Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) Mental Health Program
What is the Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) Mental Health Program?
The Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) Mental Health Program provides mental health services for children, teens and young adults who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing and their families. Our team can assess your child’s mental health and provide care that meets their communication and cultural needs. We will support your family and work with you to help your child be successful.
Services We Provide
Our DHH specialists can help with a wide range of concerns related to your child’s development, emotions and behavior at home or school.
Services we provide include:
- Evaluations to make a diagnosis
- Individual and family therapy
- Care coordination with schools and other education and community providers
- Support and skills groups for DHH middle and high school students
- Behavior management counseling and parent education
- Referral for a psychiatric medicine consultation
All our services are provided by telehealth (video).
What kind of patients are treated by the DHH Mental Health Program?
We work with DHH children, teens and young adults until they complete high school (up to age 21). The needs and concerns of the families we serve may be minor or complex. Hearing children with a family member who is DHH are also eligible for our services.
To understand the best ways to care for your child, we take into account many factors, including:
- Their hearing level
- Their access to language and the way they perceive, understand and use language (language acquisition)
- Their school setting (educational placement)
- Other aspects of their life and who they are
Scheduling an Appointment With the DHH Mental Health Program
- If you would like a referral to the DHH Mental Health Program, talk to your child’s primary care provider, audiologist, speech pathologist or other healthcare provider. Teachers and counselors can also make referrals to the DHH Mental Health Program.
- How to schedule an appointment at Seattle Children’s.
- If you already have an appointment, learn more about telehealth (virtual) visits.
- Learn about Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine resources, such as useful links, videos and recommended reading for you and your family.
Who’s on the team?
The clinical staff in our DHH Mental Health Program are part of Seattle Children’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine team.
- We are licensed professionals with backgrounds in mental health counseling, educational psychology and child psychology.
- We are fluent in many forms of sign language (ASL, SEE, PSE, MCE) and can communicate with your child, whether they use sign language or spoken language.
- We have in-depth training in child development and working with DHH young people and their families.
- We understand the linguistic, cultural, psychological and educational aspects of deafness.
Based on each child’s needs, we work closely with experts from other areas of Seattle Children’s, like Audiology, Speech and Language Services, Neurodevelopmental Program, Autism Center and others.
Licensed mental health counselors
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Ashlee Marie Nollette, LMHC, MS
Resources for Patients and Families
- American Society for Deaf Children
- Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth
- Deaf/Hard of Hearing Mental Health Program: Treatment, Referrals and Insurance Coverage (PDF) (Spanish)
- Hearing, Speech & Deaf Center
- Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Washington State Department of Social and Health Services)
- Thriving Together: Fostering Deaf/Hard of Hearing Children’s Well Being (Video) (Full version) (Condensed version). Both versions include sign language as well as Spanish-language voiceover and English-language subtitles.
- Washington State Hands & Voices
Contact Us
For more information, contact the DHH Mental Health Program at 206-884-8099 (spoken English) or 360-562-0977 (videophone) or email us. If you would like an appointment, ask your child’s primary care provider or other healthcare provider for a referral.
Providers, see how to refer a patient.
Telemedicine at Seattle Children’s
You may be offered a telehealth (virtual) appointment. Learn more.
Paying for Care
Learn about paying for care at Seattle Children’s, including insurance coverage, billing and financial assistance.
Learn about mental health insurance coverage at Seattle Children’s.
In crisis?
If you, your child, family or friend needs help right away, call, chat or text 988. The free and confidential 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States to provide support for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing people can get help through 988 or the Deaf Crisis Line.
Seattle Children’s Psychiatric Urgent Care offers in-person and video visits for same-day mental health support for children and teens ages 4 through 17 who may not need the services of an emergency department.
Hotlines for Youth (PDF) provides other options for immediate help for children and teens. (Also available in Amharic, Arabic, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.)