Are you interested in working as a counsellor with deaf people? Now you can train to be a qualified counsellor in British Sign Language (BSL). Inter-Psyche are a counselling and psychotherapy training centre based at the Kent and Medway NHS that trains students to British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) accredited diploma standard. Inter-Psyche are offering two courses delivered in BSL:

 

• 1 Year Certificate in Counselling Skills, starting in October 2008

• 2 Year Diploma in Integrative Counselling, starting in October 2009

 

If you would like to meet the tutors and other people involved in the course, please come to one of the Information Days.  We can tell you more about the course, and offer support to complete the application forms if you need it. Our information days will be at

 

• Newcastle Deaf Centre on 18 August
• Birmingham Deaf Cultural Centre on 19 August
• Vassall Centre in Bristol on 20 August

 

If you want to know more about the Information Days contact SignHealth Counselling on [email protected]

 

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Supervision and Professional Development

 There is plenty of evidence that working therapeutically in a ‘Small Community’ involves additional difficulties and that mental health service provision is more challenging. Dual roles (meeting clients in a work situation and in other social situations) are extremely common. This creates ethical dilemmas and stress for the professional and difficulty maintaining confidentiality for the patient. Avoiding social occasions where dual roles may be obvious can lead to isolation of the professional. At the BSMHD conference in Scotland we discussed the need for all types of supervision in order to maximise our professionalism and to reduce staff burn out. We identified a number of issues and discussed some potential solutions which are explored in detail in the attached document.

 

Please send any feedback or comments to Sally Austen (Honorary Secretary BSMHD) at [email protected] who will use them to compile a joint response to this document in the next BSMHD newsletter.

 

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Call for Papers: Abstracts of papers for consideration by the conference committee are requested on any subject relating to Deafness. Abstracts must be submitted by email attachment in text (.doc, .txt, .rtf) to [email protected] by 31 August 2008. The conference committee will select the most appropriate presentations and a decision will be made by 10 September. Full papers will be required by 31 October to give time for the communication support team to prepare for your presentation. There will also be an exhibition attached to the conference, organisations interested in booking exhibition space please contact Clare Long, the conference organiser, at [email protected]

 

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In order to book your place for the ESMHD Specials Interest Groups in Dublin please forward your expression of interest to [email protected] . To guarantee a place please send your registration form with payment by Friday 8th August 2008. DON´T FORGET to send your abstract by Friday 15th August 2008. Please click here for the programme and registration form.

 

For further information contact: Renata Sarmento, ESMHD Manager, Tel.: 0034 647 573 679, www.esmhd.org , [email protected]

 

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Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust’s National High Secure Deaf Service (NHSDS), which is based at Rampton Hospital, is holding a conference to address Deafness and forensic mental issues. The conference will be opened by the Trust Chief Executive, Mike Cooke, on the evening of Sunday 5th October followed by a one day conference on Monday 6th October 2008 at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham. Keynote speakers at the conference will include representation from Nottinghamshire Healthcare, criminal justice, forensic mental health settings, the Deaf community and mental health commissioners.  A range of workshops will also be available at the conference addressing issues such as psychological therapies for deaf patients, deafness and drugs, and developing a specialist deaf service.

 

For further details contact: Lisa Spencer, Ward Administrator/PA, Deaf Services Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Rampton Hospital, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 0PD. Telephone: 01777 248321 ext 7811. Textphone: 01777 247273 or email [email protected]

 

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Mental Health Today Exhibition on 27 November 2008 at Manchester Central Convention Complex. A one day event for everyone working with mental health and people who use services. Mental Health Today includes a comprehensive seminar programme facilitating debate of current policy, and sharing of best practice. The day also features interactive zones, and a large-scale exhibition featuring key products, services, projects and organisations. Established in 2003 and attracting over 2,000 visitors, this event is essential for mental health professionals. 

 

Contact: [email protected]  Tel: 01273 623222  www.mhtodayexhibition.com

 
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I am a final year student of psychology (at the University of Sussex) and am embarking on my dissertation, where I am looking for people who are deaf and have synaesthesia. I am looking for people who have these conditions that would be willing to participate in research looking into synaesthesia and how the mixing of these senses occurs. Synaesthesia is where people have an addition to their senses in that they can possibly see colours when they hear/read letters/numbers/days/months/music, taste shapes or flavours when eating food, or when they hear/see words, feel touches on themselves when others are being touched- these are some of the types that exist. There are other combinations of senses that occur in synaesthesia and more information can be found here (Dr Jamie Ward is my supervisor and this is his site): http://www.syn.sussex.ac.uk/ . Synaethesia is not imagined, but a very real experience that actually occurs, and happens as a normal experience for those who have it. Many people who have synaesthesia do not realise that they it, as they tend to think that everyone experiences the same as they do! It’s also not something that people often talk about due to thinking that it is a normal experience. I would be really grateful if you could circulate this information in order to help me find people who are both deaf and synaesthetes, and hopefully will be willing to participate in research. People with synaesthesia tend to enjoy partaking as they learn more about their condition and add a valuable contribution into the building research of why and how it occurs too.

