Head-To-Head and Heart-To-Heart: Contemporary Discourse on Deaf Mental Health

Bridging the head and the heart by interspersing scholarly discussion with non-fiction narratives, this comprehensive edited volume illuminates critical issues that diverse deaf people face in the mental health domain and rehabilitative systems, primarily in Canada and the United States as well as other international settings. Through illustrative case studies and narratives contextualized within the scholarship, authors provide insight, analysis, and recommendations; these include a review of the repercussions of language deprivation, the need for linguistic and cultural competence in assessment, guidelines for mental health interpreting, the distinct needs of Deaf+ people, and the factors that shape risk and resilience. With particular attention to the impacts of language, including the deep and pervasive effects of language deprivation, chapters are organized around the lived experiences of deaf individuals over the lifespan and in multiple settings. An attempt to bridge the gap between clinical approaches and lived experiences, this book is unique in that it brings together a theoretical foundation and powerful stories from real people. Authors discuss assessment, resources, and best practices for a range of settings, including home, community, school, carceral system, and clinic. A helpful guide for clinicians, practitioners, academics, and sign language interpreters, Head-to-Head and Heart-to-Heart: Contemporary Discourse on Deaf Mental Health affirms that a deeper understanding emerges when heads and hearts connect, yielding expert, person-centered, mental health care for deaf and hard-of-hearing people.