Mental Health – …And the Truth Shall Set You Free.

How the Mental Health Reshapes in the Deaf Community

May 14, 2020May 14, 2020 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

How the Coronavirus pandemic is reshaping the mental health in the Deaf community. Important to focus on “reshaping” and understand. May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

American Sign Language (ASL) is the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Rights are important. Why? ASL is the form of ‘speech’ of the Deaf. Communication, information, and knowledge by accessing to ASL in counseling. That is your right. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

When the COVID-19 crisis affects Deaf people’s well-being, mental health–they would seek Deaf-centered counseling. The quality of Deaf counseling is the greatest tool to decompress any kind of stress. The gain of the mental health reminds of Paddy Ladd, the Deaf author, Understanding Deaf Culture: In Search of Deafhood, writes:

“It has become clear, too, that the rapid growth of this contact, combined with the quality rapid growth in unexamined use of the Deaf culture concept, has created a situation in which Deaf cultural research is needed as a matter of maximum urgency.”

Deaf-centered counseling is truly a dedication, they are the front line helpers. Many solutions can help Deaf citizens to feel stress-free. When counseling is being deprived of this pandemic, in a hearing world, where Deaf people often fall under a wrong agenda, struggling with language deprivation.

The mental health awareness in the human welfare of the Deaf, seek for better guidance through Deaf-centered counseling to provide resources, should not be simply a struggle of the human mind, body, and spirit.

Mental health awareness also should not be a struck in human struggle, but to serve the public awareness as possible for the Deaf community to have a valid reason why Deaf-centered counseling on the front lines of this pandemic is forever in debt to provide every Deaf person.

Please visit:

Deaf Counseling Center

Much grateful,

-Jason “JT” Tozier

Convo VRS: Hate or No Hate?

January 17, 2020January 17, 2020 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

Thomas K. Holcomb: DCARA

January 12, 2020January 12, 2020 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

MENTAL HEALTH: Power Hunger or Power Struggle?

December 10, 2019 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

Of all U.S. minority groups, the Deaf community is perhaps the most invisible. The mental health sends the message of Deaf empowerment to the public. The principle of Deaf-centric or Deaf-centered mental health is always demonstrating a passion. Or, is it a recipe for power-struggle for passion where the Deaf community needs the most in the mental health field? Especially the Deaf-centered way.

In the highest standard of principle what it should be, a Deaf-centric or Deaf-centered mental health organization had revolutionized the stereotypical odds. It should be of, by, and for Deaf people. This “cultural awareness” in our Deaf community where we live continues to be a minority group thriving for awareness and social justice, which we are seeing in the mental health field that is sorely painful in the Deaf leadership.

National Deaf Therapy (NDT) under the auspices of Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD). ‘Auspices’ is from the Latin, auspicium, and auspex, which mean “one who looks at birds”.

Communication Service for the Deaf: Using the ‘flying birds’ as power-hungry; According to wiki: ‘Augury is the practice from ancient Roman religion of interpreting omens from the observed flights of birds.” (1)

Is it the wrong path where National Deaf Therapy is being heavily appropriated by Communication Service for the Deaf exercising privileges and profiting? Even in 2019. But, should we not completely surprised? Don’t we see manifestations of elitism, favouritism, and privileges every single day? Let me use those examples:

Jameson Crane III and Jonathan Soukup, both CEO and co-founder in the same business together (see link below), they have strong connections to Communication Service for the Deaf, its founder of CSD, Benjamin Soukup, and its current CEO, Christopher Soukup (Jonathan’s brother).

As for Jameson Crane III’s hearing father, Jameson Crane, Jr. was on Communication Service for the Deaf board, now is on the Gallaudet Board of Trustees (see both links below). Social Venture Fund (SVF) has awarded National Deaf Therapy because of father-in-law’s connections as a board to NDT as well. Jameson Crane III’s spouse: Amanda Sortwell Crane, one of National Deaf Therapy co-founder.

Don’t we see manifestations of elitism, favouritism, and privileges?

Power-hunger is shown by connection to Gallaudet University? A good example, ADWAS founder, Marylin Jean Smith is on Communication Service for the Deaf board (see link below), and one of the National Deaf Therapy co-founders, Megan Erasmus is working for ADWAS while running National Deaf Therapy (see link below). Is that a big conflict of interest?

I was told that it is common for people to work full time while maintaining their own practices part-time until their practice grow enough that they can support themselves with the new private practice. Still conflict of interest?

Convo Communications: the CEO, Jarrod Musano who owns the Daily Moth and Melmira, connected to Communication Service for the Deaf, yes or no? However, Jarrod and Communication Service for the Deaf board member, Danny Lacey, have strong connections between each other.

