Families where a parent has mental illness (FaPMI)
There are many challenges for families when a parent has a mental health issue.
Families can be at risk of poverty or face housing problems, disruption to schooling, marital conflict, isolation and a reduction of social and leisure activities. Vulnerable children and their families are often hidden and struggle to get the help they need.
The Families where a Parent has a Mental Illness (FaPMI) strategy is a statewide initiative to reduce the impact to all family members.
It was launched in 2007 to increase the capacity of specialist mental health services and their partners to recognise and respond to parental mental illness, the needs of parents and of their children. FaPMI takes a collaborative approach between agencies to support parents and their children.
Latrobe Regional Hospital's FaPMI coordinators and clinician work with groups across Gippsland including our own mental health service to build capacity in delivering services that best meet the needs of families facing mental health challenges. Some of these groups include schools, othe hospitals and community health services, mental health community support services, alcohol and other drug treatment services, indigenous health providers and Child First.
FaPMI activity in Gippsland has also included:
- service development and governance
- workforce development
- networking and partnerships
- consultation
- resource distribution and management of a brokerage fund
- peer support
- awareness raising and mental health promotion
- research, publication and statewide activities.
Contact details:
Contact our FaPMI coordinators on 5142 8975 or 5128 0100.
For additional resources and information see:
The National Children of Parents with a Mental Illness (CoPMI) Initiative website www.copmi.net.au
Tags: mental health
