Deaf YES: Center for Deaf Empowerment and Recovery

08/01/2025

FRIDAY FACT

Is Addiction a Mental Health Illness?
Yes—and It’s Time We Shift the Conversation.

Addiction is not a weakness. It’s a diagnosable mental health condition that affects how the brain functions—impacting emotions, decision-making, and relationships.

📊 According to the CDC, 1 in 7 people in the U.S. aged 12+ have experienced a Substance Use Disorder (SUD).

The DSM-5-TR lists 11 symptoms, including:
• Cravings & withdrawal
• Using despite harm
• Neglecting responsibilities
• Trying to stop—but can’t
• Giving up what you love

SUD can be mild, moderate, or severe—but all forms deserve care, access, and community—not shame.





Visual Description:
Gabby is sitting with her hair down and sweater on. Sitting in corner of cream wall with two floral design frame on wall.

07/31/2025

SU***DE PREVENTION WALK

Massachusetts folks!!! Join CAPES at this year’s Massachusetts American Foundation for Su***de Prevention Out of the Darkness Walk!

When: Saturday 9/27/25, 9AM registration, 10:30AM walk time
Where: Polar Park
How: Register with the CAPES team on their events page or link in their story

Their goal is to double last year's contributions and raise $5,000 for su***de prevention!

Please consider donating and/or walking (you don't have to walk to donate!).

https://www.umassmed.edu/capes/events/2025/09/american-foundation-for-su***de-prevention-walk-2025/?fbclid=IwY2xjawL4RGhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFqYTRrYXBYWDRDN3VUbG96AR7Mqe0wFri8aSe-yJZlWFspB4ZHjfqa7tAcAooYcFIr_Zc_Qlq8GMVk7zWJSg_aem_7-LjTf6OhSi5hL_OO5_DLw

07/30/2025

WEDNESDAY WISDOM, courtesy of Marlee Matlin

Check out this clip, where Marlee Matlin bluntly calls out accessibility issues she faced at the Betty Ford Center. She describes how she had to pay for own interpreter to receive crucial drug and alcohol treatment - a major barrier that Deaf people in recovery face every day. 😔

07/29/2025

TWO WEEKS LEFT TO APPLY!

Fundamentals 2025: Access and Support for Deaf People in Mental Health Settings

When? October 24, 25, and 26, 2025
Where? Wellsworth Hotel, Southbridge, MA
Who? Mental health providers and interpreters
How Much? $200 registration (includes breakfast and snacks only); $300 registration (also includes lunches)

Apply Now! Deadline = August 15, 2025
https://forms.gle/YunPqPc857UhJN8R7

Questions? Email fundamentals.information@gmail.com




Visual Description:
[A flyer advertises a training event titled "FUNDAMENTALS 2025: Access and Support for Deaf People in Mental Health Settings." The event will take place on October 24, 25, and 26, 2025, at the Wellsworth Hotel in Southbridge, MA. The flyer lists mental health providers and interpreters as attendees. Registration costs $200 for breakfast and snacks, and $300 for a full meal plan, including lunch. A QR code is provided for completing the online application, along with a deadline of August 15, 2025, and the link to the application: https://forms.gle/YunPqPc857UhJN8R7. Contact information for questions is provided: fundamentals.information@gmail.com. The flyer also includes a list of presenters with their names and images:

Kellynette Gomez: A Latina woman with curly hair, wearing glasses and a navy-blue blouse, seated for a professional headshot.

Wyatte Hall: A man with brown hair pulled back into a bun. He is wearing black-framed glasses, a light-blue collared shirt, and a medium-blue and white striped tie. A dark gray vest or jacket is visible over the shirt. The man has a short brown beard and mustache. He is looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression.

Nancy Chirau: A woman with short, dark brown hair, wearing eyeglasses and a vibrant yellow and black patterned outfit. The woman has a warm, pleasant expression, and her skin tone is dark.

Elisa Valles: A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. Her complexion is light. She is wearing a cardigan-style jacket featuring a plaid pattern in black, gray, and beige over a darker shirt. Small, geometric earrings are visible.

Morrison: Photo of a nonbinary person smiling, wearing glasses and a black cap.

