NSW, Northern Beaches - COPMI Clinician

The Northern Beaches Mental Health Service has one part time COPMI clinician. The clinician works across adult and child and adolescent mental health as well as with other statutory and non government agencies to promote best practice in working with parents who have a mental illness and their children (0-18)

The role includes the following activities
1. Clinical interventions for children, parents/families where a parent has a mental illness: This may include issues around parenting capacity, child behaviour, psycho-education and other assessments and interventions depending on need

2. Education and training for mental health and other staff who work with families where a parent has a mental illness.

3. Consultation and resource provision for mental health staff and others.

4. Development of best practice guidelines and clinical pathways to support best practice with COPMI families.

The program will be evaluated through ongoing consultation with key partners and consumers.

Evidence is based on current directions for COPMI (e.g. Principles and Actions for Services and People Working with Children of Parents with a Mental Illness, April 2004) as well as literature on mental health and resilience.

The COPMI clinician has considerable clinical experience in the field of mental health and in working with carers.

Extensive consultation with mental health and other related professionals was undertaken in order to contribute to program planning.

A range of resources for parents, children and workers are available by contacting the COPMI clinician locally.