Well Being Program (WBP)- Who are we?
Submitted by: Susan Chernoff, MSW RSW

Since its inception in 1991, the WBP has successfully provided a wide range of mental services to Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing consumers in the province of British Columbia. WBP is a government funded service, under the auspices of the Vancouver Community Mental Health Services within the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. The program also works in partnership with various community service providers.

WBP works with consumers in a variety of ways to improve their lives and manage the risks associated with mental illness and dysfunction. Our consumers are very diverse in terms of their age, education, personal histories, socio economic situations, ethnicity, health, family backgrounds, and so on. WBP services strive to be linguistically and culturally accessible and sensitive to the diversity of hearing loss patterns, modes of communication, and experiences within the Deaf community & the hearing mainstream. Requests for services come in from many areas of the province and the distribution of and access to mental health services varies widely.

The WBP has four main tracks of service delivery, 1. psychotherapy for individuals, families, and groups, 2. community support work, 3. community education and 4. mental health interpreting. All services are confidential and are free of charge. To access the services, clients contact the program's intake worker and go through the intake process. Our current intake worker until April 2004 is Howard Zatwarnitski.

WBP has on-site staff registered therapist, Susan Chernoff - her main focus is working with families and children. Susan graduated with a Master of Social Work from Gallaudet University. Her work has been influenced by integrative psychotherapy, family systems, feminist theory, and expressive therapeutic models. Susan works with a wide range of issues including hearing loss, grief, depression, behaviours, sexual abuse, identity, self-esteem, and parent-child relationship. We also have 33 contracted therapists across the province; they are registered psychologists, clinical social workers, and clinical counsellors. Psychological assessments are provided when needed.

Patti Dobie & Marjorie Cameron both provide support for adults that includes life skills development, advocacy, community liaison and supportive counselling. They work with consumers to access services and social support and assist them with literacy barriers (i.e. financial forms, legal documents).

WBP is committed to providing a continuum of mental health services of the highest quality, which is reflected in the results of the recent client satisfaction survey. Copies of the client satisfaction survey are available at the WBP. Please visit our website for more information: www.vch.ca/wbp/.

Upcoming Events:
Dealing with a teenagers is always a challenge. This February, WBP and PSDHH are collaborating on an innovative project, "Connect, Connect" for hearing parents of deaf & hard of hearing teenagers. See advertisement for details.

Our community education specialist, Lisa Anderson, is hard at work setting up various workshops and support groups throughout BC. including Deaf Parent Support groups for children ages 0 - 5 and 6 - 12. Please contact Lisa at the WBP for more information.

Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing & Deaf-Blind Well-Being Program
#200 - 1070 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6H 1E7
(604) 732-7656 voice
(604) 732-7549 TTY
(604) 732-5042 fax
wbp@vrhb.bc.ca