1. By Debra Swann and Sandra Spadea ALCOHOL, OTHER DRUGS USE AND MENTAL HEALTH IN THE DEAF COMMUNITY

2. SANDRA’S PERSONAL STORY “I was always questioned about deafness, when I could’ve just talked about myself. It’s rubbish” David

4. FACTS… FACTS… FACTS… WHAT WE KNOW… Extend of alcohol and drug use in the deaf community remains unclear Few trained substance abused counselors for both Deaf / HH and CODA people Interpreters limited Staff not knowledgeable No accessible materials

5. WHAT DRUGS ARE OUT THERE?

7. WHY DO PEOPLE USE DRUGS? For fun Media Hype and peer pressure Boredom Social factors – poverty, crime Personal issues and traits

8. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE ….. CAN SOMETIMES OCCUR AT THE SAME TIME. Mental health means different things to different people Good mental health can be affect by external influences, this includes drugs and alcohol Drugs like cannabis, alcohol, ecstasy and heroin, have the ability to affect your mood Drugs interfere with the chemicals in your brain

9. BARRIERS TO GETTING HELP: Attitudes language Limited deaf services. Education

10. RECOMMENDATIONS

11. OPTION ONE: NEED FOR RESEARCH – SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES

12. OPTION TWO: AUSLAN COMPUTER WEB CAM MEETING – DEAF GET OFF DRUG AND ALCOHOL.

13. OPTION THREE: Deaf, hearing impaired and coda’s to have access to mental health professionals

14. OPTION FOUR: Family members and friends to have access to support

15. OPTION FIVE: Education for young people and the wider deaf community

16. QUESTION TIME

17. QUESTION ONE: What unique barriers does one faces when trying to access services or professionals?

18. QUESTION TWO: What support services and network do you think would assist a deaf person and CODA to take care of themselves?

19. QUESTION THREE: If video calling was an option for you to access services in Auslan and connect with people similar to you, would you use it?