Community Safety And The Protecting Our ... - Auckland Council

MENTAL WELLBEING OF PARENTSPROJECT OVERVIEWSupporting the mental wellbeing of parents and caregivers is critical. Drug and alcohol addiction,along with mental unwellness can be major factors in family violence and can impact on manyparents’ ability to provide for their children and keep them safe.Ensuring that mental health issues and addiction issues are recognised as early as possible andthat intervention/support services provided EARLY to support parents is paramount. It’s alsoimportant that plans are made to ensure children’s safety during this time.Primary health care providers are key to ensuring mental wellbeing issues are recognised andassisted at the earliest stage possible. Accessible information to enable GPs, Midwives, WellChild Providers etc to support and respond to parental wellbeing needs is key in this regard.It’s also important to ensure that resources and funding to support parents and caregivers knownto mental health services remains high on both DHB and Ministry of Health funding priorities.Increased funding for maternal mental health services (especially early interventionassessment/services) is also key.First Stepsq Collating and updating existing mental wellbeing resources and referral points for GPs andother primary care providers in Waitakere would be a useful first stepq Ongoing advocacy for better resourced maternal mental health servicesSOME KEY STAKEHOLDERSShared Vision in consultation with:q Waitemata Mental Health Services (including maternal mental health services)q Regional Drug and Alcohol Services (CADS WEST)q Health Westq Waiora Amatagaq Other relevant primary health providersq Consumer support groups including Postnatal Depression Support GroupqqqqqqRESOURCES REQUIREDInitial coordination resource to convene group to look at existing Shared Vision information/material sources for primary care providersResourcing to update existing Shared Vision material for primary care providersFunding to print, distribute and publicise manual and its usefulness among primary careprovidersPROJECT MILESTONESGroup convened to review existing materials and assess current needs from both primary careproviders and consumer perspective“People” resources made available to review and update existing materials/informationBuy in from local PHOs to the project – budget and participation on project teamPAGE 25