 

Any questions , please do not hesitate to ask, or any suggestions will be gratefully accepted. Tanya Lyons [email protected]

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2nd International Forum of the Deaf - Morocco 9-11 October 2008

 

The Moroccan Forum of the Deaf Association, The Africa Contact Group For Mental Health and Deafness and the World Federation of the Deaf are organizing a Forum of the deaf of Morocco from October 9th to 11th 2008.  45 deaf associations with two delegates (1 deaf and 1 hearing)  and  medical specialists and educators representing all of Morocco and all over the world will be invited to attend the forum. The forum of the Deaf of Morocco will comprise of three major themes: Mental Health and deafness, Education and academic qualification, and Sign language and interpreting. This initiative aims to promote: Mental Health awareness among the medical core and the deaf community of Morocco. The establishment of  a national policy to investigate the linguistic, social, mental health, and physical needs of the deaf; for the purpose of developing a cohesive network for the implantation of programs to benefit the unification of the deaf community in Morocco. Subsequently, it will promote contact, participation and cooperation among deaf associations. This forum is entitled "Mental health and deafness" which will be held in the city of Fez, in order to better educate the population on the issues facing the deaf community.  The Moroccan Forum of the Deaf is engaged in a number of campaigns to raise the standard of living of the deaf in Morocco. There is a growing public interest in the use of sign language in the various social domains where the deaf are involved. These include courts of law, educational institutions, police stations, and other various places of work. An outstanding example of this association's dedication for the empowerment of the deaf are  a special education training for educators May 2008, a SL training for police officers March 2008  and two summer youth camps for the deaf that were held in Rabat August 2006 and Salé August 2007.  These camps gave the deaf youth of Morocco a chance to interact with one another and to build life long friendships.  As well as, the first steps in building cooperation and participation among deaf associations in Morocco.

 

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Mr. Abdelaziz Arssi Project Director. P.O. Box 20 Doukkarat, Fez, 30000 Morocco Tel  212.62102415 E-mail: [email protected] www.fmsourds.org

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The SASLI Conference 6 October 2007 in Edinburgh included some thought-provoking presentations on ‘Deaf Interpreters’. Following that Conference CACDP, the IRP, ASLI, the Deaf Interpreters’ Network and a number of other organisations have come together with their primary aim to look into the possibility of developing better professional recognition for interpreters who do not work between standard BSL and English. A copy of the summary document written in April, that shows the progress of the group to that point, is available by clicking this link: http://www.cacdp.org.uk/int_consult/   The development work has been divided into three areas; sign-language to sign-language interpretation, translation from scrolling text and ‘other’. The group would like your input into the development of their work in these three areas, specifically: 

 

Area One (sign-language to sign language): The group would like practitioners of BSL and ISL interpreting in the UK and Ireland to contact them as soon as possible to express their views on these developments or to register their interest in becoming a member of a register of BSL and ISL interpreters.

 

Area Two (translation from scrolling text): If you have substantial experience of working as in this role, or are a current practitioner and are willing to assist the group in defining the role please contact the group as soon as possible.

 

Area Three (other): The attached paper asks that those who have completed work in these areas submit their findings, and  any notes of their discussions on these topics. In this way we will build on that work rather than repeat it. The work of the group has moved on since April and we have gone some way to defining many roles, such as Deaf advocacy and Deaf intermediary work. Although we would welcome input on these areas, we are particularly interested to hear from interpreters working from BSL to Visual Frame or BSL to Hands-on Signing, or managers of such staff. We would particularly like to know what is involved in these roles and what skills you feel are needed to undertake them.

 

Please email your comments to [email protected] by no later than 5pm on Thursday 7 August 2008.

 
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This is the first edition of the new style Newsletter which is now distributed by email and website only. Adopting a solely electronic distribution process enables us to reduce our postage and printing costs, reduce our impact on the environment and be more flexible in bringing you the most up to date news. Improvements to the design of the website and e-Bulletin will be introduced over the next few months. Deaf Worlds will now be sent to you directly by Forest Books