Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
This proposal intends to support the creation of a Treatment and Service Adaptation Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth at Gallaudet University to adapt trauma-focused measures and interventions for deaf and hard of hearing children and youth, develop new resources and tools for their caregivers and providers, and train deaf mental health experts. Deaf and hard of hearing children and youth, like other children with disabilities, are at a greater risk than the general population of children for trauma exposure. There are approximately 150,000 deaf and hard of hearing children and youth in the United States, with similar demographic characteristics of children and youth in the general population. Well over half of deaf and hard of hearing children have experienced at least one type of trauma, with some estimates indicating that this number greatly underestimates the prevalence of trauma in this population. Additionally, deaf and hard of hearing children are at risk of unique trauma experiences due to everyday communication barriers. A common childhood trauma reported by deaf adults is a lack of communication with their families, known as language deprivation. This occurs because the majority of deaf and hard of hearing children are born into families that do not know a natural sign language, and given the limitations of hearing loss technology, they grow up unable to fully access their everyday environments. There is currently a shortage of measures and interventions to appropriately assess and treat traumatic stress in deaf and hard of hearing children and youth, as well as a shortage of behavioral health providers with the cultural and language expertise to provide appropriate intervention. The objectives of the current project are to: 1) to create culturally and linguistically accessible tools to assess trauma symptoms and trauma-related behaviors in deaf children and youth, 2) to increase the number of evidence-based trauma focused interventions that have been adapted for deaf children and youth, 3) to increase the number of mental health professionals who are appropriately trained in culturally and linguistically accessible evidence-based trauma-focused interventions, and 4) to develop new training, resources, and screening materials to educate providers and families about the unique cultural and linguistic needs deaf children. Gallaudet University is the world’s only institution dedicated to learning, teaching, and research for deaf and hard of hearing people and has been adapting, training, and providing trauma-focused intervention for the local deaf and hard of hearing community. Gallaudet University, in collaboration with researchers and clinicians specializing in mental health and language development with deaf people across the country, is well positioned to become a leader in improving outcomes for deaf children and youth. It is anticipated that approximately 1,000 deaf and hard of hearing children and youth will be served annually through this project, reaching over 5,000 deaf and hard of hearing children and youth upon completion of this project.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
