Makoto Ikegami

Makoto Ikegami is the Co-Founder of Deaf Access to Quality Life (DAQL). Dr. Ikegami has the desire to deliver culturally and linguistically competent mental health services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing populations and reduce their experiences of communication barriers in the healthcare system. While Dr. Ikegami is involved in the development of DAQL, he is also the ASL Therapist for one of CaringWorks’s residential programs, Hope House, which is a program for men who are seeking recovery from drug and/or alcohol addiction. Dr. Ikegami’s responsibilities at Hope House include assessment, psycho-education, and individual and family psychotherapy for deaf and hard of hearing members. Prior to joining CaringWorks, Dr. Ikegami worked for 8 years at PAHrtners Deaf Services providing case management and outpatient therapy to deaf and hard of hearing people with mental health concerns. Dr. Ikegami received his MSW from Gallaudet University in 2009 and received his DSW from Walden University in 2019. The title of his dissertation was Social Workers’ Experiences with Deaf and Hard of Hearing People with Mental Illness. Dr. Ikegami is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) for the states of Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, and New York. Dr. Ikegami has made a number of presentations related to addiction and mental health and serves as the President Elect for The American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association (ADARA), an Advisory Committee Member for BRIDGES Deaf Advocacy Program: Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (GCADV), and a Founding Board Member for the National Asian Pacific Islander Deaf Coalition (NAPIDC).