Page 3840 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 25 September 2019
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letter to Mrs Dunne, that when the doctor was offered assistance to refer her existing clients to ongoing care with other mental health services she declined and did not make any transfers of clients.
I do not doubt that those in the community who saw the psychologist in question valued that service. That is also the basis of Ms Lawder’s motion. However, I do not believe the question is about a specific provider. To me, the most important question is whether we are providing the necessary services to our deaf and deafblind community.
What I can inform the Assembly is that psychology services are available through our community mental health teams and they can arrange interpreter services ahead of appointments, through interpreter and communication services, including the National Interpreting and Communications Services, the National Auslan Interpreter Booking and Payment Service, Auslan Services, Sweeney Interpreting and the national Deafblind Information hub. I am aware of the skills shortage of Auslan interpreters in the ACT, which I understand is a nationwide issue. However, I am assured by Canberra Health Services that there have been no consistent or discernible issues that have arisen in regard to this in terms of service provision in the territory.
The government seeks to work closely with disability peak bodies to ensure that we are meeting the needs of the deaf community and to keep us abreast when gaps arise. However, given that the most important question in this debate is to ensure that the service needs are being met and to acknowledge the concerns raised in Ms Lawder’s motion, I am proposing an amendment today in which I undertake that the ACT government will consult with key stakeholders, including the Deaf Society, the Office for Disability and mental health and disability services, to ascertain any concerns held by our deaf community in the ACT about mental health service provision or gaps that may exist, and report back to the Assembly by the last sitting week of this year. This will provide an opportunity for both me and other members of the chamber to be assured of direct contact with stakeholders and a clear assessment of current service provision.
What I can inform the Assembly is that since Ms Lawder first tabled this motion some weeks ago—and we could not debate it on the day—we have not waited. We have actually reached out to the Deaf Society and sought to establish that connection. We have had some initial feedback and we have a further meeting scheduled in the coming weeks. We have not been sitting on our hands. I have also discussed this matter specifically with the chief psychiatrist and Canberra Health Services. I actually started that when Mrs Dunne’s first letter came, because I think this is an important question, one that we take seriously, and I do not think we should let this get bogged down in a discussion about an individual psychologist and the obviously difficult discussion that went on around trying to maintain quality control of her contract.
We have been liaising with our key mental health stakeholders, including the Mental Health Consumer Network and Carers ACT, and they have not raised any issues but they have said to us they will be alert to any matters arising. As I have said, we have had initial discussions with the Deaf Society and, other than the issue raised here today, they have not provided any feedback at this stage that deaf people in the ACT
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