International Projects & Resources

SibworkS - NEW revised 2nd Edition available now.
SibworkS is a therapeutic support program aimed at siblings of children with special needs aged 8 to 12 years. The program was developed and written by Kate Strohm (Executive Director, Siblings Australia) and Dr Monique Nesa (Curtin University, WA). Both authors have had a long history working in sibling support and the program grew out of their combined experiences. The program may run over 6 weeks after school or over two days in school holidays.

The program aims to provide an opportunity for siblings to:
• Have a fun experience
• Connect with other siblings
• Better understand their brother or sister’s special needs
• Share their feelings with others who understand, in a safe environment
• Develop coping skills for the challenging situations they may face
• Explore the strengths and uniqueness of themselves as well as their brother or sister with special needs
• Explore and enhance siblings’ support networks
• Strengthen siblings’ communication and relationships with their families and friends

The program explores different topics relating to sibling relationships, including:
1. Getting to know each other
2. Exploring differences
3. Friendly and not-so-friendly feelings
4. Problem squashing
5. Wiping out worries
6. Feeling stronger and supported

The program aims to increase participants’ emotional capacities, understanding of the special needs and increase the communication with their family and friends. Children are able to ask questions about their siblings’ special needs/disability as well as participate in fun activities. It is also somewhere they can come to share stories and learn there are other siblings who might share some of the same feelings and experiences.

Siblings Australia runs SibworkS programs in Adelaide only. However, facilitator manuals and participant booklets are available for service providers to purchase so they can run the groups for themselves. Siblings Australia also offers training to organisations who plan to use the manual. For more information, download the Order Form or the Sibworks flyer by clicking on the document in the related resources column (to the right). As well as credit card and cheque there is a direct bank transfer option - contact the office via below email for details.

We aim to provide these services to families around Adelaide, but the number run depends on funding. If your family is interested in participating in this group, please register your details by emailing info@siblingsaustralia.org.au.

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Being Seen, Being Heard - The Needs of Children of Parents with Mental Illness (Training Film).

The film is clearly divided into two main sections. Part I shows children and parents relating their various experiences. Part II focuses on solutions and the ways that professionals can help. The stories are interspersed with comments from experts. The key points of each sub-section are summarised in text on the screen.

Part I begins with an example of a referral which includes a discussion of what questions ought to be asked. Children and parents relate their experiences and opinions. The young people speak very frankly on what they believe is needed from professionals, both at home and when visiting parents in hospital.

Part II first examines ways in which professionals can help, again with contributions from young people themselves. Tips are given for talking with children, both on their own and in the presence of parents or the whole family. Finally, details are shown about the Kidstime Workshops - a special project being carried out in the Camden area which uses play-writing and drama to encourage children to express themselves.

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DRUMBEAT - The How & Why - Introductory information about this youth programme.
The DRUMBEAT program arose out of the failure of traditional, talk based, interventions to engage many young people facing social challenges that put them at risk of harm. These young people are often socially isolated and their behaviour’s often reinforce that isolation.

Holyoake was looking for a way to engage young people, lift their self confidence and teach them a range of life-skills that would enable them to reintegrate themselves with the community around them in a healthy way. Although developed originally for young Aboriginal men, the program now is being used with a wide range of population groups including adults in prisons and mental health facilities.

For information on the training program and upcoming dates in your area email drumbeat@holyoake.org.au or visit www.holyoake.org.au

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Getting it Right for Young Carers - The Young Carers Strategy for Scotland 2010-2015
Produced for the Scottish Government by APS Group Scotland
Published by the Scottish Government, July, 2010
This document is also available on the Scottish Governments website: www.scotland.gov.uk

The Scottish Government and COSLA are determined to ensure that carers are supported to manage their caring responsibilities with confidence and in good health, and to have a life of their own outside of caring. We are pleased to have worked together with a range of interests, including Health Boards, the national carer organisations and carers in developing this strategy. It will build on the support already in place and take forward the recommendations of the landmark report, Care 21: The Future of Unpaid Care in Scotland.

We recognise carers as equal partners in the delivery of care in Scotland and fully acknowledge carers‟ expertise, knowledge and the quality of care they give. With appropriate support, especially support delivered early to prevent crisis, caring need not have an adverse impact on carers.

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Kids Time Workshop UK - A workshop for children and parents affected by parental mental ill health.

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Mental Health and Growing Up. - Third Edition Parental Mental illness
Many children will grow up with a parent who, at some point, will have a mental illness. Most of these parents will have mild or short-lived illnesses, and will usually be treated by their general practitioner. A few children live with a parent who has a severe mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder.

Many more children live with a parent who has a long-term problem, such as alcohol or drug problems, personality disorder or depression.

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Parental Mental Health And Child Welfare Network.
The Parental Mental Health and Child Welfare Network is a development Network set up to promote joint working between social care and health staff working with parents with mental health problems or their children.

The Network is led by a steering group of representatives from leading mental health and children's organisations and service users and coordinated by the Social Perspectives Network. Service users and carers will be involved in every aspect of the Network development and evaluation to make sure that the Network's activities are user-focused.

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SCIE Guide 30 Parental mental health and child welfare - A guide for adult and children's health and social care services.

This guide is about working with parents who have mental health problems and their children. It provides guidance on policy and practice and makes recommendations for key areas of professional education, workforce development and research. It also provides links to useful resources and contact details of relevant organisations.  www.scie.org.uk

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Valuing Young People - Scotland. Principles and connections to support young people achieve their potential.
Valuing Young People has been designed to support partners deliver positive outcomes for all young people, while recognising that some need more help than others to realise their potential. It is founded on the principle of partnership: partnership with young people that offers them participation in their communities and local services; but also partnership across national and local government and the voluntary sector to provide the right kind of access to services that meets the diverse needs of young people.

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The Forgotten Children - EUFAMI
In November 2009 EUFAMI held its very successful conference on the topic of    children of Parents with a Mental Illness - The Forgotten Children – in  Vilnius,  Lithuania. EUFAMI committed to the establishment of an Action Network as a deliverable from the conference. This has now been established as a Facebook Group titled 'Friends of the Forgotten Children'. We are now issuing an invitation to you to join this group and become an active contributing friend.

The group has been created using most popular social networking platform (Facebook) and is the result of EUFAMI's initiative to set up a forum where issues which were raised and debated at the conference on children of parents with a mental illness can be further discussed. The network can also be used to upload and distribute examples of good practices and actions which are taking place across Europe and further afield. These can then be accessed by anybody who may be looking for information in order to re-create similar work in their own countries. The network is managed and facilitated by EUFAMI and was officially launched at a seminar on the subject of Mental health which took place at the European Parliament in  Brussels on 2nd June 2010.

If you wish to become a friend of the Forgotten Children, simply log onto the information page for the network through Facebook and send a request to become a member. You can do this by following the link Friends of the Forgotten Children on Facebook or in case this does not work, by pasting the following link in your browser address bar:
 http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=118331018189669&ref=ts

EUFAMI also issue a monthly bulletin and publish it on the website http://www.eufami.org. Previous bulletins are available if you scroll down the page of the EUFAMI  website.  The Forgotten Children group is included in the July Bulletin.