Deaf THINK POSITIVE
Overcoming an addiction can be a long, arduous process even in the best of circumstances. For the deaf community, the lack of resources and materials for those who communicate primarily with American Sign Language (ASL) make it nearly impossible.
House of Hope for Alcoholics, Inc. developed the program Deaf THINK POSITIVE to offer treatment and support to deaf men and women in central Ohio. For nearly 50 years House of Hope has been providing inpatient treatment to men trying to get, and stay, sober. In 1996, the organization established an outpatient facility to serve chemically dependent males and females.
The Deaf THINK POSITIVE program is a new initiative that targets a very specific part of the population, but one that is incredibly underserved when it comes to addiction recovery services. Nationally, there are just a handful of inpatient and outpatient addiction recovery programs for the deaf.
“It’s easy to forget that deafness creates a barrier to making connections outside of the deaf community,” said Laura Kolb, program director/counselor for Deaf THINK POSITIVE. “This experience of isolation contributes to the high rate of addiction in the deaf community and impedes recovery.”
One of the main barriers to treatment for the deaf is the inability to communicate. Because ASL is not a direct translation of English, members of the deaf community struggle with comprehension. In essence, English is a second language to them. The Deaf THINK POSITIVE program tailors its education materials for visual cognition and deaf culture, and provides ASL-trained recovery coaches who help provide daily, personal support.
A $4,000 grant from The Columbus Foundation supported set-up costs for the Deaf THINK POSITIVE program.
“We have seen the devastation addictions have had on the deaf community and the financial cost to the greater community,” Ms. Kolb said. “We hope with linguistically and culturally specific services we can make an impact toward healing lives and creating more productive citizens.”
YOUR SUPPORT COUNTS
Your donation will further support this new initiative, and help more deaf individuals in central Ohio secure treatment.
House of Hope Budget
The House of Hope for Alcoholics budget is $1 million, which includes Deaf THINK POSITIVE and residential and outpatient services.
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