WA, Inner City and Lower North Metropolitan Region - Mothers Support Program

The Mothers Support Program is a community based support service for mothers with dependent children residing in the inner city or lower north metro area, who experience or are at risk of experiencing mental health issues.

Services include individual assessment and care planning, outreach, information and referral, support and advocacy, counselling, art therapy and a number of group activities. The aim of this program is to enhance the emotional, social and psychological wellbeing of women, their children, and their families.

The program offers several group programs which include:

• Coffee Morning: An informal peer-support group that meets each Thursday 10am-12pm (during school term) where women can share their experiences, make friends and support one another.
• School Holiday Program: Activities offered each term break for Mums and their children to enjoy together.
• Art Therapy Program: A seven week (during school term) closed therapeutic group aimed at strength building, enhancing coping skills and releasing negative emotions.
• Formal groups and workshops held throughout the year on topics such as self-esteem, coping with depression, emotional well-being etc.
• Embrace: A nine week closed therapeutic group targeting pregnant women (from second trimester onwards) who have a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder or severe mood disorder. The purpose of the group is to reduce the impact of serious mental illness upon mother and child during pregnancy, minimise the risk of relapse post-partum and facilitate the early bonding experience between mother and child. Referrals should be directed to Jaime Antonacci (see contact information listed above).

All of the programs are offered for free. Free childcare is provided for all the sessions.

Informal evaluation.

Clinical experience, research and case studies.

1 B. Burdekin, 1993, Human Rights and Mental Illness, the Report of the National
Inquiry into the Human Rights of People with Mental Illness, AGPS, Canberra.

2 Merrilee Cox, 1994, Good Practices in Women's Mental Health training and resource kit.
Healthsharing Women's Health Resource Service, Melbourne.

3 Rosemary Moore, 1992, ?Mental illness and sex-role stereotyping? in Healthsharing Women,
Oct/Nov.

4 C. Moebray, D. Oyserman and S. Ross, 1995, ?Parenting and the significance of children for
women with a serious mental illness? in The Journal of Mental Health Administration, 22:2.

5 ARAFMI, Western Australia, A Booklet for Young People About Mental Illness.

6 WA Association for Mental Health, 1995, Losing the Statistics on Drug Abuse in
AustrTwentieth Century Blues. WAAMH, Perth.

7 Department of Human Services and Health, 1994, alia 1994. AGPS, Canberra.

Referral is via a health professional or women can self-refer. Clients must be attached to a GP or other health service and reside within the inner city or lower north metro region.