Since my last Update we have engaged "Hootville" communications to assist us with our media strategy to promote the COPMI resources to family members affected by parental mental illness (eg. children, young people, parents and family support people).
The COPMI project has invited two state-based projects to submit proposals regarding how COPMI could support them to ensure their GP education programs are relevant for GPs across the country. The two programs are the PIMHIC (Perinatal and infant mental health in the community) project in South Australia and the Western Australian COPMI project. Both have already developed multidisciplinary education packages and, as they cover two different age groups of 'copmi', we believe that by 'value-adding' to these packages, we can support comprehensive GP education across the country in this area. The relevant state-based Divisions of General Practice and the Australian Divisions of General Practice have been most supportive of our efforts in this endeavour and we look forward to further work with them as the programmes are piloted and evaluated in at least one additional state to their 'home-base'.
The COPMI project aims to have closer ties with Carers Australia and some of the initiatives relating to young carers in Australia in 2005. We have recently welcomed Paulette Neilsen to the Reference Group as a replacement for Melissa Atkinson. Paulette is the Policy Adviser - Mental Health for Carers Australia.
Building upon the successful 3 day 'stream' of 'copmi' papers, presentations and panels at the last TheMHS conference, the COPMI Project Team hopes to help coordinate at least a single day of 'copmi' topics this year. Please contact me if you have any creative ideas about the types of symposia, panels, debates or papers you'd like to see included.
Elizabeth Fudge
Project Manager,
COPMI Initiative
Ph (08) 8161 6859
Fax (08) 81616983
fudgee@wch.sa.gov.au
PO Box 387, Stepney SA 5069
http://www.copmi.net.au
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