FaPMI Service Development Strategy

The FaPMI Strategy is directed to all DOH funded and delivered service providers that work with families where a parent has a mental illness. It is also expected to be of value to others delivering primary care and support services, such as general practitioners and non-government child and family support services.  

This strategy builds on learnings from two Victorian pilot projects as well as work undertaken by the Mental Health Branch in consultation with the DOH Parenting Best Bets Working Group focusing on parental mental health, and the Child Outcomes Leadership Group.   These groups include representatives from the DOH programs that fund and provide a broad range of services for children, young people and families. 

The overall aim of the FaPMI Strategy is to reduce the impact of parental mental illness on all family members through timely, coordinated, preventative and supportive action. This, in turn, would deliver greater opportunities and more positive outcomes for all family members. The priority is on better understanding the needs of families where a parent has a mental illness and the associated risks for all family members, including children. 

To this end, the FaPMI Strategy is aimed at assisting services to develop more coordinated and effective approaches to address the heightened risk burden of families.   It has a particular interest in promoting the inclusion of those not currently accessing supports. 

Three service development objectives are the priorities that underpin the strategy:

1. Increase the capacity of specialist mental health services (clinical and psychiatric disability rehabilitation and support services – PDRSS) to provide a family focused response to the parenting needs of their clients and the needs of their clients’ children. 
2. Increase the capacity of specialist mental health service network partners to recognise and respond appropriately to parental mental illness.
3. Establish and strengthen the capacity of networks and support structures involving mental health services and their network partners, in partnership with consumers and carers, to support the needs of all family members through collaborative approaches to service provision. 
   

Some services will require relatively small modifications to the ways they do their work. For others, more integrated service innovations and partnerships will be required.  

A downloadable copy of the FaPMI strategy is available below.