Resilience in the face of trauma is an important yet elusive construct in human development. While there are prevalent data suggesting high rates of trauma among deaf individuals, valuable insight on how resilience evolves among deaf individuals within the context of trauma has yet to be explored sufficiently. This study explored the concept of resilience through semi-structured interviews with a total of 19 experienced mental health providers. Using an applied thematic analysis approach, the following five themes were identified as crucial protective factors in resilience processes: individual assets, identity development, access to language and communication, access to information, and supportive networks. Findings both confirm previous findings about resilience as well as identify unique protective factors for deaf individuals with trauma. The discussion explores those protective factors and their role as resources for social services professionals and deaf individuals in efforts to support resilience.

Social skills are a vehicle by which individuals negotiate important relationships. The present article presents historical data on how social skills in deaf students were conceptualized and studied empirically during the period 1990-2015. Using a structured literature review approach, the researchers coded 266 articles for theoretical frameworks used and constructs studied. The vast majority of articles did not explicitly align with a specific theoretical framework. Of the 37 that did, most focused on socioemotional and cognitive frameworks, while a minority drew from frameworks focusing on attitudes, developmental theories, or ecological systems theory. In addition, 315 social-skill constructs were coded across the data set; the majority focused on socioemotional functioning. Trends in findings across the past quarter century and implications for research and practice are examined.

Vocational Rehabilitation counselors (VRCs) serve a diverse disability consumer population that varies with respect to background, skills, and criteria that qualify them for career placement services. The effectiveness of services the VRCs provide depend on the ecological factors present within two interdependent ecological systems: that of the VRCs and that of the consumer. Utilizing a grounded theory approach, the purpose of this study was to investigate how VR professionals tailor or adapt the way they work with these systems to improve employment outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) consumers. Analyses of interview data revealed challenges and adaptations at both individual and systemic levels, including need to develop strategies to increase communication access, manage resource scarcity, and facilitate effective collaboration with multiple organizations. Emergent themes from the analyses, including proposed dual systems approach to understanding VR services for DHH individuals, are discussed with implications for practice.

No abstract