Phil Robinson

COPMI national initiative

COPMI national initiative

AIM: To promote better mental

health outcomes for children of parents with a mental

illness.

Why COPMI?

Children of parents with a mental illness are at greater risk than their peers of developing mental illness themselves but ...

... and there are many ways that the risk can be reduced.

risk doesn’t equal destiny

Resilience

Its not about individuals being ‘hardy’ Resilience changes in response to multiple factors (such as supportive relationships, community environments)

There is evidence for a range of ‘risk’ factors but there may be others that haven’t been identified.

Studies highlight these resilience factors

Parent receiving treatment/support Child understands their parent’s mental illness Child can communicate with parents about the mental illness Child knows they are not to blame/responsible Child has access to a supportive adult Child participates in a range of activities outside of the home Child has close friends Child pursues their own interestsThe child has a sense of hope about the future

Key statistics

Up to 1 in 5 Australian young people live in families with a parent who has a mental illness.

Offspring of depressed parents found to have a 3-fold increase in depression, anxiety and substance dependence when compared with those whose parents had no diagnosis.

Weissman et al 2006 (large longitudinal study over 20 years)

Key statistics

... (Australian) children with a parent who attend mental health services are between two to five times more likely than the norm to be scoring in the clinical range on the SDQ.

Maybery et al, 2009

Multi-component approach to prevention for children of parents with a mental illness

Hosman & Van Doesum, Prevention Research Centre, Nijmegen University 2000

Prior to the COPMI initiativeScoping study undertaken by AICAFMHA to understand the general response to calls for services for children of parents with a mental illness by those such as Brain Burdekin in his landmark report into human rights and mental illness. Released in 2001.

2002 - 2004 Developing and promoting

‘Principles and Actions for Services and People Working with Children Of Parents with a Mental Illness’

Involved broad consultation across Australia with those with lived experience, plus workers and administrators and a extensive literature review.

2002 - 2004 Developing and promoting information

resources for families and for professionals (e.g. booklets, website, translations)

Education of the mental health workforce (standards, MH Pod, Keeping Families and Children in Mind’ e-learning and group educator training)

Past priorities 2004 - 2012

Education partnerships with key stakeholders such as MindMatters and KidsMatter (Primary and Early Childhood)

Past priorities 2004 - 2012

Supporting evidence-based practice (e.g. GEMS and tools for evaluation of programs and services on our website) and research ‘clearinghouse’

Training and mentoring for program evaluators

Past priorities 2004 - 2012

Development of information for families where a parent experiences depression or anxiety (DVD)

Development and pilot testing of web-based training (‘Family Focus’) for primary mental health professionals working with families where a parent experiences depression or anxiety

Past priorities 2004 - 2012

More information for parents

Information for fathers

Information Sheets

Mouse mat Wallet cards

Child Quote

“When dad wasn’t well, it would’ve been most beneficial for our family if he’d been able to stay connected to us, not just be taken away and not have any contact.”

Helping to embed good practice

Regular meetings with Mental Health Department nominees from states and territories

Work with non-government mental health bodies

Collaborations with others working in the education field and/or child and family mental health area (e.g. KidsMatter, National Perinatal Depression Initiative)

Supporting systems change Medical Journal of

Australia supplement Advocating for changes

to government funded programs to better support families where a parent experiences mental illness.

FaHCSIA funding 2012 (Child Aware)

Development and pilot testing of an ‘advanced’ module of ‘Keeping Families and Children in Mind’ designed specifically for supervisors in adult services (e.g. Drug and alcohol, housing, domestic violence, mental health).

In conjunction with NCETA (National Centre for Education and Training in Addictions) and ACCP (Australian Centre for Child Protection).

2012-2014 ... Promoting Family Focus DVD for families

where a parent experiences depression and/or anxiety

Intervention – brief (6 session) intervention for family members including school aged children

E-learning – for primary mental health care workers

Current focus...

E-learning for primary mental health care workers, so they are prepared for the launch of the DVDs in January 2013

2012-2014 funding phase

Developing additional advanced module for ‘Keeping Families and Children in Mind’ Develop and pilot test an e-learning resource (and associated materials) for ‘Let’s Talk ... about the children’ – based on evidence from Finland of this approach used by secondary and tertiary mental health practitioners.

2012-2014 funding phase

•Develop and promote information pathways within rural areas.

•Develop and pilot test ‘pathways of care’ resources which enable those working with families where a parent is identified as having a mental illness and children in the 0-5 year range to respond to child and family needs and/or refer on as appropriate.

2012-2014 funding phase

Continue provision of expert advice.

Explore development of web-based resources that could assist mental health care organisations in collaborative work with their local health, welfare and early childhood services.

2012-2014 funding phase

Continue to build and promote the evidence base, especially as it relates to user-driven services for children and families where a parent experiences mental illness.

Maintain connections with our international consultation group.

Continue strong involvement of people with lived experience.

Who employs COPMI staff?

Australian Infant Child Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association Ltd

What is AICAFMHA’s aim?

To actively promote the mentalhealth and well being of infants,children, adolescents and theirfamilies and/or carers in

Australia.

What are AICAFMHA’s values?

Collaborative partnership is the keynote, between all professional groups working in the mental health field with the young and their families and with relevant community groups, carers and consumers of mental health services from a fully representative range of geographic, cultural, social and economic

backgrounds.

What are AICAFMHA’s values?

The full range of mental health issues affecting the young and their families or carers are considered from individual development, family life cycle and community perspectives.

What are AICAFMHA’s values?

Partnerships in advocacy in the public arena for effective promotion, prevention, early intervention, treatment and follow-up programs in child and adolescent mental health and that these are pursued in a context of human rights principles.

What are AICAFMHA’s values?

A broad approach to infant, child, adolescent and family mental health provides the basis for wide dissemination of scientific knowledge in this area and for encouraging the development of relevant qualitative and quantitative studies of the highest research standard.

What are AICAFMHA’s values?

Collaboration and consultation is valued with other national, international, state-based and local organisations that promote enhancement of mental health, focussing upon the needs of the young and their families.

What are AICAFMHA’s values?

A range of consultative processes with young people, families and carers is valued, processes which are inclusive and appropriate to the age level of the young people involved.

What are AICAFMHA’s values?

It is appreciated that there are approaches to working with infants, children, adolescents and their families, which are fundamentally and distinctly different from those relevant to adult mental health service provision.

www.copmi.net.au

contacts77 King William Street

North Adelaide SA 5006

copmi@copmi.net.au

+61 [8] 8367 0888

Australian Government

Department of Health and

Ageing

Thank you ...