A psychiatric program for deaf patients

The following article describes the growing awareness of the need for mental health services for deaf patients, the evolution of a well-defined treatment program and the complexities of implementing a program for the deaf. The initial naivete resulting in misconceptions about program needs are addressed and the attempts to rectify them are presented. Finally, there is a detailed presentation of our first pilot year of functioning and the attendant successes and problems, as well as a description of our first formal year of operation and a critique of our present status.