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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