FaPMI work at the Northern Area Mental Health Services involves a range of projects, activities both internally and across service sectors; some examples of these are:
1) Co-ordination of support groups for FaPMI: three different types of groups are run -
Parents Group: (usually mid year over eight weeks) which has a peer support focus, in order for parents to be able to share experiences and safely explore strategies that may reduce parenting stress and increase self-confidence. The group program includes guest speakers, who address topics of interest for the parents; this includes a consumer who is a parent herself and who has previously participated in the parent group.
CHAMPS Program: is held over four days (Thursday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday) during the September school holidays. This activity-based group aims to provide children with a supportive space in which they can meet other children who have a parent with a mental illness; to learn about mental illness and to further develop coping strategies and to have fun!
Facilitated Playgroup: this new group commenced in April 2010, at this stage it will run for eight months and it is hoped that further funding will allow to continue the group. It aims to provide a supportive environment for parents with a mental illness and their baby/child (up to 3yo); the group has a peer support focus and is co-lead by a parent-peer leader and two facilitators.
All of the above groups are run in collaboration with a range of other agencies, including family support and PDRSS and include as an essential part a parent-peer leader and a young carer peer leader in both the planning/evaluation and delivery of the programs.
2) Addressing FaPMI needs on the psychiatric inpatient unit: this project aims to increasingly provide a co-ordinated approach to supporting people who are admitted into the unit who are a parent -
3) Collaboration with external agencies: NAMHS has worked collaboratively with family support services and PDRSS for a number of years; this is achieved via a co-ordinating group which overseas the group work program, a liaison group which aims to increase connection between service sectors (CAMHS, NAMHS, PDRSS and Family Support) and via collaboration through providing joint group work (as mentioned above).
4) Consumer & Young Carer Leadership: NAMHS works collaboratively with a consumer-parent and a young-carer in a variety of ways, including joint group work (see above), joint conference presentations, working groups and other activities. NAMHS has taken an active role in supporting, mentoring and resourcing both peer leaders and continues to evaluate how to do this work better. Latest developments include the move towards casual employment of the parent-peer leader at NAMHS.
5) FaPMI Audit: NAMHS undertook a multi-agency and multi-site audit about FaPMI clients, co-ordinated by the FaPMI co-ordinator this audit provides for the first time local data on FaPMI clients for four NAMHS teams, two PDRSS teams and four family support services teams. The results from the audit have been used within NAMHS to develop service development strategies to address gaps, needs and professional development in the area of FaPMI work.
6) Research Project: NAMHS is involved in a Doctoral Research study which aims to investigate the needs of women with a mental illness who have a child (10 years and under) from both professionals and women with a mental illness who are parents. The FaPMI co-ordinator co-supervises the doctoral student.
For further information please contact:
Sabin Fernbacher
2 days (between Tuesday – Thursday)
Whittlesea Community Mental Health Centre
187 Cooper St, Epping VIC 3076
Tel: (03) 9409 8755
Mobile: 0407 508 876
Email: sabin.fernbacher@mh.org.au
