Video Counseling

If you are Deaf/HOH, would you use video counseling for access to an ASL counselor?

  • Yes- tell me how to sign up!

    Votes: 2 33.3%

  • Maybe- depends on costs and the skills of the counselor.

    Votes: 3 50.0%

  • No- I would not use this, and it is a BAD idea.

    Votes: 1 16.7%

  • No- I would not use this, but maybe someone else would

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    6
P

pngn24

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Hello,

I am curious what people's thoughts are on video counseling? Could it be a good way for people who are Deaf or HOH to get connected with a counselor if they do not have an ASL counselor in their area to meet with? Does anyone have any experience doing this?

I am a social worker and a software entrepreneur and a school counselor at a school for the Deaf (I try to stay busy! :) ). I am in the VERY beginning stages of developing a program so Deaf/HOH could video chat with a counselor in ASL without having to drive and potentially with insurance reimbursement.

So I welcome ALL opinions-- both from people who think this could be a good idea and from people who think this is an awful idea!
 
For folks in rural areas itll be great option but for the folks in rhe cities where theyre plenty its better in person
 
Some Deaf people prefers to keep low profiles. Some of them drives an hour to two hours for it. I think video can help a little due not to be in the same local area.
 
No more of a risk than other people seeing everything you write on forums or blogs...

With counseling type things there does need to be an extra layer of security. I have heard of counseling by text and there has also been some instances of video counseling for HEARING people (along with phone-- ie Skype)... so there's a market there for deaf/HOH who prefer ASL.

I don't know if I'd use it. Some counseling needs to be specialized (which is what I would require- sorry private info there lol)...if I could do that then yea I'd consider it greatly. I have driven long distances for services that I really wanted and/or fit the needs I have.
 
I think it is a good idea as so many deaf people don't have access to getting help they need for their mental health due to the communication barrier.
 
Jabberwocky said:
For folks in rural areas itll be great option but for the folks in rhe cities where theyre plenty its better in person
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I completely agree- there are many Deaf people who don't live near a big city or can't afford to spend hundreds on gas to drive a couple hours each week.... the difficult part of this idea I think would be finding those people
 
whatdidyousay! said:
No , I would not use this as it could end up being all the internet.
Click to expand...

Good point... of course the video streaming software would have to abide by HIPAA regulations and both counselor and person receiving counseling would have confidentiality agreements. If you go see a counselor face to face- you still have to trust in them to keep it confidential, to not share your information, to secure everything that is written down from being stolen.

I am thinking a live video stream that is not logged anywhere? Thoughts?
 
DeafDucky said:
No more of a risk than other people seeing everything you write on forums or blogs...

With counseling type things there does need to be an extra layer of security. I have heard of counseling by text and there has also been some instances of video counseling for HEARING people (along with phone-- ie Skype)... so there's a market there for deaf/HOH who prefer ASL.

I don't know if I'd use it. Some counseling needs to be specialized (which is what I would require- sorry private info there lol)...if I could do that then yea I'd consider it greatly. I have driven long distances for services that I really wanted and/or fit the needs I have.
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Yeah- I have heard of email and texting counseling as well. But I think losing the facial expressions and body language is a large part of the counseling experience. For example-- it is hard to tell if the people is being resistant through words... but seeing their body language, it can be easier.

How about if the online site had counselors that were specialized? For example-- if it were only a small site, with a few counselors that had specialties such as trauma focused counselors, depression experts, etc.

Thoughts?
 
shel90 said:
I think it is a good idea as so many deaf people don't have access to getting help they need for their mental health due to the communication barrier.
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Thanks for this reply! Do you have any thoughts on how it would be possible to reach out to those people who do not have access? I am a social worker by trade and always trying to reach out to people with uneven access to any service :aw:
 
How about if the online site had counselors that were specialized? For example-- if it were only a small site, with a few counselors that had specialties such as trauma focused counselors, depression experts, etc.
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That's true about the facial expression/body language angle and I do agree with that.

If the site starts out small, it's going to be hard to find people who are more or less specialized - like what you noted- trauma, depression and a few others I can think of like deaf-blind issues, LGBT, couples/marriage counseling, grief counseling... could go on forever lol. But I do think it would be great to have some who are experts in certain areas along with 'general counseling' (referrals between and to others connected to your endeavor or outside of the site as well. Another idea would be to collect data on "real world" counselors around the US and use that as referrals if needed- I don't know if there is something like this already- I've seen a site geared toward medical doctors for deaf or who treat the deaf.
 
My wife use Video phone counseling which I recommended since it's more secure than Skype or any other webcam applications. The only draw back using VP counseling is that many of the insurance company do not accept it.
What she find that using VP method is more private than office visit. My wife make appointment with 1 hour break in between to prevent from deaf people see each other in the lobby. You know deaf is a small world and they know each other and to avoid any false rumor spreading in a wildfire, you know?
Secondly the other drawback with VP is that client can hang up anytime when he or she is pissed or out of control, whereas in the office counselor can continue to communicate with client to calm him/her down. With VP, you can't control that person to calm down after hang up since that person misunderstood what she was trying to say... client jump too quickly...
I can't think of anything else but I know there are more to it. My wife is out somewhere right now...I will talk with her later about it.
 
SneakerNet said:
My wife use Video phone counseling which I recommended since it's more secure than Skype or any other webcam applications. The only draw back using VP counseling is that many of the insurance company do not accept it.
What she find that using VP method is more private than office visit. My wife make appointment with 1 hour break in between to prevent from deaf people see each other in the lobby. You know deaf is a small world and they know each other and to avoid any false rumor spreading in a wildfire, you know?
Secondly the other drawback with VP is that client can hang up anytime when he or she is pissed or out of control, whereas in the office counselor can continue to communicate with client to calm him/her down. With VP, you can't control that person to calm down after hang up since that person misunderstood what she was trying to say... client jump too quickly...
I can't think of anything else but I know there are more to it. My wife is out somewhere right now...I will talk with her later about it.
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Agreed about one hour break in between. Im a patient using deaf thearpist and always worried running into someone I know before or after the session. True about vp hangups.
 
DeafDucky said:
No more of a risk than other people seeing everything you write on forums or blogs...

With counseling type things there does need to be an extra layer of security. I have heard of counseling by text and there has also been some instances of video counseling for HEARING people (along with phone-- ie Skype)... so there's a market there for deaf/HOH who prefer ASL.

I don't know if I'd use it. Some counseling needs to be specialized (which is what I would require- sorry private info there lol)...if I could do that then yea I'd consider it greatly. I have driven long distances for services that I really wanted and/or fit the needs I have.
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I know but I bet most people will talk about more private things in counseling than on line.
 
Possible. Just depends on the person I guess. I am not a people person at all so text chat I'd probably do better at. or even ASL therapist (not a hearing therapist with an interpreter). And because there are not that many ASL therapists (hearing or deaf), video counseling would be the only way to go unless the counselor was within at least a 1.5 hour drive.

I also think that with the younger generation that it won't really matter if it is online or in person. Both are the same to them really. There will be some people who won't like the idea of "online" for various reasons... so I bet that this will grow more in the next 10 years.
 
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