|
MONTGOMERY – Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation Commissioner Kathy E. Sawyer today announced the
appointment of Stephen H. Hamerdinger as Director of the new
Office of Deaf Services. Hamerdinger is among the leading
experts in his field in the United States. Under his
direction, the new office will work to improve the
accessibility and effectiveness of services for mental
health consumers who are also deaf or hard-of-hearing.
There are an estimated 11,000 people in Alabama who are deaf
or hard-of-hearing who receive mental health services.
Traditionally, mental health providers have had little or no
training in communicating with persons who are deaf. The
lack of communication skills makes diagnosis and treatment
difficult. Under the direction of Mr. Hamerdinger, the new
Office of Deaf Services will provide technical assistance
and support to other DMH/MR divisions and community
providers in the development of services that meet the needs
of consumers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Prior to joining the Alabama Department of Mental Health,
Mr. Hamerdinger served as the Director of Deaf Services for
the State of Missouri. In that capacity, he was responsible
for assuring that people with hearing loss or limited
English proficiency had access to appropriate mental health
services. Hamerdinger has also held appointive board
positions in three states and has worked as a consultant for
the National Association of State Mental Health Directors.
Mr. Hamerdinger is also a nationally celebrated lecturer
and author. He served as a psychological counselor at the
New Mexico School for the Deaf and taught Sign Language/Deaf
Culture at the Kansas Community College in Kansas City,
Kansas.
Hamerdinger earned his undergraduate degree in Pastoral
Theology from Temple Deaf College and a Master’s degree in
Counseling of the Hearing Imapaired from Gallaudet
University.
|
