BSMHD 2008 Annual Conference

Developing Professional Mental Health Services for Deaf People

Friday 16 May 2008 - 10.00am - 6.00pm &
Saturday 17 May 2008 - 9.00am - 3.30pm

At: Thistle Hotel, 107 St James Centre, Edinburgh, EH1 3SW.

A two day multidisciplinary conference for all mental health professionals and those in allied professions who work with deaf people.

Conference Chair: Lilian Lawson OBE, Director of the Scottish Council on Deafness

Celebrating 15 years of coordinating the development of mental health services for deaf people throughout the UK, the British Society for Mental Health and Deafness returns to Scotland for their biggest Annual Conference yet. Spread over two days for the first time, the conference will include keynote speeches from leading politicians and policy makers and a ‘State of the Sector Address’ by Rodney Clark OBE, Chair of SignHealth.

There will be entertainment and exhibitions to complement the diverse programme of presentations and the conference will be a unique opportunity for all professionals working with deaf people to meet and network and contribute to the development of professional mental health services for deaf people.

With four sub-themes of Developing Services in Scotland; Language Issues; Service Development; and Professional Development, the conference will include a range of Workshops and Seminars covering the following topics

• A National Strategy for Mental Health and Deafness Services in Scotland
• Scottish Mental Health First Aid
• From Discussion to Reality through Collaboration
• The Impact of Signed Languages for Clients and Professionals working with Deaf People
• Accessible Information for Deaf People with Minimal Language
• Theory of Mind Training for Deaf People with Delayed Language Acquisition
• Are Service Users Fully Included?
• A National Strategy for Mental Health Services for Deaf Children and Families.
• Learn How to Win Tenders and Contracts
• The Needs of Deaf Staff in Lifelong Learning
• Developing Training Opportunities
• Supervision for Professionals Working in a Small Community
• Deaf User’s Experiences
• The ‘Small Community’ and Deaf Mental Health Provision: Comparisons between a Small Island and the Deaf Community
• Working with Complex Problems: A Deaf-Centred, Person-Centred Approach
• Deaf People in the Criminal Justice System
• Mental Health Capacity Act

The BSMHD Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday 16 May 2008 at 5.30pm

Delegate Fees for 2 day Course:
Standard: £145
BSMHD Member: £95

• Programme
• Workshops and Seminars (word doc)
• Book Your Place at the BSMHD Annual Conference 16 & 17 May 2008 (word doc)

CALL FOR PAPERS – 2008 BSMHD Annual Conference Edinburgh

Abstracts of papers for consideration by the conference committee are requested on any subject relating to Mental Health and Deafness. The sub-themes for the break-out sessions at the conference are: Service Development in Scotland; International Services; Language issues; Primary Care; Professional Development; and Complex Problems. However if you are unsure if your paper fits into one of the sub-themes do please contact us to discuss. Presentations and workshops that include User Involvement are particularly encouraged.

The official languages for presentations will be English and British Sign Language. Simultaneous interpreting will be provided for all sessions between English and British Sign Language. Some sessions will also have a verbatim speech to text transcription service.

Abstracts (max 2 pages A4) must be submitted by email attachment in text (.doc, .txt, .rtf) to [email protected] by 1 March 2008, please do not send PowerPoint presentations. The conference committee will select the most appropriate presentations and a decision will be made by 14 March 2008. Full papers will be required by 2 May 2008 to give time for the communication support team to prepare for the presentation.

There will also be a small 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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