Deaf Mentor

A Deaf Mom Shares Her World
When people ask me, "What do you do," I usually reply that I work in early intervention. I work as a Deaf Mentor. The definition, from the Hearing and Vision Connections website is: Deaf Mentors are enrolled under Family Support, but are not credentialed. They are available to go into the home, ideally working in close coordination with a DT(Developmental Therapist)/Hearing provider, to share personal experiences, teach sign language or the family's chosen method of communication, and introduce information about having a hearing loss, the Deaf community and Deaf culture.

I have been doing this for three years, serving about 25 families from birth to age three. I am seeing a major trend: the majority of families with babies with profound hearing loss are choosing implants. In Chicago recently, a seven-month old baby received two cochlear implants . Some of the kids with implants take right off with listening and spoken language. For others, it's a slower process and the results are not as immediate. For some families, the implant does not work for their child.

I really do enjoy working with the variety of families on a weekly or monthly basis but I'm sometimes the resource of last resort. Sometimes I will receive referrals to families when the children are almost three. Some of the families are quite a distance from my home, so I'm often on the road for long periods of time. I'm self-employed, which means that I handle my own billing and take a tax write off on the number of miles I commute.

The most rewarding aspect of the job is seeing the communication and language development that happens with each child and family. I love it when a mom or dad tells me, "My child said/signed 'I love you!'"
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at one point I was taking private lessons from someone who has since become a friend of mine. One of the things she is involved with is being a Deaf mentor.
 
Mass. Mentorship Program
About the Mentorship Program

The Mentorship Program was created in 1993 in response to the severe shortage of qualified interpreters available to fill an escalating number of interpreter requests following the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The brainchild of MassRID, the program was established with start-up funding from the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and New England Telephone, which housed the TTY relay service at the time, and with input and support from Deaf community leaders. DEAF, Inc. originally housed the program and continues to act as our fiscal agent.

Our original program, the Interpreting Mentorship Program, focuses on fostering the growth of new interpreters, helping them prepare for the state screening examination and entry into the field of professional interpreting. This is done through a combination of one-to-one mentorship with a nationally certified interpreter mentor, participation in work groups for mentees, and skills and professional development workshops. While the majority of our mentees have not yet earned interpreting credentials, we also welcome credentialed interpreters (state screened, Ed:K-12, RID certified) seeking to enhance their skills.

The ASL Mentorship Program, piloted in 2007/2008, provides one-to-one mentorship in ASL with a Deaf mentor. This program is separate from our interpreting mentorship, and mentees have the option to participate in one or both programs. By providing opportunities to enhance both ASL fluency/cultural understanding and interpreting skills, we believe mentees will be better equipped to serve the needs of our diverse Deaf community.

Our newest program, the ASL/Interpreting Mentorship Program, provides opportunities for new interpreters across the state of Massachusetts to participate in 10 hours of one-to-one mentorship with a Deaf mentor plus 10 hours of work groups focusing on ASL enhancement and interpreting practice. Work with Deaf mentors and work groups are offered in each of five regions across the state: Greater Boston, Northeast, Southeast, Central and Western Massachusetts.

In Mentoring for Performance Exams, mentees engage in private mentoring in preparation for the performance portion of the Massachusetts state interpreter screening. This is a flexible program, with the number of mentoring sessions based on the needs of each individual participant. Click on Programs to learn more about Interpreting Mentorship, ASL Mentorship, ASL/Interpreting Mentorship and Mentoring for Performance Exams.

The Mentorship Program also provides professional development workshops for interpreters at all stages of their career. Click on Workshops for a full list of current and previously offered workshops.

This year, we are continuing our outreach through social events, as well as meetings of aspiring and working interpreters of color. For more information, contact Adell Irvin at adell.irvin@massmentorship.org. We are also continuing our initiative to make all of our services more accessible and welcoming to interpreters of color by including individuals of diverse backgrounds in all aspects of our programs, as staff members, planners, presenters, mentees, mentors and consultants. We believe that having a multitude of perspectives and cultures enriches our offerings and better prepares our mentees for work within our culturally diverse community.
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jillio said:
That makes sense. I would think, in general, that a deaf individual would be more sensitive to the communication of the dog, since it is all based on non-verbal cues.
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dunno, interesting thoughts, but i think, for me, its because i spend a lot of time with my dogs, and cats. I have a way with them. My cats will do what I tell them , out, bed, up, (gate and climb to top following my fingers,
hop , jump (on me), stay on my shoulder...

my dogs will go off running like manics, (they are high energy dogs) and will come back to me as soon as I call.
I am home often, and spend alot of time. I talk to them all the time (verbally in tone and hand cues, and body posture is read by them, hmmm i think you could be right guess i just re phrased what you just said, duh me lol

all i am saying is, i think deaf individuals spend more time with their animals since hearing people dont interact with us as much, as out of bordom or sheer need of companionship, animals provided us their time more unconditionally?
 
i picked German pointers because of their more even temperments and more cuddly in nature at home...and indeed they get Very attached...GSP, are NOT for people who wants kennel dogs....i certainly didnt either...so it works for me..
 
Grummer said:
dunno, interesting thoughts, but i think, for me, its because i spend a lot of time with my dogs, and cats. I have a way with them. My cats will do what I tell them , out, bed, up, (gate and climb to top following my fingers,
hop , jump (on me), stay on my shoulder...

my dogs will go off running like manics, (they are high energy dogs) and will come back to me as soon as I call.
I am home often, and spend alot of time. I talk to them all the time (verbally in tone and hand cues, and body posture is read by them, hmmm i think you could be right guess i just re phrased what you just said, duh me lol

all i am saying is, i think deaf individuals spend more time with their animals since hearing people dont interact with us as much, as out of bordom or sheer need of companionship, animals provided us their time more unconditionally?
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I have to say, I am impressed. The only thing I have ever been able to train a cat to do is stay off the kitchen counter, and then only when I have a water bottle in my hand and am in close range!:giggle:
 
A lot of times I wished there was a Deaf Mentor when I was growing up. Also, I sometimes feel like I could benefit from one now.
 
