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Abstract
Given the range of needs and competencies among children whose parents have a mental illness, it is crucial that such children are identified and provided with appropriate support. The first aim of this Australian national study was to ascertain how and by whom children already in a support program were identified for program selection. The second aim was to identify the manner in which children were assessed prior to program entry. In this study, 20 program coordinators, responsible for 19 intervention programs, were asked a series of questions related to referral and assessment practices. Audio transcripts from the interviews were content analysed, along with interrater reliability and member checks. Primarily, children were identified for program intervention from adult mental health agencies and schools. All coordinators cited parental mental illness as the main reason for referral. Coordinators relied on self-constructed questionnaires, referral information, or interviews with children and parents to ascertain children's suitability to programs, their individual needs, and to build rapport. It was found that coordinators did not totally subscribe to a “one size fits all” model of intervention, as a number of otherwise eligible children were excluded and some process refinements were made to programs. Actively listening to children and matching participants’ needs to program goals is strongly encouraged, prior to program entry.
Abstract
Acknowledgements
This project as supported by the COPMI National Initiative undertaken by AICAFMHA with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. We would like to thank the program facilitators, and their respective organisations, for the time and support given to us for this project. We also appreciate the extensive and considered feedback from the anonymous reviewers of this article.
Notes
1Please note the difference between screening and assessment. While both are part of an ongoing decision-making process, screening is usually conducted first to determine service eligibility and appropriateness while an assessment might provide more information about the type and extent of a specific diagnosis. In this paper, we focused on the process in which children are selected for program participation that might involve screening or assessment, or both.
