Keeping in Touch (KIT) implementation action plan – mental health settings

Emerging Minds, Australia, November 2020

Related to Attachment and separation, Mental health care, Mental health services, Parental mental illness

For some practitioners working in adult-only residential and inpatient mental health treatment programs, starting conversations about parenting, and working with parents and their children might be new and challenging.

The Keeping in Touch with Your Children (KIT) Menu has been designed to provide practical ways you can promote parent-child connectedness during periods of separation. This action plan provides practical actions and recommendations to help you successfully implement the KIT Menu in your setting.

Discover more resources

Resource summary

Keeping in Touch (KIT): Supporting parents in residential and inpatient mental health settings

Emerging Minds

For some practitioners working in adult-only residential and inpatient mental health programs, starting conversations about parenting, and working with parents and their children might be new and challenging. The Keeping in Touch with Your Children (KIT) Menu has been designed to provide practical ways you can promote parent-child connectedness during periods of separation.
Guide

Keeping in Touch (KIT) mental health inpatient guide

Emerging Minds

This practice guide outlines ways in which the Keeping in Touch Menu can be used with parents in inpatient mental health settings to promote parent-child connectedness during periods of separation.
Guide

Keeping in Touch (KIT) mental health residential guide

Emerging Minds

This practice guide outlines ways in which the Keeping in Touch Menu can be used with parents in residential mental health settings to promote parent-child connectedness during periods of separation.
Research summary

Highlights in child mental health research: October 2024

Prepared by AIFS

This October 2024 research summary provides a selection of recently released papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses related to infant and child mental health. Each summary includes an introductory overview of the content for the month, followed by a list of selected articles. Each article is accompanied by a brief synopsis which presents the key messages and highlights. Links to abstracts, full-text articles and related resources, where available, are provided.
Research summary

Highlights in child mental health research: September 2024

Prepared by AIFS

This September 2024 research summary provides a selection of recently released papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses related to infant and child mental health. Each summary includes an introductory overview of the content for the month, followed by a list of selected articles. Each article is accompanied by a brief synopsis which presents the key messages and highlights. Links to abstracts, full-text articles and related resources, where available, are provided.
Practice paper

How psychological first aid can support infants, children and families who experience a disaster (part one)

Emerging Minds

This paper is the first of two and introduces psychological first aid (PFA), a psychosocial support approach that can reduce distress and support the mental health of infants, children and families who have experienced a disaster.
Practice paper

Psychological first aid with infants and children: Practice guidance (part two)

Emerging Minds

Part two of two: This paper provides guidance to practitioners offering psychological first aid with infants, children and families in the context of a disaster.
Practice paper

Strategies for supporting the mental health of infants and children after a disaster: Child–adult relationships

Emerging Minds

Following a disaster it's common for children to experience increased separation anxiety. This resources explores how parents can help children to develop safe relationships with other caring adults.
Practice paper

Strategies for supporting the mental health of infants and children after a disaster: Emotional regulation

Emerging Minds

This resource explains the importance of connection, emotional literacy and environment in helping children feel safe, and how regulation can be achieved through the body using sensory- and movement-based exercises, along with fun, relaxing and mindfulness activities.
Practice paper

Strategies for supporting the mental health of infants and children after a disaster: Play and creative expression

Emerging Minds

This resource demonstrates the importance of encouraging play and creative expression to help children unpack, explore and process difficult experiences like disaster. Creative expression is encouraged as a way for children to communicate about complex emotions and feelings, especially when they might be difficult to articulate verbally
Practice paper

Strategies for supporting the mental health of infants and children after a disaster: Routines and predictability

Emerging Minds

Re-establishing routines and setting boundaries and expectations are important for restoring children's sense of stability and safety after a disaster, especially when they have to spend time away from their parents or home.
Practice paper

Strategies for supporting the mental health of infants and children after a disaster: Support networks

Emerging Minds

In addition to the support of extended family, friends and the learning community, responses from governments and specialist mental health services plus digital resources are important to the successful recovery of children and families after a disaster.

This resource is part of the following toolkits

Keeping in Touch With Your Children (KIT) toolkit

48 Resources
Toolkit Sections:

Keeping in Touch (KIT) implementation action plan – mental health settings

Emerging Minds, Australia, November 2020

Discover more resources

Keeping in Touch (KIT): Supporting parents in residential and inpatient mental health settings

Keeping in Touch (KIT) mental health inpatient guide

Keeping in Touch (KIT) mental health residential guide

Highlights in child mental health research: October 2024

Highlights in child mental health research: September 2024

How psychological first aid can support infants, children and families who experience a disaster (part one)

Psychological first aid with infants and children: Practice guidance (part two)

Strategies for supporting the mental health of infants and children after a disaster: Child–adult relationships

Strategies for supporting the mental health of infants and children after a disaster: Emotional regulation

Strategies for supporting the mental health of infants and children after a disaster: Play and creative expression

Strategies for supporting the mental health of infants and children after a disaster: Routines and predictability

Strategies for supporting the mental health of infants and children after a disaster: Support networks

This resource is part of the following toolkits

Keeping in Touch With Your Children (KIT) toolkit

Toolkit Sections:

Subscribe to our newsletters