Laura Peters: A headshot of a woman with wavy, shoulder-length hair that’s dark at the top and light at the ends. She’s wearing a black collared shirt and smiling gently. The background is plain black, which contrasts with her light skin tone and hair.

Justin Klein-Edgerton: A CIS male with brown eyes, brown beard to the mustache and the chin, and short, cropped comb-to-the back brown hair. This person is smiling with no teeth shown. He is looking to the left from the camera. He has a grey buttoned collared shirt with a t-shirt inside at the bottom of the picture.

Brittney Granger: Fair skinned white woman with light brown shoulder-length curly hair and blue eyes. Mole under her right eyebrow and on her right cheek. Wearing dark gray shirt with white dot pattern.]

07/28/2025

MONDAY MOMENT, courtesy of National Deaf Therapy

"Life isn’t just what happens to us — it’s what we choose to do with it. Every setback can be a setup for your next breakthrough."



English Transcript:
“Life (and time) does not owe you anything. Your life is a series of habits formed from the choices you make—and continue to make every single day. If you want healing, you’ve got to figure out a way to face what hurt you. If you want growth, you need to put in the work. If you want healthier relationships, you’d better start learning how to communicate what you need. We all think we are products of what happened to us, that we’re handed the lives we have and expected to keep them. We’re not what happens to us. It is simply a starting point. So, your choice—the one you remake every single day—is to let what happened ‘to you’ hold you back, or use what happened ‘for you’ to propel you forward. —Emma Grace"

07/25/2025

FRIDAY FACT, courtesy of DeafHealth

"Have you ever been invited to shape the research that impacts your life? For many deaf people, the answer is “rarely,” and that’s a problem...

Barriers like inaccessible materials, complex jargon, and lack of ASL exclude us from participating in research. But it doesn’t have to be this way."




Visual Description:
[The post features a video thumbnail with a blue overlay. At the center, a text bubble reads “Why Research Often Fails the Deaf Community” in white text on a rose-colored background. In the video, Bee, a white, non-binary person with long, curly brown hair, stands in front of a forest green wall. A potted monstera plant is visible on the left. Bee is wearing a black top layered under a charcoal short-sleeve button-up shirt and maroon glasses. Bee is signing to the camera. The screen fades to show a thumbnail of a faded white background of a doctor holding hands with another individual] Deaf. Healthy. DeafHealth. Learn more at www.deafhealthaccess.org.]

Transcript available in Comments on the original post.

07/24/2025

THROWBACK THURSDAY

to Sheri's Wednesday Wellness from July 2021: "A hug can bring feelings of safety, happiness, and more. When someone receives a hug, for most, their body releases the hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin, often referred to as the 'love hormone.' Increased levels of oxytocin have been attributed to happiness and the reduction of stress and anxiety."




English transcript:
[Good morning! Today’s wellness theme is hugging. You have probably seen the saying, “have you hugged someone today?” Hugs are an important part of wellness.

I, for one, am a hugger. I love hugs! Other than my Memere (my grandmother), my family aren’t huggers. I’m like my grandmother. Instead of short hugs with a light touch, we prefer long bear hugs. You know how some people hug quickly with a little tap on your back? Not my grandmother. I remember my Memere giving me great big hugs. She would exhale pure joy and I could feel the vibration of her happy hum.

Hugs are such a great way to communicate without language. There is an energy that is transferred between us. It isn’t
always positive. Sometimes a hugger like myself can tell when someone is merely tolerating a squeeze. If I realize someone isn’t a hugger, I respect their boundaries and give them a wave instead. Not everyone likes hugs for any number of reasons, including past trauma. Some have told me they never learned to like hugs because their parents didn’t hug them when they were young. It’s important to remember different comfort levels people have with personal space.

Hugs are amazing. It's not just me saying so. Research shows that the more hugs we get each day, the safer we feel. We feel like we can survive. Hugs actually release a hormone called oxytocin or the “love hormone.” It actually makes us feel good. The more we hug, the better we feel! Imagine if you got four hugs a day, or eight, or even twelve! Twelve hugs might seem like a lot, but I have a dog so I could hug him all day. What a great way to be well!

