Programs for children and youth of parents with a mental illness (peer support and education programs)

ARAFMI has two part-time Carer Advocates who can assist friends, family and carers who provide support to someone who has a mental illness, diagnosed or not. The Carer Advocates can provide the following: Information for individuals. Support to self-advocate. Have the advocate speak on their behalf. Obtain assistance from the advocate. Receive referral support. Obtain […]

The Smiles Program provides in depth information and education about mental illnesses and offers children a chance to have their questions answered and meet other children who may be experiencing similar things. The program is available to 8-12 year old young carers. The program is designed to increase coping skills, reduce feelings of isolation and […]

The Parents Group is held during Term 3 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 […]

Paying Attention To Self (PATS) is a peer support group for 13-18 year olds who have a parent or sibling with a mental illness. The eight week program is run by the Northern Metropolitan Young Carers Program. PATS is a free program and can offer assistance with transportation. To be eligible, young carers must live […]

ARAFMI has three part-time Carer Peer Workers who offer assistance and support to friends, family and Carers of someone with a mental illness, diagnosed or not. This is a free service which a person can access as many times as they need. The Carer Peer Workers are carers of someone with a mental illness themselves […]

Support groups are provided by ARAFMI at various locations for friends, family and carers of someone with a mental illness, diagnoses or not. ARAFMI offers support groups from most offices. The groups are based on need. These include the following: Morning groups, afternoon groups and after hours groups. Carers groups. CALD carers groups. Male carers […]

The Youth to Youth (Y2Y) Program is for young people aged 15 to 25 years who have a parent with a mental illness. The program provides: counselling, group work, training, mentoring, safety planning, development of support systems, recreational activities and community education. The programs are designed to provide COPMIs information and education about mental illness, […]

Paying Attention to Self is a peer support group for adolescents who have a parent or carer with a mental illness. One afternoon a week, for eight weeks, the group meets after school and works through a structured program of art and craft activities, role plays and discussion. With lots of good food, laughter, a […]

FIN-NSW is a family support, advice and advocacy service. It promotes family inclusive child protection practice.

Partners in Depression is a group education and support program for people who love, live with or care for someone experiencing depression (evidence-based psycho-education group). Six session program (2 hours per week over 6 weeks) run by two facilitators in community settings. It covers a range of topics including: What is depression Treatments for depression […]

Family By Family is a network of families helping families. Family By Family links up families with things in common to change the things they want to change. Families who have been through tough times and come out the other side are linked to families that have things they want to change. Process: You choose […]

SKIPS is a program for primary schools. It deals directly and honestly with the issue of mental illness in families. The program gives teachers straightforward information about mental illness and gives them practical strategies for supporting children living with a parent with mental illness. It highlights how schools can support those families as part of […]

SKIPS is a program for primary schools. It deals directly and honestly with the issue of mental illness in families. The program gives teachers straightforward information about mental illness and gives them practical strategies for supporting children living with a parent with mental illness. It highlights how schools can support those families as part of […]

SKIPS is a program for primary schools. It deals directly and honestly with the issue of mental illness in families. The program gives teachers straightforward information about mental illness and gives them practical strategies for supporting children living with a parent with mental illness. It highlights how schools can support those families as part of […]

SKIPS is a program for primary schools. It deals directly and honestly with the issue of mental illness in families. The program gives teachers straightforward information about mental illness and gives them practical strategies for supporting children living with a parent with mental illness. It highlights how schools can support those families as part of […]

Supporting Kids In Primary School (SKIPS) is a program for primary schools. It deals directly and honestly with the issue of mental illness in families. The program gives teachers straightforward information about mental illness and gives them practical strategies for supporting children living with a parent with mental illness. The program highlights how schools can […]

A peer support group for young people aged 13-18 years who have a parent with mental health issues. A group is facilitated by Youth Workers, Counsellors and Psychologists from Ku-ring-gai Youth Development Service (KYDS). PATS aims to give young people the opportunity to learn more about mental health, explore ways of coping and meet other […]

Child and Family is a new integrated service for children and families with a range of complex issues. These may include mental health, parental neglect, abuse (or risk of), drug and alcohol, complex parenting issues, domestic violence, CALD/Indigenous, etc. Child and Family works with voluntary clients in the short-medium term. Generally most clients will work […]

The Bungee Youth Resilience Program is designed to support children and young people aged 5-18 years to develop self-confidence and build resilience. The activities promote creativity and social learning as positive ways of enhancing resilience, positive self images and emotional wellbeing in children and young people. The Bungee Youth Resilience Program offers creative and recreational […]

Horizons is a service to families in the ACT where one member of the family has a mental illness which is impacting on the health and wellbeing of the whole family. The program is aimed at families where at least one child is in the 0-8 year age group. Referral does not require a clinical […]

The Temporary Family Care Program consists of a Mental Health Respite Program which provides care for children and young people from 0 to 17 years who experience mental health or whose parents experience mental illness. The program consists of: Short term crisis care (up to three weeks) Regular monthly respite care (up a period of […]

