Parents Group & Children's School Holiday Program (CHAMPS) - Northern Area of Melbourne

Northern Area Mental Health Service

Contact

Sabin Fernbacher

Email: sabin.fernbacher@mh.org.au

Telephone: (03) 9409 8755

Mobile: 0407 508 876

Fax: (03) 9408 9508

Address

c/ Whittlesea Community Mental Health Centre 185 Cooper Street Epping

VIC 3076

Program Description

Prior to the groups commencing, a 'family day' is held, which is open to all interested parents and their partners as well as significant others and children. This (half) day provides the opportunity to connect with the facilitators of each group and with other potential group participants and families. It is activity based and we aim to provide a friendly atmosphere to introduce families to the ideas of the groups. The family day is generally held in the June school holidays.

The parents group is held during term three over eight weeks; it has a peer support focus, in order for parents to be able to share experiences and safely explore strategies that may reduce parenting stress and increase self-confidence. The group program includes guest speakers, who address topics of interest for the parents; this includes a consumer who is a parent herself and who has previously participated in the parent group. The group is held over lunch time (and lunch is provided, to allow parents to pick up children from school.

The children's school holiday program (CHAMPS) is held over four days (Thursday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday) during the September school holidays. This activity-based group aims to provide children with a supportive space in which they can meet other children who have a parent with a mental illness; to learn about mental illness and to further develop coping strategies and to have fun!

Evaluation Information

All groups have been evaluated; since the first children's group in 1999).

Family Day: facilitators, parents (and other adults) and children are surveyed to obtain information about their satisfaction with the day.

Parents Group: pre- and post surveys are administered with parents in relation to a number of issues (such as confidence, identifying parenting issues etc); survey evaluation undertaken with facilitators to obtain information about satisfaction with program/group.

Children's Group: pre- and post surveys with parents about children (including understanding about mental illness etc); surveys with facilitators about satisfaction with running the group; activity-based evaluation with children on the last day of the group ('learnings', satisfaction with program).

Evidence

The programs are based on our own (combined between the various agencies, i.e one agency is specialised in running parenting groups) clinical experience of running groups for some years and evaluation findings of those as well as findings from the statewide CHAMPS and PATS programs and other parenting groups. We also draw on available literature and research.

Any other information

This is a multi-agency initiative, while it is lead by Northern Area Mental Health Service, the following agencies are involved in planning and running the groups: Anglicare and CPS (family support services), Neami (Psychiatric Disability Support Service).

The provision of the groups is overseen by a steering group comprising all those agencies as well as consumer and COPMI/carer representatives.

A trained PATS peer leader is involved in running the children's school holiday (CHAMPS) group.

Content updated May 13, 2010

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