Hugs contribute to growth. They reduce stress and anxiety. Hugs help with depression. During COVID times, everyone on Facebook talked about missing hugs. While we had to stay at home, wear masks, and maintain distance from others, we couldn’t hug like we used to. People missed family visits and the ability to hug their loved ones. That disconnection led to many people feeling stressed and lonely. Of course, Zoom is great, but it can’t beat the personal touch.

For me personally, I was alone much of the time during COVID. I didn’t have my dog yet. That was hard. I missed human connection and I started to feel more depressed. I had read that hugging a tree is good for you. One day when I was out walking I went for it. It felt a little strange at first because a tree trunk is covered in bark so it isn’t exactly smooth. I hugged the tree and, believe it or not, I could actually feel the exchange of energy. It was so great! I wasn’t hugging a person, but I was hugging a living thing. I always thought the idea of “tree hugger” was kind of silly, but what the heck? It works! With this video, I also posted several pictures. You might feel good just looking at pictures of hugging.

Go hug someone- a family member, a friend, or a pet. When you get together with a friend you haven’t seen for a long time, go for a great big, long hug. Take advantage of all that positive energy. If you’re not particularly comfortable with hugs, find other ways
to get the benefit, like hugging a pillow.

Have YOU hugged someone today? If you haven’t then get to it!
That’s all for today. See you next week. Have a great Wednesday. Take care!]

07/23/2025

APPLICATIONS OPEN!

Fundamentals 2025: Access and Support for Deaf People in Mental Health Settings

When? October 24, 25, and 26, 2025
Where? Wellsworth Hotel, Southbridge, MA
Who? Mental health providers and interpreters
How Much? $200 registration (includes breakfast and snacks only); $300 registration (also includes lunches)

Apply Now! Deadline = August 15, 2025
https://forms.gle/YunPqPc857UhJN8R7

Questions? Email fundamentals.information@gmail.com




Visual Description:
[A flyer advertises a training event titled "FUNDAMENTALS 2025: Access and Support for Deaf People in Mental Health Settings." The event will take place on October 24, 25, and 26, 2025, at the Wellsworth Hotel in Southbridge, MA. The flyer lists mental health providers and interpreters as attendees. Registration costs $200 for breakfast and snacks, and $300 for a full meal plan, including lunch. A QR code is provided for completing the online application, along with a deadline of August 15, 2025, and the link to the application: https://forms.gle/YunPqPc857UhJN8R7. Contact information for questions is provided: fundamentals.information@gmail.com. The flyer also includes a list of presenters with their names and images:

Kellynette Gomez: A Latina woman with curly hair, wearing glasses and a navy-blue blouse, seated for a professional headshot.

Wyatte Hall: A man with brown hair pulled back into a bun. He is wearing black-framed glasses, a light-blue collared shirt, and a medium-blue and white striped tie. A dark gray vest or jacket is visible over the shirt. The man has a short brown beard and mustache. He is looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression.

Nancy Chirau: A woman with short, dark brown hair, wearing eyeglasses and a vibrant yellow and black patterned outfit. The woman has a warm, pleasant expression, and her skin tone is dark.

Elisa Valles: A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. Her complexion is light. She is wearing a cardigan-style jacket featuring a plaid pattern in black, gray, and beige over a darker shirt. Small, geometric earrings are visible.

Morrison: Photo of a nonbinary person smiling, wearing glasses and a black cap.

Laura Peters: A headshot of a woman with wavy, shoulder-length hair that’s dark at the top and light at the ends. She’s wearing a black collared shirt and smiling gently. The background is plain black, which contrasts with her light skin tone and hair.

Justin Klein-Edgerton: A CIS male with brown eyes, brown beard to the mustache and the chin, and short, cropped comb-to-the back brown hair. This person is smiling with no teeth shown. He is looking to the left from the camera. He has a grey buttoned collared shirt with a t-shirt inside at the bottom of the picture.

Brittney Granger: Fair skinned white woman with light brown shoulder-length curly hair and blue eyes. Mole under her right eyebrow and on her right cheek. Wearing dark gray shirt with white dot pattern.]

