traditions, Deaf clubs, parties, and contextual variables to ensure that Interpreter/DPCS and be able to offer games. meaning is accurately conveyed between support and supervision if necessary. all parties. For further information please refer to the Communication domain appendix. 1 page 6 Understanding Deaf Culture, In Search of Deaf hood, 2003. • Monolingualism – not having a second “Deaf Hood encompasses the total sum language that is of benefit, lack of of all the positive meanings of the word English written or reading skills (only ‘Deaf’, past, present and future”. understand BSL not lip-reading or Paddy Ladd – Understanding Deaf writing). culture-in search of Deaf Hood 1983. • Socialising within the Deaf Community - local, national, sports, parties, “I came out from a cave in which the caravan club, LGBT etc. shadows of meanings had flickered, I came out into the bright day of true • Deaf Arts, social events, volunteering communication, where meanings were to be a Deaf role model. as plain as the hand in front of your face, • Embracing the D position and being where a message is no sooner expressed proud of Deaf heritage, community, than understood”. culture and language. Laurent Clerc, cofounder of The American School for the Deaf For people who identify as a member of 1785 – 1869 the Deaf community this can be summed up as ‘the Deaf Way’, ‘Deaf Heart’, ‘Deaf World’.