Authors: Bendigo Health Psychiatric Services; Loddon Mallee Region Child Protection Program; Loddon Mallee Region Youth Justice Program
Year: 2007
Event: 2007 TheMHS Awards
Subject:
Type of resource: TheMHS Awards
Award state: VIC
Award level: Finalist
Award category: Regional/Rural/Remote Programs
Abstract: Families affected by parental mental illness, and those involved with the child protection and juvenile justice systems are among the most vulnerable in our community, and their significant overlap among this group. The Collaborative Family Practice Project (CFPP) is an innovative program designed to enhance the mental health and wellbeing of these families and young people by working at the client /family, practitioner and services system level. The program provides staff working in child protection, juvenile justice and mental health care with education and training, secondary consultation and ongoing support and mentoring in their work with families and young people. Direct clinical services to families including mental health assessments, short-term counselling and psycho-education are also provided. The project is supported by a multi-disciplinary, multi-agency working party that assists the work of the consultants and facilitates collaborative practice among agencies working in this area. Description of Facility/Organisation: The Collaborative Family Practice Project (CFPP) is based in the Loddon Southern Mallee Region of Victoria. This is a large Victorian rural of approximately 280,000 people over and covers an area of 38,000 sq km. The major towns in the region include Bendigo, Castlemaine, Echuca, Swan Hill and Kyneton, as a well as numerous smaller communities. The region is one of the most socioeconomically disadvantaged in the state, with areas of severe social and economic deprivation. The agencies responsible for the CFPP are the Psychiatric Services, Bendigo Health and the Loddon Child Protection and Juvenile Justice agencies. These services are funded by the Victorian Department of Human Services. The number of clients in each agency varies. The AMHS employs approximately 220 staff in community and inpatient treatment services, provided to children and adolescents, adult and older person. Child protection and Juvenile Justice have a combined staff of approximately 80.
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