2026 Michigan Walk4Hearing
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WEBINAR—Breaking the Silence: Hearing Loss, Mental Health and Substance Use
May 14 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT
Free
Breaking the Silence: Hearing Loss, Mental Health and Substance Use
Date: Wednesday, May 14
Time: 2 p.m. ET
May is Better Hearing and Speech Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. Jump into both topics with us, as our expert panelists explore the intersection of hearing loss, mental health and substance use. This webinar will examine how stigma may prevent people with hearing loss from protecting or treating their mental health. You’ll learn how isolation may heighten mental health challenges and substance misuse, and where people can look for help. Through the presentation of lived experiences and research data, we will encourage participants to engage each other and presenters in constructive conversations about the overlap of these complex issues. The session will spark important conversations that can continue in the future, and attendees will leave with practical, empowering strategies grounded in lived experience and data.
See panelist information below. This complimentary online event is open to the public, live captioned and recorded. The recording will be available on our website after the webinar. Register at the orange link above. NOTE: Live attendance for HLAA webinars is capped at 500 participants.
Panelists:
Kristel Scoresby, Ph.D., LCSW, MSW
Kristel Scoresby is an assistant professor in the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky. Her research focuses on 1) integrating social work into hearing healthcare to address the mental health of people with hearing loss and 2) advancing accessibility in clinical, educational and professional spaces for people with disabilities. She lost her hearing between the ages of 4-30 through progressive nerve deafness and is bimodal with both a cochlear implant and a hearing aid.
Michelle Niehaus, LCSW, MSW
Michelle Niehaus is the program administrator for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services at the Kentucky Division for Behavioral Health. She works within state government, with the private sector and in partnership with community organizations to develop and sustain accessible and equitable behavioral health services. A graduate of Indiana and Washington Universities, she is also a 2024 alumnus of the Equity Changemakers Institute. Michelle believes that collaborating to identify and implement community-driven solutions is the key to lasting change.
Helpful Tips
- Zoom. The webinar will be held on Zoom. After registering, the Zoom meeting link will be emailed to you. Please save your email and make sure to check your spam or junk folder if you have not received the meeting link.
- Use a computer. If possible, attend the webinar on a computer rather than via a smart phone or iPad. This will give you the best layout to view the captions, as well as other meeting features.
- Install or update Zoom. Make sure you have Zoom installed.
- Captions. All HLAA webinars are free with live captions available.
- Check your time zone. This meeting will take place live at 2 p.m. ET, 1 p.m. CT, 12 p.m. MT and 11 a.m. PT. If you are in a different time zone, please adjust the time so you do not miss the meeting.
NOTE: HLAA does not offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for participation in our webinars.
Questions? Feel free to email us at webinars@hearingloss.org.