The Deaf Society of NSW estimates that the Deaf community in NSW has rates of mental illness comparable to the wider hearing community. 

NSW provides specialist public multicultural health services but unlike public health in Queensland and Victoria, NSW Health has no guidelines for providing services to Deaf people and has no specialist adult mental health services for Deaf people. 

Mental health and psychiatric services for children can be accessed at Westmead Children’s Hospital.

The Deaf Society’s support for Deaf people with Mental Health needs
The Deaf Society of NSW is aware from our own work and referrals that there is a significant need for a linguistically and culturally appropriate mental health service for the Deaf community.

In the absence of such a service, the Deaf Society offers:

• education, information and collaboration with mental health service providers on planning and delivering services to Deaf people in in-patient units and community settings. 
• up to 4 appointments of limited supportive counselling at our Parramatta office to Deaf individuals and individuals adjusting to deafness.
• information and advice to government and non-government agencies on delivering counselling services to Deaf people and their families as well as on working effectively with interpreters.

Critical needs in Deaf mental health service provision in NSW
The main barriers Deaf people face in accessing mental health services are those of language and culture and in particular the provision of Auslan interpreting services. Few mental health services are aware of the issues relating to people with a mental illness who are Deaf and this has serious implications for diagnosis, care and treatment.

There are several critical needs in the area of mental health for Deaf people in NSW. In brief:

• awareness of the need for services to use accredited Auslan interpreters
• establishment of a Deaf specific mental health service supporting general mental health services
• adoption of nationally consistent guidelines for the delivery of mental health services to Deaf people

Appropriate guidelines for service provision
State Health Departments in Queensland and Victoria have already adopted guidelines for mental health services on working with Deaf or hearing impaired people in their states:

• Queensland Health: “Princess Alexandra Hospital, Health Service District Deafness and Mental Health Guidelines for working with persons who are Deaf or hearing impaired”     
• Victorian Department of Human Services, Aged, Community and Mental Health Division “Guidelines for Mental Health Services working with people who are Deaf or hard of hearing”

The Deaf Society of NSW endorses these guidelines and will continue to lobby to have these also adopted by the NSW Health Department.

Support Organisations
The following organisations provide support services for people with Mental Health needs:

• Schizophrenia Fellowship
• Mental Health Association NSW
• The Children’s Hospital Deafness Centre 

It is also important to know:

• how to contact key Deaf specific support agencies – you can contact the Deaf Society to find out more or see our links to Deaf service groups and other agencies that support deaf people
• how to book accredited Auslan interpreters