Working with Mental Illness in Families with Children aged 0-3 years

These are free events designed for members of the public clinical mental health workforce in Victoria, (staff employed at Area Mental Health Services, Forensicare or mental health staff from RCH) and lived experience workforces (LEW) working in either public clinical or community mental health state-funded roles. Other workforce in partner organisations, such as AOD organisations or ACCHOs, may sometimes be eligible. Please note, if you do register for an event and it is not clear you are part of the intended audience, your registration will be confirmed two weeks prior to the event start date, or earlier.

Mental illness is common—and often presents for the first time, worsens or comes to attention with the demands of a young infant. This is also when the family are adjusting, wanting to do their best—and a critical time for attachment, the blueprint of future relationships which can protect against later mental health problems for the children. This training looks at the potential interplay between parental mental illness and attachment problems, and how working with these families can provide a better outcome for them all.

Delivery Mode – 3-hours online

This course is delivered online. Sessions are hosted via Zoom.

Presenters:

Anne Buist, Austin Health - Anne Buist is the Chair of Women’s Mental Health at the University of Melbourne, based at Austin Health, and has over 30 years clinical and research experience in perinatal psychiatry including being director of mother-baby units for much of this time. She was director of the beyondblue PND initiative and her research includes child abuse as a risk factor for perinatal depression, and drugs in breastmilk. She work withs Protective Services and the legal system in cases of abuse, kidnapping, infanticide and murder. She teaches, supervises a perinatal outreach service (PIMHI) and provides one off second opinions in complex perinatal cases.

Polly Cox, Austin Health - Polly is a Registered Nurse/Midwife and MCH Nurse with over 40 years’ experience working across 3 States. She is a trained Circle of Security Facilitator, with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Psychology). For the past 15 years has worked with families who have struggled with becoming parents. She is passionate about being an advocate for the infants and children of these families to enhance their attachment and parenting capacity. As a PIMHI Parent Infant Mental Health Clinician Polly is involved in changing the trajectory of children’s lived experience as they grow with their parents, who experience severe Mental health concerns.