Glossary of Relevant DMHAS DHOH Terms
Culturally and Linguistically Affirmative Services: “Culturally and linguistically affirmative mental health and substance use services” means the provision of the full continuum of mental health/substance use services to deaf or hard of hearing individual through appropriately licensed mental health professionals fluent in the primary communication mode, style, and language as well as the cultural needs of the individual requiring such services. These services are provided directly between the individual being served and the service provider. Such services are to be distinguished from “accessible mental health and substance use services” which involves the use of interpreters or other auxiliary aids and services that provide access to mental health and substance use services.
Accessible Mental Health and Substance Use Services: means the provision of the full continuum of mental health and substance use services with the use of auxiliary aids and services for a deaf or hard of hearing individual to communicate with appropriately licensed mental health professionals who are not fluent in the primary mode, style, or language of the individual requiring such services. Such auxiliary aids and services include but are not limited to qualified interpreters (utilizing whichever language or mode used by the individual in need such as ASL, Signed English, Cued Speech, or oral); Certified Deaf Interpreters, written communication, assistive listening devices.
Legal Requirements: “People who are Deaf, Deaf-Blind, or Hard of Hearing are entitled to effective communication with state and local government agencies. Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§12131-12134, forbids discrimination by any public entity.”
Americans with Disabilities Act: “Under the ADA, local and state agencies are required to give equal access and equally effective services to people with disabilities. 28 C.F.R. 35.130. They may not deny people an opportunity to participate in their programs, or give them an opportunity that is less effective than the opportunity given to others.”
The ADA places the responsibility for providing effective communication, including the use of interpreters, directly on covered entities (DMHAS and its state-operated facilities). The department and its state-operated facilities cannot require a person to bring someone to interpret for him or her. Qualified interpreting services must be provided at no cost to DMHAS clients/or their companions.
Qualified Interpreting Services: DMHAS contracts with multiple DHOH Contractors for interpreting Services. These services are arranged through DMHAS state-operated facilities and other DMHAS services at no cost to DMHAS clients/or companions.
Companions: The term “companion” includes any family member, friend, or associate of a person seeking or receiving DMHAS’ goods or services who is an appropriate person with whom the DMHAS or its state-operated facility should communicate.
Communication Mode, Style, and Language: DMHAS or its state-operated facilities offer one or more of the following interpreting services: Certified Deaf Interpreting (CDI), Tactile, Pro-Tactile & Haptics Interpreting, Low Vision Interpreting, Communication Access Real-time Translations (CART), Signed English Interpreting, Foreign Sign Language Interpreting, Oral Interpreting, Remote Captions, Cued Speech, Video Remote Interpreting (VRI).