Stephanie Mathis

Stephanie Mathis, a Southern Californian native, is the executive director of Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf (SLCAD) in Salt Lake City, Utah. She worked for SLCAD for almost 3 1/2 years as the Program Director and is now looking forward to new challenges and opportunities as the Executive Director! She graduated from Gallaudet University with a BA in Psychology and a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling. In the past 4 years of working as the program director, most of her job included training service providers such as law enforcement agencies, mental health counselors, lawyers, and domestic violence shelter staff to provide accessible and effective services to Deaf survivors of abuse. Stephanie has passionately developed several training curriculums such as “12 steps of Self-Esteem”, “Provider Empowerment Training”, “Interpreting effectively in DV/SA Settings” and “Discovering the Power of Collective Legal Advocacy”.  She has two other passions: her family of 3 boys and one girl and a loving husband and dancing. She danced for the Gallaudet Dance Company for 12 years. A phrase that symbolizes Stephanie's outlook on life is found in a song by Leeann Womack "When you have the choice to sit it out or.....dance?  I hope you DANCE!"

Victim Advocacy: Using the EmPOWERment Model Through Language.

Coming from the perspective that domestic and sexual violence is "embedded within a social and historical context", it is important that we address this today through education, advocacy and EMPOWERMENT in the Deaf community. When we use inappropriate signs or vocabulary when working with Deaf victims and survivors, we have the potential to "re-traumatize" them. The goal is to minimize trauma and restore power to the Deaf survivors by learning how to effectively implement the empowerment model. This interactive presentation will encourage participants to take a new look at the meaning of "EMPOWERMENT" as well as learning how to utilize the empowerment model when working with Deaf survivors of abuse through discussion and role plays.