The disability framework, a negativity bias defining the Deaf community, colonizes National Deaf Therapy. Exploring core concepts what “disability” to define ‘Deaf’–especially how the polarity of disability is culturally constructed and embodied, emphasizing the “social model”–and it shows clearly that National Deaf Therapy did not aim enough for a deepened understanding of the social, economic, and political aspects of disability as perceived and embodied in literature.

Does it mean the Deaf are defined from the American society because they are not normal healthy people as long as they must live in the medical model of disability?

Although frequently used to refer to the Deaf, this label is considered highly offensive to the Deaf. It ignored cultural identity and its use among hearing is a sign of ignorance (Roach, 2002) [2]

Ryan Commerson [3], producer of “Media, Power, & Ideology: Re-defining D-E-A-F”— Supposedly, Deaf people are labeled as ‘disability’ in the name of ideology.

Commerson: “…the misrepresentation would still reside in your subconscious. What should you do about it?” that leads to ‘Contesting Stereotypes: Taking Images Apart’.

“…When a particular meaning in broadcast for a while, then it becomes common sense,closed, and resides in your subconscious. Life goes on as normal. However, we must go back to the misrepresentation residing in their subconscious…and reveal the distortion of the images. People might be rattled or accept this new reality. However, the problem with this is, by unlocking the meaning, it’s open for interpretation. Would everyone interpret it the same way?”

He used to be a scholar until Communication Service for the Deaf took him in as Social Change Strategist and exploited his views. I bet Ryan couldn’t challenge Communication Service for the Deaf because he is stuck with them.

In my previous blog post:

“The Deaf community is powerful in the human psyche. Indeed, at this level of humanity, would the Deaf community understand the painful history of what the term “disability” define Deaf people? Have the Medical Model of Disability had caused enough destruction in the Deaf community?”

‘Do Deaf People Have a Disability?‘ published by Harlan Lane [4]:

“A disability is a limitation of function because of an impairment. Deaf people are limited in some functions because of an impairment of hearing. Therefore, Deaf people have a disability.”

Justice must include human rights and compassion. It must include an appreciation of Deaf cultural uniqueness. What strikes me the most by Lane’s writing as seen in the picture:

“On the other hand, the Deaf-World is a linguistic and cultural minority quite unlike disability groups and with a distinctly different agenda. Moreover, to be Deaf is not disability in Deaf culture, and most members of the Deaf-World see no disability in their ways of being. To give up their legal rights would be self-defeating; to demand them under disability law seems like hypocrisy.”

Does that mean the Deaf community has become a pet cause for Communication Service for the Deaf and National Deaf Therapy? This is not the spirit of the Deaf community. That is the sign of power-hunger. Or, is it power-struggle?

The true leadership that steps up to the plate with the facts as they are and makes intelligent decisions on those facts only and not only on the emotionalized, oppressive of the Deaf community and the misinformed public sentiment. Why is National Deaf Therapy under the auspices of Communication Service for the Deaf pushing for a chess game?

-JT

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

References:

(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augury

(2) Roach, Amy (2002). “Which is Correct: Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing, or Hearing Impaired?” Deaf Linx. 22 Feb. 2003

(3) https://vimeo.com/12817361

(4) Lane, Harlan L. “Do Deaf People Have a Disability?” Sign Language Studies, vol. 2 no. 4, 2002, p. 356-379. Project MUSE

Links:

http://naturaltcapital.com/

https://www.prweb.com/releases/brandi_rarus_top_marketing_communications_executive_joins_communication_service_for_the_deafs_board_of_directors/prweb16295100.htm

https://www.gallaudet.edu/board-of-trustees

https://www.csd.org/about/

National Deaf Therapy: Misrepresenting Mental Health

November 26, 2019 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

When Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) & National Deaf Therapy (NDT) continues their silence and still stand with this:

‘HATE IS NOT A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE’

Did they just gaslight the Deaf community? Communication Service for the Deaf and National Deaf Therapy, are both attempting at the framing of the way Deaf people think; Both carry the same idea: without necessary and proper exposure to change, deficit thinking is necessary, and ignorance is the direct problem of the human brain.

How humans are afraid of change and what they do not know, in which the Deaf community shall live in the ‘dark figure’ cave. The Deaf community is chained so that they only can see the wall, and that was the goal.

Communication Service for the Deaf & National Deaf Therapy has yet to begin where Deaf people are because they claimed that hate is not a mental health issue in the Deaf community. To date, it has failed miserably.

