Working with parents with mental illness: Guidelines for mental health clinicians

'These guidelines are intended to be utilised as a reference document to support the implementation of the Queensland Health policy—Meeting the needs of children for whom a person with a mental illness has care responsibilities. They highlight the need for mental health workers to recognise the importance of parenting as one of the consumer’s life roles and integrate consideration of the parenting role in routine assessment, treatment planning, monitoring, review, relapse prevention and discharge planning processes. This will have benefits for both the adult consumer and the wellbeing and safety of their child.' Aims of the guidelines:

1. To provide a framework for the ongoing consideration of risk and protective factors in relation to any child protection concerns
2. To assist in identification of support needs for the parent/carer in relation to their parenting role
3. To assist in identification of the support needs of the children regarding their parent’s/carer’s mental illness.