Irish President Mary McAleese today (Tuesday 3rd October 2006) launches the first-ever All Ireland Mental Health and Deafness Service to support deaf and hard of hearing people with mental health problems on both sides of the border.

Back:
Niall Keane (NAD), Stephen Browne, Tony Leahy (Health Service Executive) Brian Symington (RNID) David Russell (Chair of the Eastern Board NI) Colin Wilmont (South & East Belfast Trust).
Front:
Joyce Mc Kee (Eastern Board, Northern Ireland) Sandra O’Brien (NAD) Dr Margaret du Feu, President Mary McAleese, Dr Martin McAleese, Minister Paul Goggins NI

The ground-breaking new initiative, developed by the National Association for Deaf People (NAD) and the Northern Ireland Forum on Mental Health and Deafness, is offering an assessment and treatment service for deaf people in both the North and the Republic. Dr Margaret du Feu, a consultant psychiatrist, who is deaf herself, will be delivering the much-needed service and will be assisted in the South of Ireland by Stephen Browne, a specialist community psychiatric nurse for deaf people.

President Mary McAleese in welcoming the initiative said, “The service we are launching today is the result of much hard work and effort and determination by a group of very dedicated people, both in Northern Ireland ands here in the South, committed to the provision of a service of excellence for those doubly disabled by deafness and mental illness. It is extremely heartening to see organisations, North and South working so well together to help those who are so greatly in need of that help’.

Brian Symington, Director of RNID NI, the charity representing the 219,000 deaf and hard of hearing people in Northern Ireland, and member of the NI Forum on Mental Health and Deafness says: “We’re delighted to see the establishment of a dedicated mental health service for deaf and hard of hearing people throughout Ireland. We have recognised the importance of partnership working and the need to effectively maximise scarce resources to benefit deaf people. The issues facing deaf people both in the North and South are similar, and so too are the solutions. The involvement of deaf people and users of the service, with planners, service providers and policy makers is essential in developing a mental health service that will gain the confidence, trust and support of the deaf community.”

Niall Keane (NAD), Brian Symington (RNID), President Mary McAleese, Dr. Martin McAleese

Niall Keane, Chief Executive of NAD says: “The introduction of services in the Republic of Ireland has resulted in identifying a major shortfall in mental health provision for deaf people. With skilled professionals in place, sharing knowledge and expertise, this is now being addressed. The number of people benefitting from the service has increased significantly.”

The Department of Health and Social Services and Public Services in Northern Ireland and the Health Service Executive in the Republic of Ireland are funding the All Ireland Mental Health and Deafness Service. In addition to the outreach clinics operating in different towns North and South, delivered by Dr du Feu and Stephen Browne, community services are provided by Social Workers and deaf peer support workers. In Northern Ireland there is also a specialist Residential Unit providing services for deaf people with mental health issues and additional needs run by RNID NI in Derry. All services are supported by British and Irish Sign Language interpreters.

In establishing an All Ireland Mental Health and Deafness Service, key elements put in place include: infrastructure, training, information and research, mental health promotion and prevention, and liaison and support for key providers and service planners. Other elements being addressed are an All Ireland Inpatient Service and services for deaf children. Research will be carried out to develop the service further in the future, in order to identify the level and types of referrals of deaf people with mental illness.

Head Office: 35 North Frederick Street, Dublin 1, Ireland.
Tel: +353 (0)1 817 5700 Minicom: +353 (0)1 817 5777 Fax: +353 (0)1 878 3629
Email: info@deafhear.ie Text messages: +353 (0)1 878 3629