Monash University Department of Rural and Indigenous Health

Families Affected by Parental Mental Illness

Almost a quarter of Australian children are living with a parent who has a mental illness.

Of these, just over 1 % (or approximately 60,000 Australian children) have a parent who has a severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, manic depression or clinical depression.

There are almost 40,000 adults using mental health services in Victoria each year and in 2003 and 2004 7,829 service users (20.4%) had dependent children.

MUDRIH and La Trobe Regional Hospital are sponsoring Professor Joanne Nicholson, a world leader in the area of families affected by parental mental illness, to come to Gippsland and present workshops and a public forum in Traralgon and Moe on the 19th and 20th of October.

A free public forum will be held between 5.30-7.00pm in Traralgon on the 19th October. The audience will hear from Professor Nicholson and find out about support and assistance available to families in the local region.

On October 19th between 1.00-4.00pm mental health and associated professionals (e.g. family workers) will hear about “Best Practice” guidelines when working with families affected by parental mental illness from Professor Nicholson. They will also learn about local showcase projects from Gippsland FAPMI workers and hear about National projects from A/Prof. Darryl Maybery and Dr. Andrea Reupert. The seminar/workshop will be at Monash University Department of Rural & Indigenous Health (3 Ollerton Avenue, Moe).

Professor Nicholson will also be presenting at a mental health managers breakfast on the 20th of October.

Joanne Nicholson, Ph.D. has been a clinical and research psychologist for over 25 years. She is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), and directs the Child and Family Research Core of the UMMS Centre for Mental Health Services Research. Dr. Nicholson has established an active, consumer based program of research on parents with mental illness and their families. Her team of researchers, providers and consumers is developing education and skill training materials for parents, integrating the current knowledge and program evaluation through the pilot Family Options program.

More information

	Download the flyer for more information on the Workshop and Showcase at Monash University Department of Rural and Indigenous Health 3 Ollerton Avenue, Moe on 19 October 2009, 1–4 pm pdf file, 230kb
	Download the flyer for more information on the Free Public Forum at St Paul's Anglican Grammar Middle School, 46 Cross's Road, Traralgon on 19 October 2009, 5:30–7 pm pdf file, 268kb

Contact:

Associate Professor Darryl Maybery or Dr. Andrea Reupert
Monash University Department of Rural and Indigenous Health
Phone: 03 5128 1017
E-mail: darryl.maybery@med.monash.edu.au
or
Gippsland Area Mental Health Services coordinators Justine Anderson or Paul Jordon
Phone: (03) 5143 8977 or 0400911481
Email: janderson@lrh.com.au