You may also have a deaf or hearing child or parent who is experiencing some difficulty in school or with friends. Finally, you might want to explore your identity, perhaps related to your hearing loss, culture, or sex. Mental health services are located, for example, at mental health agencies, psychiatric units in hospitals, or residential programs, or even privately. Qualified mental health professionals include social workers, counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, or substance abuse counselors. Each professional has specific skills, for example, a psychiatrist is specially trained to administer medication to people who need it.
Professionals work directly with people and can provide counseling and therapy.
A qualified professional is an individual who has earned a Masters or Ph.D. degree in a specific mental health profession, such as those noted above. Mental health professionals are licensed by the state where they work. All professionals have codes of ethics that require certain behavior, for example, confidentiality. Even though the deaf community is small, confidentiality can be maintained. You may also have to use the services of a professional, qualified interpreter in your community if the professional cannot sign.