SMILES Program: Simplifying Mental Illness + Life Enhancement Skills. TARGET GROUP: Children aged 8-12 yrs old who have a parent or sibling experiencing a mental health problem (specifically schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression or anxiety). PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: 3 day program (9am-3pm) usually delivered during the school holiday period or a 6 week program (1 day a […]

Covering the geographical areas of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, the Hunter Valley and surrounds. Consultation and education to Tamworth, Moree, Inverell and Armidale as requested. YP-COPMI is a clinical team whose staff include a clinical psychologist, two clinical nurse specialists and a registered nurse. YP-COPMI is part of Child and Adolescent Mental Health however, works within […]

Our Weekly meetings provide the opportunity to make new friends with other young people who share the common experience of living with a family member with mental health issues. The group objective is to have fun, share and talk with others who experience a common problem, while developing some useful coping strategies. The program also […]

COPMI’s position coordinates a range of prevention and capacity building strategies: education, training and consultation for MH services and key partners such as service development for COPMI services on the Central Coast, facilitating Mental Health and Parenting programs for parents with mental health problems, facilitating mental health first aid programs and mental health literacy programs […]

CONSULTANCY ROLE Providing consultation to adult mental health workers and child youth and family staff around COPMI cases. Advice to community organisations regarding COPMI issues. CLINICAL ROLE Short term clinical work with COPMI cases where either the parent or the child is a client of mental health services. Joint family assessments with adult mental health […]

Kookaburra Kids supports children 8-17 who live in a family affected by mental illness, by providing FREE camps and other activities that are fun, healthy, positive and safe. This early intervention program has been developed and implemented to achieve the following outcomes: To provide children and young people with respite from the stress they experience […]

Covering the geographical areas of Marrickville, Redfern, Camperdown, Canterbury, Croydon, Bankstown and surrounds. Provision of resources, clinical work and group programs for families and children where a parent has a mental illness. Education, in service and consultation also provided to community members, health staff, education, non government organisations and other services regarding COPMI issues.

The COPMI Co-ordinator works in partnership with mental health services to facilitate service enhancements for families where a parent has a mental illness. The NSW COPMI Framework for Mental Health Services 2010-2015 provides the overarching framework across services, and the local Western Sydney Local Health Network COPMI Implementation Plan (2010-2015) provides specific direction for all […]

The Connect for Kids program is a 3 day program providing information and support for children who have a family member living with a mental illness. The program provides specific information on depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. The Connect for Kids program runs from 9am to 3pm, and is delivered in the school holidays. […]

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: […]

The Kaleidoscope Plus Program runs over 8 weeks and offers a safe and therapeutic environment for children and young people aged between 5-17 years who have been affected by a family member’s alcohol and other drug issues co-occurring with mental illness. The Kaleidoscope Plus Program aims to: increase children and young people’s understanding about the […]

The Sunshine Coast Koping Network (SC-Koping, 2002) is an association of government and non government agencies working collaboratively to support children and young people in a family system affected by mental health and/or dual diagnosis issues. The SC-Koping Program’s overarching aim is to reduce the impact and intensity of mental illness and dual diagnosis on […]

We offer a FREE school holiday program for school aged children/teenagers who have a parent with a mental illness. We have a waiting list for anyone interested, and groups are run on a needs basis. The groups are run offered to similar ages such as 8 to 10 years, 10 to 12 years, and 12+ […]

Our Space is a mental health promotion, illness-prevention and early intervention program. It aims to provide psycho-education, peer support to reduce feelings of isolation, opportunities to build resilience and coping skills, improve self-expression and creativity, as well as fostering a positive learning environment for children and parents, siblings or close relatives with a mental illness. […]

The AMEND Program provides an 18 session home-based relapse prevention and parenting enhancement program to pregnant and parenting women who experience problems related to their use of alcohol and other drugs. The program also provides individual or group counselling and support to children aged 0-18 affected by a parent’s or caregiver’s substance use. The AMEND […]

Kids with Confidence is a program for children and young people aged 7 to 18 years who have a member of their family who is affected by mental illness. The program provides a mixture of education and support. This is done through a range of family sessions, group programs, fun activities and resources including a […]

A joint project initiative between Barwon Health Mental Health and Glastonbury Community Services, operational since 2003. Funded as part of the statewide FAPMI with additional funding from Barwon Health and Glastonbury. Elements of the project include: Education of adult mental health staff, school, child and family sector. Facilitation of group programs for adolescents and primary […]

Paying Attention to Self is a program for young people 12-18 years who have a parent with a mental illness. The program includes: An 8 week group run in school terms Social activities throughout the year A Young People’s Reference Group that incorporates a mental health promotion education partnership with Uniting Care Community Options -Commonwealth […]

SKIPS is a program for primary schools. It deals directly and honestly with the issue of mental illness in families. The program gives teachers straightforward information about mental illness and gives them practical strategies for supporting children living with a parent with mental illness. It highlights how schools can support those families as part of […]