AICAFMHA:
promoting mental health for young Australians
Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association Ltd
ABN 87 093 479 022
COPMI National Initiative - Phase 1
History
In 1999, the Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association Ltd (AICAFMHA) undertook a national scoping project to identify the services available and future plans for services for children of parents with a mental illness.
Following the release of the Children of Parents Affected by a Mental Illness Scoping Project Report in 2001, the Australian Government allocated funding for a three-year initiative to promote better mental health outcomes for children of parents with a mental illness - The national Children of Parents With A Mental Illness (COPMI) initiative.
Goals
The COPMI project goals included the development of good practice principles and action guidelines for services, professionals and other workers, the development of resource materials for professionals, parents and young people, and the provision of advice to government.
Process
The project team was assisted by a Reference Group of people from a range of backgrounds including consumers, a carer and those with expertise in service provision and research. A wider National Consultation Group was established with membership from all States and Territories and from a range of jurisdictions (eg Education, Child Care, Child Protection, Family Welfare, Child and Family Health, Justice and Mental Health Services. Consultations with parents, carers, young people, professionals and other service providers were undertaken in 2002 in association with an extensive literature search. A Discussion Document was subsequently developed and circulated widely with responses actively sought. A resultant "Draft Principles and Actions for Services and People Working with Children Of Parents With a Mental Illness" document was released for comment in April 2003.
In addition, a range of resources for families and professionals were developed and pilot tested with individuals and families across Australia.
Resource Outcomes
A website for people working with families affected by parental mental illness http://www.copmi.net.au/, booklets for families (downloadable and available for order from the website) and the final "Principles and Actions" paper were endorsed by the Commonwealth Government for distribution in April 2004.
Information Provision
The COPMI project provided information to the Australian Government regarding children of parents with a mental illness (e.g. to inform the 3rd National Mental Health Plan and the National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce (2003). It also provided a valuable national clearinghouse function for individuals and organisations regarding literature, programs, evaluations and material resources relating to the issue of support for families and children affected by parental mental illness.
In addition, the COPMI project provided information about the ongoing needs of families where a parent has a mental illness and the needs of workers and services that support these families. This information has resulted in the development and funding of Phase 2 of the COPMI project.
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Visit http://www.copmi.net.au
to view additional resources and information. |
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