Parenting with mental illness is not uncommon and is often associated with a range of challenges for parents, children, and the family unit. Family-focussed practice involves the provision of services to the wider family system, including children. While family-focussed practice is important to consumers and their families, adult mental health practitioners do not routinely discuss parenting or children with their clients, nor work closely with the whole family. In the present study, we aimed to examine the characteristics of practitioners from Australian adult mental health services associated with family-focussed practices. Characteristics included sex, years of experience, location, and previous training in child and family-focussed practice. A total of 307 adult mental health practitioners from Victoria, Australia, responded to the Family Focused Mental Health Practice Questionnaire and a series of demographic items. The results indicated that particular practitioner characteristics predicted the delivery of family-focussed practice. Practitioner experience, sex, working in a rural location, and previous family- or child-related training were found to be important in the provision of family-focussed practice. More experienced, female, rurally-located, and well-trained practitioners undertake most family-focussed practice. These results suggest that training in family-focussed practice needs to be promoted, with considerations made for differing needs according to the characteristics of the adult mental health practitioner.

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This article provides an overview of a unique way to respond to the complex oral health needs of people with a mental illness. People with a psychiatric disability, especially those of low income and insecure housing, are at high risk of developing oral disease, due to issues associated with mental illness, poverty and the side-effects of psychotropic medication. The 'Dental as Anything' program is a collaborative partnership between the mental health, dental and administration teams of the Inner South Community Health Service (ISCHS) in Melbourne. It provides a flexible program incorporating engagement, clinical care, education and support in response to client needs. Utilising a health promotion framework and an assertive outreach model, it accesses people who traditionally do not approach mainstream services. The program manages to "reach the unreachable".

BackgroundSuboptimal use of mental health services persists for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples1. Coupled with poorer life expectancy than other Australians, barriers to care have included poorly established partnership and communication among mental health services and Aboriginal peoples, and cultural insensitivity. As such, a goal of the Aboriginal mental health workforce is to engage their people and improve the social and emotional well-being of Aboriginal peoples. In 2013, the Northern Area Mental Health Service piloted a 0.8 full time equivalent position of an Aboriginal Mental Health Liaison Officer in an urban setting. Therefore, aims of this study were to describe the development of the role and stakeholder perceptions on how the role impacts on the typical journey of Aboriginal consumers engaging with mental health services. Meeting the aims may provide an exemplar for other mental health services.MethodsAn illustrative case study using quantitative and qualitative data collection was undertaken. Descriptive statistics were computed to profile consumers and referral pathways. Thematic analysis was used to profile key stakeholder perceptions of the role.ResultsThe Aboriginal Mental Health Liaison Officer received 37 referrals over a 9 month period. The major source of referral was from an emergency department (49 %). Seventy-three percent of referrals by the Aboriginal mental health liaison officer at discharge were to community mental health teams. Thematic analysis of data on the development of the role resulted in two themes themes; (1) realisation of the need to improve accessibility and (2) advocating for change. The description of the role resulted in four themes; (1) the initiator: initiating access to the service, (2) the translator: brokering understanding among consumers and clinicians, (3) the networker: discharging to the community, and (4) the facilitator: providing cyclic continuity of care.ConclusionsThe liaison component of the role was only a part of the multiple tasks the urban Aboriginal Mental Health Liaison Officer fulfils. As such, the role was positively described as influencing the lives of Aboriginal consumers and their families and improving engagement with health professionals in the mental health service in question.

This project highlights a need to recognize and work with positive aspects and difficulties in family relationships as part of mental health service provision. Policies can be reviewed to increase the likelihood that mental health care will combine family-sensitive practice with practice that acknowledges difficult family relationships and experiences of family violence in order to maximize support to mothers with mental illness and their children.