AICAFMHA : Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent & Family Mental Health Association

1. A National Partnership Approach to Children and Families Affected by Parental Mental Illness –The Australian ExperienceAngela Obradovic & Elizabeth FudgeChildren Of Parents with a Mental Illness (COPMI) Initiative AICAFMHA: Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent & Family Mental Health Association

2. Outline of presentation • The Australian Context • The Australian COPMI Initiative • Resource development • State Initiatives • Practice research • The continuing challenge Children of Parents with a Mental Illness National Initiative

3. The Australian Mental Health Context • National Inquiry into the Human Rights of People with Mental Illness ‘Burdekin Report’ (1993) • Active deinstitutionalisation strategy -people with mental illness increasingly treated whilst living in the community with family members, including children • National Mental Health Plan (1998)

4. The COPMI Context • Advocacy - by adult offspring, carers and parents with mental illness • Advocacy and awareness-raising by service provider ‘champions’ • Increased focus on prevention and early intervention at a Government level • Scoping Project Report (2001)

5. Children of Parents with a Mental Illness National Initiative COPMI Project Aim • To achieve better mental health outcomes for children of parents with mental illness Children of Parents with a Mental Illness National Initiative

6. Phase 1 - Structure • National Consultation group - broad representation from consumers, carers, young carers,services providers, professional associations/colleges and policy makers • Reference group of 14 from across Australia and a project team that included a consumer/carer advocate. Children of Parents with a Mental Illness National Initiative

7. Information Collection • Public forums and telephone hotline. • Focus groups (consumers, carers, young people, children, professionals) • Expert opinion • Literature review

8. ‘Principles and Actions’ document Actions are listed for • individuals and teams • service organisations Children of Parents with a Mental Illness National Initiative

9. Website - www.copmi.net.au

10. The Best For Me and My Baby • Target group: People with mental illness who are • parents of infants or toddlers • contemplating parenthood • currently pregnant (and the partners/support people of the above) [Secondary target group: health workers who work with the above] Children of Parents with a Mental Illness National Initiative

11. Family talk • Target group: Family members and support people where a parent has a mental illness and children aged 3-18. Children of Parents with a Mental Illness National Initiative

12. E-discussion List Join at http://www.copmi.net.au For more information fudgee@aicafmha.net.au

13. Phase 2 • Increase awareness and uptake of guidelines • Promote and support workforce education and training • Increase awareness of resource materials Children of Parents with a Mental Illness National Initiative

14. Victoria • In 2002-3 Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, Beyond Blue (National Depression Initiative) & Department of Human Services Victoria funded two projects over 3 years : • PATS project (Adolescent program) • VicChamps (programs for 5-12 year children) • The two ‘best’ local initiatives with a strong focus on ‘best practice’ evaluation • Prevalence of children from families with a parental mental illness research Maybery, D.J., Reupert, A.E., Patrick, K., Goodyear, M. & Crase, L. (submitted for publication Sept 2006) Prevalence of children whose parents have a mental illness. http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Content.aspx?topicID=222 Department of Human Services Mental Health Branch

15. VicChamps Programs • Programs for 5-7 year olds & Family Care Plans • Workforce development/knowledge building • ‘Getting there together’ education forMH and welfare workforce • ‘SKIPS’ School stigma reduction and education program • VicChamps - programs for 8-12 year olds • School Holiday (4 days) & After School programs • Across one Metropolitan & one Rural region

16. VicChamps Evaluation Results Maybery, Reupert & Goodyear (2006). Evaluation of a model of best practice for families who have a parent with a mental illness. Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia http://www.quantifyingconnections.com/COPMIpage.htm

17. PATS Program • Developed at the Centre for Adolescent Health • Young people, aged 12 to 18 years, who have a parent with a mental illness • 8-week peer support program • Health Professional & a Peer Leader • 5 sites across metropolitan & rural Victoria • Peer Leadership training, external presentations & advocacy

18. PATS Evaluation Results Hargreaves, J, O’Brien, M, Bond, L, Forer, D, Basile, A, Davies, L, & Patton, G 2005,Paying Attention to Self PATS: an evaluation of the PATS program for young people who have a parent affected by mental illness. Centre for Adolescent Health, Melbourne. www.rch.org.au/pats

19. State and territory responses South Australia • Mental health nurse employed within district child protection teams Northern Territory • Universal Child Care plan Australian Capital Territory • Electronic data recording system (mandatory fields) New South Wales • Dual Diagnosis Support Kit incl. “The Blue Polar Bear”

20. Current Change Enablers • Sharing of information/key learnings across State boundaries (‘clearinghouse’) • Promotion of resources through the media • Stakeholder groups continue to share the journey • Value-adding and collaboration with complementary initiatives Children of Parents with a Mental Illness National Initiative

21. Phase 3 - 2007-2010 • ‘Value-adding’ including a greater focus on families who have children in the 2-8 year age range and on the primary school and early childhood sectors. • Maintaining the e-discussion list, the copmi website and the production of resources • Assisting people and services to learn from each other avoid the ‘re-invention of wheels’ • Support from professional development providers

22. The continuing challenge Building a comprehensive cross-agency approach to the issues of ‘copmi’ and their families that • Promotes the mental health of children and their families • Prevents problems occurring • Intervenes early when, and if, issues arise

23. Acknowledgements Northern Area Mental Health Service