This is a free event designed for members of the public clinical mental health workforce in Victoria, (staff employed at Area Mental Health Services, Forensicare or mental health staff from RCH). For example, a social worker working in mental health at Austin Health. Staff from MHCSSs, ACCHOs, AOD or other partner organisations may also attend. Please note, if you do register for this event and it is not clear you are part of the intended audience, your registration will be confirmed two weeks prior to the event start date, or earlier.
The training material has been developed and refined in collaboration with parents with mental ill health. The training team includes people with lived experience of parenting and mental ill health.
Let’s Talk About Children (Let’s Talk), a brief evidenced-based practice, is one part of a suite of family-inclusive practices that promote the parent-child relationships that are the foundations for child development and healthy adult life.
Let’s Talk aims to make talking about children and parenting issues a natural part of the collaborative therapeutic alliance between parents and practitioners to support the consumer to parent as well as they can in the context of their situation and promote recovery for the parent and family. It has been developed for work with parents who have dependent children, have an active parenting role and/or who have children in their care. Its use with all parents, regardless of custody, acknowledges that the loss of the parenting role or feelings of inadequacy in the role can be a contributing factor to poor mental health.
Let’s Talk practice uses a series of strength-based conversations with the parent to promote the agency of the parent and the social networks around the child. In the conversations, the parent and practitioner explore the needs of the child, how the parent’s mental health and/ or coexisting issues may be affecting their parenting and their child, and any assistance they may need to promote harmonious family life. It uses supportive resources to equip parents to have conversations with their child and family about their mental health and/or coexisting issues.
This course incorporates a theoretical component using the Emerging Minds Let’s Talk about Children (Let’s Talk) online course with an application component which orients practitioner to the use of Let’s Talk and provides opportunity for reflection and practice to equip practitioners to use it in their everyday work with parents.
This event will cover:
- The structure of Let’s Talk and the underlying practitioner stance
- The principles underlying the Let’s Talk model
- An orientation of how Let’s Talk is used in practice
- Give opportunity to practice delivering and receiving Let’s Talk
- Create space to reflect on how it could apply to learner's own practice
The session will include a variety of mediums including audiovisual material, large and small group discussion and reflection, practice sessions (aka role play) and powerpoint presentation.
Delivery Mode – In-Person
This course is delivered in-person at the Centre for Theology & Ministry - Auditorium.
NOTE: NO CATERING IS PROVIDED FOR THIS SESSION. PARTICIPANTS ARE ASKED TO BRING THEIR OWN MEALS FOR THE DAY.