07/22/2025

PROVIDERS NEEDED TO TRANSLATE MENTAL HEALTH CONTENT!

Sharing for our colleague Naima Johnson and the Deaf Mental Health Hub:

Please share this with any Deaf/signing mental health and wellness providers who may want to volunteer for this powerful, community-led project.

We’re building something intentional — a centralized, accessible Deaf Mental Health Hub.

From July 15 to August 15, we’re inviting providers to help us translate written content into ASL for our new website.

- Flexible and remote
- Deaf-led team
- Scripts already done — we just need your presence.

Let’s create something healing, together.
Email: deafmentalhealthhub@gmail.com




VD: Naima is wearing a black shirt with black pants, has her hair down, and is sitting in a chair against a grey-colored wall.

Transcript:
[Hi.
We’re building something powerful for the Deaf community.
Deaf Mental Health Hub is launching a new website — and we want every resource to be accessible in ASL.
We’re looking for Deaf and signing mental health and wellness providers to help us bring our written content to life.
Scripts? Already done.
We just need you — your hands, your heart, your presence.
This is a community-led project.
Flexible. Remote.
July 15 to August 15 — you choose when to record.
You’ll be:
— Translating scripts into ASL
— Helping make mental health content fully accessible
— Collaborating with a Deaf-led team
You can even share your own affirming message or tool in ASL if you want.
Let’s create a platform rooted in healing, language access, and Deaf-centered care.]

07/21/2025

DEAF & SOBER CURIOUS?

This study may be for you!

WHO CAN JOIN?
- Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, or Hard of Hearing
- Fluent in ASL
- 18 years and older
- Alcohol use in the past month
- Trauma-related stress in the past month

POSSIBLE BENEFITS MAY INCLUDE:
- 12 virtual counseling sessions at no cost
- Learning skills to manage trauma and addiction
- Earning up to $500 for completing 5 online surveys throughout the course of the study

INTERESTED? Contact signsofsafety@umassmed.edu

07/18/2025

FRIDAY FACT

So…How Do We Define Addiction?

Addiction isn’t just about “bad choices” or “lack of willpower”—it’s a diagnosable condition that changes how the brain works.

👩🏽‍⚕️ The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) calls addiction a "chronic relapsing brain disorder"—meaning it affects the brain’s reward system, stress response, and self-control.

�📖 The American Psychiatric Association (APA) defines it as a "physical or psychological dependence"—on substances or behaviors like gambling.

Why does this matter? Because these definitions shift the conversation from blame to understanding. From punishment to support. From isolation to hope.

That’s why using tools like the Signs of Safety approach matters—it allows us to look at what’s working, what’s not, and what safety and healing can look like for Deaf people navigating addiction and recovery.

💬 Stay tuned—more in this series coming soon from your friendly, neighborhood DeafYES Deaf Community Advisor!

�📌 Save this�
🔁 Share to spread awareness�
📲 Want to be part of DeafYES research? Message us!

Visual Description: [A woman with long, wavy, strawberry-blonde hair is seated indoors against a light-colored wall with minimal decor. She is wearing a coral short-sleeve V-neck shirt. Her facial expression appears focused as she signs. She has fair skin and is wearing no visible makeup. A framed botanical artwork hangs on the wall to the right, and a leafy plant is visible to the left.]

English Transcript:
[How do organizations define addiction? The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) defines addiction as a chronic relapsing disorder with compulsive behaviors despite negative consequences. The NIDA considers it a brain disorder because it involves changes to the reward, self-control, and stress part of the brain. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) defines addiction as physiological or psychological dependence on substances, such as alcohol or drugs, or certain behaviors, such as gambling.]

07/17/2025

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Can't believe it has been SIX YEARS since we said goodbye to DeafYES intern Emily Alberts as she headed to the Clinical Psychology Program at Gallaudet University!

And, in a blink of an eye, now she's a Graduate Psychologist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Amazing!!! We're so proud of you, Emily!

Emily Ann Bramande, you were a CHAMP intern and we will miss you here at DeafYES!

Good luck in the Gallaudet University Clinical Psychology Program next year!