Deafness and Mental Health

• Deafness and Mental Health
• Consultant Service
• Indigenous Deafness and Mental Health
  • Workshops
  • Resources
• Deafness and Mental Health Guidelines
• Fact Sheets
• Newsletters
• Resources and Links
• Mental Health and Deafness World Congress 2009
• PAH Home

State-wide Consultation Service for Consumers who are Deaf or Hearing Impaired

Auslan translation of this page

This innovative State-wide Consultation Service offers consultations to adults who are Deaf or hearing impaired and experience a mental illness, face to face or via video conference.

When a person attends a consultation they work with a psychiatrist who is not only knowledgeable about a wide range of mental health treatment options but also:

• the different types of hearing loss and how they may impact upon a person's lifestyle,
• communication techniques often used by Deaf and hearing impaired people,
• Deaf culture,
• how the signs and symptoms of a mental illness may be experienced differently by a person who has a hearing loss, as well as
• how to work effectively with a sign language interpreter.

Consultations focus upon:

• being sensitive to a person's unique communication and mental health needs,
• assessing their current mental health and treatment,
• discussing alternative treatment options,
• incorporating alternatives into an existing care plan.

The new care plan is then implemented by the person's existing mental health care provider.

Ongoing care is not provided as the Service is a tertiary referral service only, however reviews can be carried out as they are required.

Mental health care providers are also able to access this Service in order to obtain support and additional resources to assist them to provide appropriate care to people who are Deaf or hearing impaired.

This State-wide Consultation Service has been developed in partnership with the Deaf Services Queensland , the Australian Communication Exchange , consumers and other service providers who work with people who are Deaf or hearing impaired.

To obtain further information or a referral kit please contact the Service:

Phone: (07) 3167 8430

TTY: (07) 3167 8488

Fax: (07) 3167 8377

Mob: 0416 191 883

Email: Dianne_briffa@health.qld.gov.au

top of page

Auslan Translation

Download WMV file [WMV, 4.46MB]

top of page