SCkoping

In recent years there has been an increased awareness of the needs of children and families where a parent or caregiver is affected by mental illness.

It is acknowledged that children of parents with a mental illness are one of the groups at highest risk both genetically and environment for developing mental illness themselves. This makes them a priority group for mental health prevention activities. Often these children are referred to as 'invisible' because their needs are not always recognised in service delivery.

SCKoping includes government and community agencies working collaboratively to develop, support and implement strategies that respond to the needs of these children and young people who are living in a family affected by mental illness.

The Program

The current program involves running a minimum of 8 aged appropriate groups, namely:

• Kidz Club: (6 to 10 years old) 2.5 hour sessions run weekly over a 8 week period, session 1 and 2 also involve a parallel group for the parents. (Commenced 2003)
• Middle Earth:(11 to 13 years old) 3 full days over 3 weeks. There is a 2.5 hour session for parents on the first day. (Commenced March 2005)
• Gaining Grounds: (13 to 18 years) 3 full days over 3 weeks. There is a 3.5 hour parent session on the first day. (Commenced 2002)
• Peer Support Group: Second tier of support for those 13 years above. This meets every second month. (Commenced 2003)
• Middle Earth Support Group: (Commenced September 2008)
• The annual Camp is another tier of the overall support programme for the young people aged 13 years and above. It is an incremental development programme (multi-levelled) and follows on from the Gaining Grounds programme. (Commenced 2004)
• Leadership Training: Peer Support members who are interested in developing a leadership role and are 17 years or above as facilitators and camp leaders. (Commenced September 2006)

Delivery Data

The Network has been conducting groups over the past 5 years throughout the Sunshine Coast Region, from Caboolture to Noosa. Facilitators from a variety of interested community organisations who are supervised by a part-time project officer conduct the groups. This role is based at the Sunshine Coast Child and Youth Mental Health Service. These program components are made possible because staff and organisations donate their time and resources to conduct the groups, training days, peer support program and annual camp.

The program was specifically developed to meet a need for young people who are marginalised as a result of living in a family where a person has a mental illness. The established themes throughout the program are one of resilience building, coping and problem solving techniques, and to provide support and information in a confidential environment from trained facilitators and from their peers. The program promotes connectedness in this client base.