Deafness and mental health — Key resources available for health professionals
Attend the Working with Complexity in Deafness and Mental Health workshop
The Deafness and Mental Health Statewide Consultation and Liaison Service's Working with Complexity in Deafness and Mental Health is an all-day online clinical workshop on Tuesday 26 November 2024.
The workshop is aimed at mental health professionals including psychiatrists, psychiatry registrars, psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers, nurses and peer support workers.
Register for the workshop before Tuesday 19 November 2024.
Prerequisite training is free and includes the Deafness and Mental Health Introduction and Deafness and Mental Health Intermediate modules accessible via iLearn.
Further Deafness and mental health education and training for health workers
The Deafness and Mental Health Statewide Consultation and Liaison Service offers online training modules, in-services and face-to-face workshops designed to build healthcare professionals’ skills in supporting Deaf individuals effectively.
Training modules are free for health professionals and are accessible online.
Access the Deafness and mental health education and training.
Mental health services are available for your Deaf patients
Queensland Health’s Deafness and Mental Health Statewide Consultation and Liaison Service is a government-funded service dedicated to helping Deaf and hard of hearing individuals access mental health care.
Learn more about the available services and referral information: www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/referrals/statewide-specialist-services/deafness-and-mental-health
National Sign Language Program (NSLP)
In Australia, many Deaf people are bilingual (or trilingual), with proficiency in Auslan (Australian Sign Language) as well as English. In most cases, Auslan will be their primary language, allowing for fully accessible communication. [1]
The National Sign Language Program (NSLP) is an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. The program offers free sign language interpreting and live captioning services for Deaf seniors who are not part of the NDIS. This nation-wide service, administered by Deaf Connect, provides a free interpreting service for essential appointments such as medical appointments.
For more details, visit the Deaf Connect website.
Article sources
[1] Hodge, G., Murray, L., Thornton, D., & Blyth, J. (2024, April 10). Understanding Auslan signers through the 2022 Deaf Census. 2022 Deaf Census Report.