KristinaB said:
A lot of times I wished there was a Deaf Mentor when I was growing up. Also, I sometimes feel like I could benefit from one now.
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I'm with you on that Kristina. There are so many things that I did not figure out until later, much later. My social skills would have been so much better if I someone to help explain the social dynamics happening around me.
 
Interesting! I spoke with my friend who works with that agency. she said there is no deaf mentor. My god. I ll contact with the other agency. i know they are working with little kids with ci who needs to be knowledges about themselve. SO i am hoping to see if they do have deaf mentor for the adult either deaf/hoh with no familiar of deaf community and hearing parents of deaf kids.
 
Frisky, let me know if you were able to reach out to our former mentor whom we were PM-ing about -- she was WONDERFUL, although I believe she's no longer working with the agency. In your area, they may not be referred to as "Deaf mentors" but in more general terms, for example, when I took a look at the introductory email from ours, the position was described as "children's specialist" although the commission called her a deaf mentor, and that's how she referred t herself in person. In MA, the training the children's specialists receive to conduct this type of work is conducted through the same program that the MA Comm. had set up to provide native ASL user mentorship to new interpreters and peer mentors for assisted living environments, so you may be able to find the agency that provides such resources through those resources, as well.

It is my pleasure to introduce myself as a Children’s Specialist under Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH). I work with all Deaf and Hard of Hearing children from birth to age 18 or 22 if s/he still receives educational services in ______ area. I have received your request for services recently and I look forward to start working with you, your child, and your family.

My role is to provide unique support services to families who have children with a hearing loss and to identify any needs and issues that may arise, to provide information about hearing loss, to make referrals to appropriate specialized resources, and to assist you into working with these agencies. All of our services are completely confidential and free-of-charge.

Please do not hesitate to contact me anytime if you have any questions about our services or about your child.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,


[name and credentials here]
Children's Specialist
MCDHH/Worcester
340 Main Street #700
Worcester, MA 01608
[tel / email]
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Frisky Feline said:
Interesting! I spoke with my friend who works with that agency. she said there is no deaf mentor. My god. I ll contact with the other agency. i know they are working with little kids with ci who needs to be knowledges about themselve. SO i am hoping to see if they do have deaf mentor for the adult either deaf/hoh with no familiar of deaf community and hearing parents of deaf kids.
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If the second agency does not have a program, it would seem to me that it is time to get one started. If you want help, you know you can get in touch with me.
 
Thank you. I ll definintely keep in mind! I ll start with a few people who works there and see what's going on. Remind you our hometown is pretty small therefore its a small deaf community here. so they don't make much $$ for it. I still like to spread the words to them because i know a few deaf people here who can be good deaf mentors in syracuse.
 
Frisky Feline said:
Thank you. I ll definintely keep in mind! I ll start with a few people who works there and see what's going on. Remind you our hometown is pretty small therefore its a small deaf community here. so they don't make much $$ for it. I still like to spread the words to them because i know a few deaf people here who can be good deaf mentors in syracuse.
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You might be able to expand into other areas if you get a program going. It sounds like you would be the first to do it in the area.
 
I did contact the first agency one who is the oldest one and didnt reply back yet. I contacted the other new agency that has been here for a few years. She replied back so QUICKLY after I sent it to her 2 minutes later. She said that she would love to have Deaf mentors and ask me to come down to her office and discuss about it. I think they don't have Deaf mentor yet and want to discuss about it. I did tell her that I do not have any experiences as a Deaf Mentor. I am hoping to see anyone who have been Deaf mentor before and if its possible you all have guideline rules for Deaf mentor?? if you all do, send it to me and i ll read the guideline rules or what to do etc and disucss with her next week. I told her that i may make my time to visit her agency next week and i told her that i can't quit my full time job but willing to work for a few hours after work. I only want to see my friends who wnat to become Deaf mentors. I think they are the good people as Deaf mentor.

Thank you all for your help but continues to give me tons of feedbacks!!!! :)
 
Frisky Feline said:
I did contact the first agency one who is the oldest one and didnt reply back yet. I contacted the other new agency that has been here for a few years. She replied back so QUICKLY after I sent it to her 2 minutes later. She said that she would love to have Deaf mentors and ask me to come down to her office and discuss about it. I think they don't have Deaf mentor yet and want to discuss about it. I did tell her that I do not have any experiences as a Deaf Mentor. I am hoping to see anyone who have been Deaf mentor before and if its possible you all have guideline rules for Deaf mentor?? if you all do, send it to me and i ll read the guideline rules or what to do etc and disucss with her next week. I told her that i may make my time to visit her agency next week and i told her that i can't quit my full time job but willing to work for a few hours after work. I only want to see my friends who wnat to become Deaf mentors. I think they are the good people as Deaf mentor.

Thank you all for your help but continues to give me tons of feedbacks!!!! :)
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That is really wonderful! Keep me informed as to how it is going! I am really proud of you for getting out there and doing something about the Deaf perpsective not being presented to parents!:cheers:
 
I only want to make it happen so my friends can try that position out. I m waiting for her to contact me for the schedule appointment for next week. wait and see. ha
 
Frisky Feline said:
I only want to make it happen so my friends can try that position out. I m waiting for her to contact me for the schedule appointment for next week. wait and see. ha
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But you are still doing more than most people will do. I admire your friends for wanting to try the position out, too.
 
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