The experience of National Deaf Therapy in the instruction of the Deaf has shown in great concerns that also exists in mental and physical conditions, and incapacity for truth, censorship is nothing new. Censorship is one of the highest forms of oppression in the Deaf space and limiting valuable access even though it fosters thinking critically, expression, and advocating ideas effectively for the Deaf community.

Deaf people do experience hate (crime, speech, literature, et al) because they are public figures in the Deaf community, for instance, we, as the country, are much too extreme and have let the media feed people’s fears far too long. How would we prepare to do something to help minimize this cycle of social injustice? Why should the Deaf community continue to be penalized by this very society that is unforgiving and hypocritical?

Deaf people remain as a scapegoat for fear, hatred, and ignorance.

‘Hate is not Mental Health Issue’: violates the Eighth (8th) Amendment of the United States Constitution that prohibits imposing cruel and unusual punishment. It is cruel to punish Deaf people for life when they experience hate. Often the path of explanation and clarification is easily connected to denials. The lack of power in the Deaf community.

A leading cause of stress is a change; Acknowledging that there is more that needs education, training, and embarking on a journey that requires courage, due to mental health field, and learn how to stop the nature of fear. Individuals who currently oppose hate as a mental health issue mirror the truth dwellers, and the term, ‘Deaf’ had been exposed to a form of hate where they face dangers every day. Communication Service for the Deaf and National Deaf Therapy needs to be honest about it.

This kind of realization that is critical that we must not lose access to the material. It is diametrically opposed to the American Dream and the future of democracy for the Deaf community. There is a lot of difficult things in the foundation of this country.

This powerful ideology puts a human face of the Deaf, who survives hate crime across the country. That is what happens when it comes to a Deaf person in America where they do not exist. It is a scar of knowledge, to the “mental health professional” like National Deaf Therapy, which is the symbol of power by the oppressive society.

I highly recommend this book to read. As I wrote in my older post (December 8, 2017, Understanding Stigma about Deaf People:

“One of the most difficult issues for the survivors of stigma is thinking how widespread the stigma is. As bad as stigma in Deaf community may be, where is the direction of making some effort, through community help, to reduce stigma about Deaf people and increase awareness for Deaf people?”

-JT

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

Christopher Soukup: CEO, Communication Service for the Deaf

October 28, 2019October 28, 2019 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

“In the collective mind the intellectual aptitudes of the individuals, and consequence their individuality are weakened.”–Gustav Le Bon, La Psycholgie des Foules, 1895

Dear Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) CEO Christopher Soukup:

Since you are the Mighty Chief of CSD Social Venture Fund (SFV) and the majority stakeholder for National Deaf Therapy (NDT) to invest in business owned by members of the Deaf community, you control the information, using misinformation to shield, and in consequence, as you wrote in June 2016:

“As a not for profit organization, we remain committed to pushing out our resources into the community—in the form of tangible action and new products, programs, and services that make our world a better place for everyone. Careful and responsible management of our resources is an absolute reflection of our integrity and our commitment to you.”

The reflection of integrity and commitment is nothing to replace better than this. Since you put (NDT) in your power, misleading the Deaf community that the message: “Hate is not a mental health issue” is greatly problematic. The hardest part what you wrote: “Careful and responsible management”

There are plenty of valid-proven academic articles by well-versed professors and experts that hate is a mental health issue. Unlock the power of hate and action. For one, NDT argue that it is not a mental health issue differs from, and Deaf citizens punished more severely; because it betrays the expression of ignorance.

On the surface, this appears to be a problematic with significance: Deaf citizens do experience hate, derives from truth, in the same manner as all of us. The language deprivation of “hate”, although intentional, is no less truth.

Deaf people has a deep-longing to live as powerful people, to share their stories within our Deaf community and to make connections because they have suffered an inordinate amount of language deprivation that has left them deeply wounded.

“Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.”–Maya Angelou

Hate: Crime, speech, literature and culture. For example:

Dr. Merzenich in his own reference with the print from American Psychological Association: “The simple fact is that if [American Deaf culture] could be reliably wiped out, it would be a good thing to wipe out. (Fischer & Lane, 1993)

As wiping out the culture, language, souls, and stories is very much part of hate in the broadest sense of mental health issue. The deprivation of truth will affect Deaf people’s usability, life security, and stability, would also affect in higher education. It would take the high road–boldness and healing.

The denial of hate leads to a societal taboo that would reject Deaf people in general. The sociological and punishment as punishing hate articles have plenty of merit that hate is indeed, recognized as mental health issue.

The rule of law whether it lacks the most where it represents the moral view of the Deaf community, is it accurate enough for NDT under your leadership to formally announce that hate is not a mental health issue as it is powerfully damaged, misleading the information and seeing the statement in print is even more painful.

