Pumpkin lattes in the fall, peppermint in winter—if Maria D’s favorite coffee drinks have taught her one thing, it’s that life is here to be enjoyed.
Finding pleasure in the ordinary is easier for Maria now that pandemic restrictions have lifted. She hopes things will stay this way. No longer isolated at home like she was last year, she’s returned to Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts with friends for her go-to coffee drink: caramel iced or hot. With so many coffees to choose from, how does she decide?
“It depends on the weather,” she said, “and my mood.”
Maria’s mood has been especially good since she started her new job at Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC). The first Deaf or Hard of Hearing recovery support specialist ever certified in Connecticut—and at age 28, one of the youngest—she is providing recovery support for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and hearing clients alike. Recovery support, also known a peer support, is a field within mental health services in which people with their own histories of mental health challenges help others recover, achieve wellness and connection, and advocate for themselves and their communities.
Like many deaf people, Maria has experienced firsthand the complexities of language learning. She has been deaf since she was a baby and learned American Sign Language (ASL) at the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, Connecticut. Spanish is the first language within her home, but Maria doesn’t speak Spanish and her family’s ASL is limited. She speaks English well and is able to hear using the Baha hearing device she got when she was a teenager. When relatives speak Spanish, however, she can’t understand them.
“In the deaf community, there are many deaf people who are getting services because they’re isolated by their families and others. They are angry at them, frustrated, have depression or anxiety or whatever they have,” she explained, noting that she’s learned a lot about mental health from Melissa Dennis, the therapist at CMHC who provides clinical care for Deaf and Hard of Hearing clients. “A lot of times you will find a lot of families don’t want to learn sign language,” she added.
Fluent in sign language, Maria also treasures her Baha which blocks backgrounds noises and enables her to hear music, carry on conversations, and generally enjoy her life in stereo. Musicians on her headset include Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Demi Lovato, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis. “I listen to Spanish music as well,” she noted, “I don’t really have a favorite.”
Maria still works with sign language interpreters to help her when hearing is more challenging—for example, with a hearing client whose accent she can’t easily understand. As they get to know Maria, hearing clients at CMHC are not only receiving recovery support but also learning about what it’s like to be deaf.
It's important not to treat people like they have a disability.
Maria D.
“They ask me questions like, ‘How did you learn sign language? How do you hear so well?’ I listen to whatever they want to say and give them resources,” she said. “I’m here for them.”
In addition to meeting people one-on-one, she co-leads the American Sign Language group, Tech Group, and Women’s Group with her fellow recovery support specialists. Maria treasures her peer support colleagues and is thrilled to have a job where she’s treated as an equal, not as a disabled person.
“I’m happy with them and they’re happy with me,” she said, “because at the same time, we’re learning from each other. We help each other out. I feel that, for me, they don’t look at me like I’m a different person—meaning, 'Oh, she’s disabled, besides mental health, she’s deaf and has these issues.’ They don’t look at me that way. We communicate and work as a team. That’s how I like it.”
In addition to working at CMHC, Maria volunteers at the Deaf Wellness & Recreation Center in Wallingford, Connecticut, a day program for adults. “I work one-on-one with them,” she explained. “I help them with activities, cut their food for them, serve coffee. Once a month, they have a guest speaker and soon I’ll be a guest speaker telling people about peer support and recovery.”
Maria is excited to serve as an advocate for others, especially as the public’s interest in mental health seems to be growing. Her advice for the parents of deaf children?
“Start learning sign language,” Maria said without hesitation. “And teach them sign language at a young age, because they pick it up very quickly when they are little.”
“To protect their mental health, parents can teach their deaf children how to socialize,” she continued, “and give them coping skills. Everyone’s different. It’s important not to treat people like they have a disability.”