Connection
The Connection Program is a component of the West Salem Mental Health Clinic, providing mental health services to our community's Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing population. Staff members of the Connection Program are selected for their ability to communicate effectively with Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing clients. This means not only being fluent in American Sign Language, it also means understanding the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing culture including the barriers and special challenges they face. Services for this population include:
Crisis intervention
Advocacy
Individual, family, and group counseling
Case management
Assessment and diagnosis
Psychiatric evaluation
Substance abuse assessment, education, and referral
Services for victims of crime
Videophone and instant messaging
Connection staff use appropriate technology including Videophone (VP), instant messaging, and TTY to communicate with their clients.
For Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing clients who have been the victim of a crime, the Connection staff provides crisis intervention, advocacy, assistance in navigating the law enforcement and court systems, assistance in applying for crime victims' benefits, and ongoing counseling to mitigate the trauma involved with having been victimized.
Click here to link to our video brochure describing all of Connection's services.
To learn more about how you can support the Connection
Program in serving the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, please see our
"How You
Can Help" page.
