NOTE: The Victorian Department of Human Services has produced a "Guide for Assessing the Parenting
Capacity of a Parent with A Mental Illness" (last updated 2000). This can be downloaded from their
website www.dhs.vic.gov.au/commcare under Child Protection, Victorian Risk Framework.
When I'm speaking to the parent with a mental illness/health problem or
their co-parent/partner...
Firstly, its important to stress that parental mental illness may not
adversely affect the children and many people with a mental illness do an
excellent job of parenting. However, there are three key areas to consider
in supporting a parent with a mental illness and their offspring:
Identification
Prevention and care
Information
IDENTIFICATION - Assessment Considerations
Does the person have responsibilities for or contact with dependant children
and what age are they?
Ascertain any support needs and strengths the person may have in fulfilling their parenting role.
NB: If the person with the mental illness is separated from their child/ren, explore possible grief
and loss issues and refer for counselling as appropriate.
Is the person pregnant or planning to conceive?
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PREVENTION & CARE
What support does the parent/family have (ie extended family, neighbours, friends)? How might these
relationships be maintained or strengthened?
Work with family members, mental health services and community service providers to support
families to improve their capacity to support, protect and care for their child/ren if required. This
may include:
domestic support
childcare or respite support
transport assistance
support in seeking appropriate housing
parental support groups
programmes to assist parents to develop skills
counselling to support the partnership of parents
referring the partner/support person to a carer's support service (Commonwealth Carer Resource
Centre Phone: 1800 242 636).
See also information relating to specific age groups
of children.
Affirm the parenting strengths of the person and be aware of their limits. Reassure them if necessary
that parenting is a challenge for all parents. Acknowledge that many of the issues of parents with mental
illness are generic to all parents and others are specific to the situation of living with mental illness.
Do they have a care plan in place for their child/ren should they become unwell or require hospitalistion?
Encourage and or assist the parent/s to plan whilst the parent is well for continuity of care for the
child (including continuity of schooling) if/when the parent experiences a relapse of their illness and/or
requires hospitalisation or separation from their child due to other reasons. (An example child Care Plan
can be downloaded from the COMIC website: http:
//www.howstat.com/comic)
A Western Australian version of this package is available from the WA Office
of Mental Health website, Resources section
http://www.mental.
health.wa.gov.au/one/aboutus_resources.asp
Do they believe their children have any specific support, safety or
socialisation needs such as peer support groups, respite or counseling?
(Also see specific age related information.)
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INFORMATION
Does the person believe they know enough about any ramifications of their illness and or treatment on
their ability to fulfill their parenting role?
Assist parents to access information about the possible implications of their mental illness,
treatment and/or co-morbid factors (e.g. substance abuse) on their parenting.
Have they discussed their mental illness and its implications
or treatment implications with their child?
Encourage the parent or caregiver to discuss the mental illness and it's affect with their
child/ren (at a level they can understand).
Encourage the family to seek further information through
local mental health services, non-government agencies, mental health support organizations or the SANE
website http://www.sane.org/
A booklet called "Family Talk" has been developed for families in which a parent of dependent
children has a mental illness. Also available is a list of books suitable for children of
different ages which may be used to assist children in the understanding of their parent's mental
illness.
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