Signs of Safety: a Deaf-accessible therapy toolkit for alcohol use and trauma
Evaluating Signs of Safety: A Deaf-Accessible Therapy Toolkit for AUD and Trauma
This project offers a Deaf-accessible version of Seeking Safety therapy using ASL videos and visual materials to help Deaf adults who struggle with alcohol and trauma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11142537 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll receive Seeking Safety therapy adapted with the Signs of Safety toolkit, which uses ASL-recorded teaching stories, visual handouts, and a therapist guide made for Deaf clients. The study is the first full-scale psychotherapy trial conducted in the U.S. Deaf community and was developed in partnership with a Deaf-owned agency and Deaf clinicians. The team built the materials with extensive community input and pilot-tested them before moving to this larger trial. Participants will be Deaf adults with alcohol-related problems and trauma histories who will help the researchers measure how well the toolkit works and how easy it is to use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are Deaf adults who use American Sign Language and have alcohol use problems and a history of trauma or PTSD symptoms.
Not a fit: People who are not Deaf, do not use ASL, or do not have alcohol- or trauma-related concerns are unlikely to benefit from this trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make an evidence-based therapy accessible and effective for Deaf adults with alcohol use disorder and trauma.
How similar studies have performed: The underlying Seeking Safety therapy is effective in hearing populations, and early pilot work of the Deaf-adapted Signs of Safety toolkit showed promising results, but a large-scale trial is new.
Where this research is happening
Worcester, United States
- Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester — Worcester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Anderson, Melissa Lee — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Anderson, Melissa Lee
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.