Connecting With Carers is Everybody’s Business Handbook

Summary

The NSW Family and Carer Mental Health Program was developed to assist consumers, families and carers in understanding and coping with mental illness.

The aims of the program are to improve:

• family friendly mental health services where families and carers are recognised supported and included in treatment, planning and service provision
• mental health family and carer support whereby partner NGOs provide education and training to build coping skills and resilience. They also provide individual support, information, advocacy and peer support
• awareness of, and access to, generic support services such as counselling, respite and financial support.

The Connecting With Carers Is Everybody’s Business DVD and Handbook were developed to meet the need identified by local health districts during state-wide training for a training resource which focused on the skills essential to everyday practice in working with carers of adult mental health clients.