CFC/UNITED WAY #8164

Our Mission

In 1972, the National Health Care Foundation for the Deaf--doing business as Deaf-REACH-- was founded as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization within the District of Columbia. Our mission is to maximize the self-sufficiency of deaf adults needing special services by providing Referral, Education, Advocacy, Counseling, and Housing.

Our Services

Referral to the appropriate community resources. Case managers function as liaisons between members and area service providers.

Education on immediate issues, such as communicating through an interpreter, planning a budget, problem solving, and the handling of prescription treatment plans.

Advocacy on behalf of clients who need help getting to doctors' appointments, writing letters to service providers, or expressing personal concerns to agency staff and members.

Counseling that is supportive in nature for individuals, couples, and groups.

Housing for clients referred by either a hospital or the community. Case managers assess need and place members in group homes or apartments with supervision that varies from 24 hours per day to occasional drop-in support.

Our Philosophy

The psychosocial rehabilitation approach, utilized by all Deaf-REACH programs, provides the solid foundation to members' success. Participants are actively involved in establishing the format and level of highly individualized service delivery that they receive. The concept, which has achieved national acclaim, involves teaching members necessary life skills, thus minimizing the need for assistance from a service professional. This self-empowerment is part of what distinguishes the approach at Deaf-REACH.

Our History

In 1967, at an ecumenical retreat at Claggett Conference Center near Frederick, Maryland, a scheduled speaker failed to appear. That one event, improbable as it may seem, began a chain reaction that culminated in the establishment of the National Health Care Foundation for the Deaf. The substitution for that speaker was a round-table discussion of how churches for the deaf could maximize the effectiveness of their community outreach. When it was mentioned that deaf patients at St. Elizabeths Hospital (for mentally ill persons) were neglected and isolated, one of the retreat participants proposed monthly socials at St. Elizabeths for deaf patients.

As it turned out, this was much easier said than done. Over 30 deaf patients were housed randomly throughout the hospital complex. Fortunately, the head of St. Elizabeths Hospital at that time recognized the problem this isolation created and established the Mental Health Program for the Deaf (MHPD), moving all of the deaf patients into one building.

As treatment for the deaf patients progressed, it soon became obvious to the leader of this new unit that there would be a need for a group home where people released from the hospital could live while adjusting to life in the community.

In March of 1972, the National Health Care Foundation for the Deaf, Inc.--now doing business as Deaf-REACH--was founded as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization within the District of Columbia. Deaf-REACH's continuum of housing services began in October 1973 with the establishment of the first nationally recognized, model home for mentally ill deaf persons. Through the years, another group home was added -- CHHI (Community Housing for the Hearing Impaired) House as well as several apartment units in the community. In addition to specialized housing, Deaf-REACH now offers a psycho-social clubhouse, a walk-in community service center, and an independent living skills program. As an affiliate of the Helen Keller National Institute, Deaf-REACH integrates deaf-blind services into all our programming.

The steady growth of Deaf-REACH has continued and forced us to seek larger quarters in which to house our Community Service Center and administrative offices. In January 1991, newly renovated offices, located in the heart of Northeast Washington's Brookland community, were enthusiastically occupied.

Deaf-REACH Board of Directors

Rudy Gawlik, President
Peter Goodman, Vice-President
Mary Jane Tyler, Secretary
Kevin Cain, Treasurer
Janet Bailey
Marquessa Brown
Bo Byun
Emila Chukwuma
Nefertiti Fellows
Matthew Keiser
Donna Kochendorfer
Deborah Metzger
Janice Rosen
Barbara White