Deaf citizens illustrates the fact they struggle in their own values or liberty that cannot easily reconcile with the community and becomes a difficult time to value their own individualism and self-constructed to begin their journey as survivors of dealing with hate, whether the forms of hate, through self-destructive in attempting to grasp its own path to escape oppressive judgement of systematic oppression to curb their struggles.

Being told by NDT in the direction of your leadership such as careful and responsible management, Mr. Soukup, the only freedom Deaf survivors of hate could reasonably negotiate in their lives was suffering enough pain. The denial of hate as a mental health issue abides by the society customs for the refusal, or flippancy towards, the mental state is severe enough.

Yet, you approved the idea that hate is not a mental health issue clearly a decision making table and decide the best for the Deaf community is questionably concerned lacking compassion and leave the results on the benefits of politics and power. As to put this:

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”-Jedi Master Yoda

-Jason “JT” Tozier

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Is Hate a Mental Health Issue in the Deaf Community?

October 19, 2019 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

Written English transcript:

This is a video response for National Deaf Therapy (NDT)—

Hate is a form of oppression that a countless number of Deaf people encounter. Normally, we think of “hate” is referred to, even invisible number of Deaf people are being swept under the rug.

However, National Deaf Therapy claimed that ‘Hate is not mental health issue.”

The forms of hate can be found in: bullying, Audism, discrimination, taunting, making offensive comments, judging, power of abuse, public shaming and forth where Deaf people experience every day. Can we admit the truth that there are lots of Deaf people has experienced some type of bullying? Compassion? The chain reaction of shaming, could bullying lead to hate? Will National Deaf Therapy resist this?

Is there some kind of close connection between the right to stand up against hate and separation from power-struggle in the spirit of Deaf people?

Behind it all, of course, was most neglected problem Deaf people face that was thought to be under attack and why it would allow this to happen.

The American Psychological Association (APA) and The Psychology of Hate Crimes at APA Public Interest Government Relations Office in 2017 has stated:

“Hate crimes are a public mental health issue.” Will National Deaf Therapy agree with APA?

In 2016, Huff Post published a powerful article: Hate Is a Mental Health Issue by Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen writes:

“We need to recognize this type of hatred for what it is, a sign of severe emotional disturbance. And we need to take more responsibility for those around us who seem to be suffering—before their pain becomes unbearable and is turned inward against themselves or outward……. This type of overwhelming, all-consuming hatred cannot exist within an emotionally healthy human being.”

“Further tragedies can be prevented if we pay attention to the signs of emotional suffering—in ourselves and those we love—and, if we take responsibility for reaching out to those in need, to those who are falling through cracks.” In 2018, James M. Shultz, Tanya L. Zakrison, Sandro Galea in Hate and the Health of Populations,

“Against this backdrop, there should be little question at this point that hate is a powerful motivator of harm against others. The direct consequences of hate—including violence, discrimination, and marginalization of out-groups—are associated with poor health. Apart from the direct physical harm they inflict, hate-induced actions are associated with substantial mental illness effects.”—

“Recognizing that hate is a determinant of health puts the issue squarely within the remit of the population health community, pushing us to consider what we can do to address hate.”—Shultz, Zakrison, Galea.

Hate is indeed, a mental health issue. It is normal for Deaf individuals like yourself to have this kind of reaction, and it is important to understand that hate is not a joke. Yet, National Deaf Therapy questions the cause and effect to describe Deaf people not to experience hate, as a mental health issue is questionable.

In 2007: My essay was written for hate crimes and bias class,
Negative Perceptions of Deaf Individuals in Relation to Knowledge of American Sign Language:

“Yet this most stigmatized group is not often viewed through the lens of compassion and understanding, only modern forms of old ignorance. The Deaf community has gone through considerable evolution, but hate crime remains invisible in face of society.” (Tozier, 2007)

“As I have been told again and again, the experience of Deaf victims of hate crime has been traumatic. Life has been hard for them. Deaf people have toiled and fought on behalf of the society that has violated their human rights, dealing with manipulation, ignorance, denial of basic civil and language rights, among many other injustices. Deaf people struggled with the land and the lawless nature of American society. Hate crimes against them have been largely under-reported, under-investigated, and under-prosecuted.” (Tozier, 2007)

Either pin down truth or denial. In those experiences, hate incidents that truly happened, like the making final decision of hate, as non-mental health issue is questionable. As the Deaf community become objective in their own experience, they separate it from themselves.

Yes, hate should be a mental health issue in the Deaf community. There is no place for hate in the Deaf community. Should hate as emotionally, psychologically, and sociologically denial for the Deaf community? Why or Why not?

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