At ViaQuest, we offer compassionate care for deaf, hard of hearing, deaf low vision, deaf-blind and CODAs of all ages.
With the closing of St. Vincent Family Center’s (SVFC) Deaf Program in 2016, ViaQuest was approached by a former St. Vincent Family Center colleague and deaf advocate, asking us to expand our mental health services to specialize in serving deaf and hard of hearing youth and their families. Despite laws, mandates and standards, which are meant to protect linguistic and cultural minority groups, ViaQuest recognized that these youth and their families were not receiving adequate, culturally competent mental and behavioral health services.
Research has shown more youth are experiencing mental health issues and suicidal ideation now more than ever. The deaf and hard of hearing population has an even higher incidence of mental illness and addiction than the national average, yet accessibility to services is severely limited due to the language and cultural barrier these individuals experience.
ViaQuest’s deaf services program has grown from one therapist from its inception to, now, a dedicated team of therapists and therapeutic behavioral support (TBS) specialists who are deaf or hearing but fluent in ASL. We currently serve over 120 deaf and hard of hearing families in Franklin County, with that number growing by the day. We recognize the varying needs of deaf individuals and families and appreciate the necessity to provide care accordingly.
Our licensed signing and deaf counselors and social workers help clients deal with abuse, trauma, anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders through talk therapy. We can provide individual or group counseling in our office or in the community. Counseling focuses on digging into the root causes of behaviors. Our counselors provide a goal-oriented approach to help clients understand unhealthy and harmful thoughts and beliefs and focus on replacing them with positive ones. Our counselors will provide an assessment and customized treatment plan that is tailored to each individual to achieve their goals.
Our deaf and signing TBS specialists help people in the community with resources, managing symptoms, life skills, coping skills and other activities. TBS focuses on mental and behavioral skills in the present to help clients with their day to day needs. They also serve as an advocate for clients who may be unable to advocate for themselves. TBS is also commonly referred to as case management. Medicaid is currently the only insurance that will cover TBS services. Clients who don’t have Medicaid can still receive TBS by using our sliding fee scale.
Deaf trained Certified Nurse Practitioners (CNPs) provide psychiatric evaluations to determine if medication is needed to address mental health symptoms. Clients receive ongoing medication management every 1-3 months.
We also have deaf trained licensed nurses who provide follow-up care and answers to medication questions. Our nurses meet with each client before or after every medication appointment with the CNP, and are also available for consultation in between appointments if there are ever questions or concerns regarding medication.
For clients whose medication isn’t working, we can offer pharmacogenetic testing that will help determine which medications would work best for the client based on their DNA.
People respond to medications differently. That’s why a particular medication may not work for you, but does work for someone else. One way to discover whether or not a medication will work is to try it. This trial and error process can lead to months of taking medications that don’t work or cause side effects. That’s when your DNA can speak up.
Your DNA knows how your body responds to medications so your clinician can steer clear of a medication that may cause side effects or be less effective. A simple swab of the mouth will assess an individual’s metabolism and ability to process medications. After you take the test your clinician receives a report that helps them choose the best medication.
The results allow for a tailored treatment plan and increase the likelihood of effective outcomes, including the following:
[button href="/core-services/behavioral-mental-health/pharmacogenetics/" style="white"]More on Pharmacogenetic Services[/button]
To find out more about our Deaf Services offerings, contact us today.
