President

Barry Critchfield
Atlanta, Georgia This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Barry Critchfield is the Director of Deaf Services with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities in Atlanta. Prior to that, he served as the Executive Director of the Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Director of the Office of Deaf Services with the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Previous experience includes 17 years with the South Carolina Department of Mental Health, five years with the California School for the Deaf, Fremont and one year at the Louisiana School for the Deaf. He received his doctorate in Educational Psychology from Brigham Young University in 1982. Other educational experiences include a Masters in Education Administration from CSUN (Leadership Training Program) and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from BYU.

 

President Elect

Michelle Niehaus
Frankfort, Kentucky
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Michelle Niehaus, LCSW is the Program Administrator for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services at the KY Division of Behavioral Health. In that role, she works to expand direct services, enhance the quality of services provided through interpreters, and bridge people to programs that will be linguistically and culturally affirmative. She teaches part time at Eastern KY University in hopes of establishing a certificate in Mental Health and Deaf Services in the near future. Michelle has a certificate in Rehabilitation Counseling with Deaf Adults from Western Oregon University and completed the PET-D program at San Diego State University. She is grateful for ADARA and its members who have been not only mentors but also friends in her professional career and personal life.  

Vice President

Doug Dittfurth
Austin, Texas
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Doug Dittfurth has a BSFA in Habilitation of the Deaf, with minors in Audiology and Learning Disabilities and Master of Education degrees in Psychology and Psychometrics. Growing up with CODAs, one to which his sister married, He has a life-long learning of deafness and hearing loss. He also has over 35 years of teaching, of both deaf/hard of hearing and interpreting students, vocational rehabilitation counseling, administration of a residential vocational and independent living center for consumers who were deaf with other disabling conditions and running an advocacy program at the state office level.

Secretary

Charlene Crump
Montgomery, Alabama
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Charlene Crump, B.S., CI/CT, ASLTA-Q, QMHI, is the statewide Mental Health Interpreter Coordinator for the Office of Deaf Services, Alabama Department of Mental Health. In this capacity, Ms. Crump has been responsible for developing the Mental Health Interpreter Training initiative and developing certification standards that have been adopt been adopted by DMH and Alabama State Code. Charlene is a frequent presenter and consultant at various national and state venues, presenting on mental health interpreting. She created and operates several listservs and moderates a monthly online discussion forum related to current research in mental health and deafness/interpreting through Jacksonville State University’s distance program. She currently serves as President of the Alabama Chapter of the American Sign Language Teacher’s Association (ASLTA). Charlene is a contributor to the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Standard Practice Paper focusing on Mental Health Interpreting and has served on expert focus groups including work with Northeastern University, Boston in establishment of a graduate level certificate program for mental health interpreting.

 

Treasurer

Joseph Batiano
Rochester, New York
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Batiano, Deaf himself, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a National Certified Counselor, is a clinical therapist with over five years of experience with providing therapeutic services ranging from individual, family, and/or group therapy for a variety of Deaf clients. Batiano graduated from Gallaudet University with Master of Arts Degree was obtained in School Counseling with Mental Health Emphasis. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications with Honors. Batiano recently had three articles published titled, "Searching for the 'Ah-Ha! Moment in Counseling", “Can You Hear My Hands? Counseling the Deaf” and “Keeping ADARA Relevant” He travels around the country providing presentations on topics ranging from providing appropriate services for the Deaf or utilizing creative techniques in counseling. Batiano is a member of a variety of associations pertaining to the field of counseling and Deafness. Advocacy for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing is Batiano's passion.

Immediate Past President

Tim Beatty
Dumfries, VA
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Timothy Beatty is currently the Chief of the Independent Living Unit with the Rehabilitation Services Administration which is within the US Department of Education in Washington, DC. Prior to that he was the of the Independent Living and Assistive Technology Section of the California Department of Rehabilitation where he worked for a total of 28 years. His other experiences include being the Statewide Program Manager and Statewide Program Coordinator in the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services Section and Rehabilitation Counselor for the Deaf in the Los Angeles area.

He received his Bachelor's degree in Social Work from the Rochester Institute of Technology and his Masters degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from San Diego State University.

A two-term Treasurer of ADARA before becoming President-Elect and then President, he has been active in leadership and board roles for community agencies, organizations, and colleges and served as an officer on many of them.

At-Large Board Member

Shawn Saladin
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At-Large Board Member

Amanda OHearn
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At-Large Board Member

Marcus Maddux
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Office Manager

Sherri Fleishell
Myersville, Maryland
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JADARA Journal Editor

David Feldman
Miami Shores, Florida
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ADARA Webmaster

Paul May
Columbia, South Carolina
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ADARA Update Editor

Steve Hamerdinger
Montgomery, Alabama
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CRCC Liaison

Shawn Saladin
Edinburgh, Texas
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DHHCAN Representative

Al Sonnenstrahl
Washington, DC
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