Drug Education for Deaf Students
There are captioned and signed videos available through the Described and Captioned Media Program under the Drug Abuse subcategory, which can be found within the Health and Safety category. An article that addresses drug education for deaf students is "Drug abuse resistance education (d a r e): special consideration for students who are deaf or hard of hearing," Journal of the American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association p 9-11, vol. 26, no. 2, Fall 1992.Research on Deafness and Drug Abuse
Many articles have been written on substance abuse among deaf and hard of hearing people. The Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program provides several articles online, many of which have bibliographies. Topics include ethics, access to treatment, and an analysis of the Minnesota treatment model. Additional papers include:- Isaacs, Morton J. (1979). Patterns of drinking among the deaf. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 6 (4), 463-476.
- Providing chemical dependency treatment to the deaf or hard of hearing mentally ill client, Journal of the American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association, p 1-14, vol 27 no 1, summer 1993.
- Substance abuse among the deaf population: an overview of current strategies, programs & barriers to recovery, Journal of the American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association, vol 22 no 4, april 1989, p 79-85.
Support for Deaf Drug Abusers
Support groups for deaf substance abusers exist although there are apparently few of them. For example, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are held at Gallaudet University library on Wednesday nights at 7:00 pm.Treatment Centers
Some treatment centers have added services for deaf substance abusers. A National Directory of Alcohol and Other Drugs Prevention and Treatment Programs Accessbile to the Deaf, is available through the Rochester Institute of Technology Substance and Alcohol Intervention Services for the Deaf (SAISD). This downloadable directory can be used by either deaf people seeking help or counselors seeking programs for clients in need.
State Programs
Some states have substance abuse services for the deaf:
- Illinois
- Chicago - Substance Abuse and AIDS Prevention Program for the Hearing Impaired, and the Addiction Recovery of the Deaf at the Anixter Center
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- Signs of Sobriety, a program in New Jersey.
- New York
- Substance and Alcohol Intervention Services for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. They provide services for both clients and professionals working with deaf substance abusers.
- FEGS-New York Society for the Deaf offers a substance abuse program.
- Washington, D.C.
- The Mental Health Center at Gallaudet University offers an alcohol and substance abuse program.
- Deaf-Reach also has a Chemical Dependence Treatment Program.
ADARA, formerly the American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association, is a professional organization for service providers to the deaf and hard of hearing. Among its special interest sections is a section on Chemical Dependency.
Books on Deafness and Drug Abuse
These books on deafness and alcolism/drug abuse are available:- Deaf & Sober: Journeys Through Recovery, by Betty G. Miller. (compare prices)
- Signs of Drug Use: An Introduction to Some Drug and Alcohol Related Vocabulary in American Sign Language (compare prices)
- Counseling the Deaf Substance Abuser (ISBN 0966375300), by Frank Lala. Available through Gregory Kassel, Midas Management Company, PO Box 610393, San Jose, CA 95161
