title: Thinking families: A study of the characteristics of the workforce that delivers family-focussed practice.
abstract: Parenting with mental illness is not uncommon and is often associated with a range of challenges for parents, children, and the family unit. Family-focussed practice involves the provision of services to the wider family system, including children. While family-focussed practice is important to consumers and their families, adult mental health practitioners do not routinely discuss parenting or children with their clients, nor work closely with the whole family. In the present study, we aimed to examine the characteristics of practitioners from Australian adult mental health services associated with family-focussed practices. Characteristics included sex, years of experience, location, and previous training in child and family-focussed practice. A total of 307 adult mental health practitioners from Victoria, Australia, responded to the Family Focused Mental Health Practice Questionnaire and a series of demographic items. The results indicated that particular practitioner characteristics predicted the delivery of family-focussed practice. Practitioner experience, sex, working in a rural location, and previous family- or child-related training were found to be important in the provision of family-focussed practice. More experienced, female, rurally-located, and well-trained practitioners undertake most family-focussed practice. These results suggest that training in family-focussed practice needs to be promoted, with considerations made for differing needs according to the characteristics of the adult mental health practitioner.
authors.affiliation: School of Rural Health, Monash University, Moe, Victoria, Australia.|The Parenting Research Centre, East Melbourne, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Melinda
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5928-0161
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goodyear
authors.affiliation: School of Rural Health, Monash University, Moe, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Darryl
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maybery
authors.affiliation: Krongold Centre, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reupert
authors.affiliation: Eastern Health Adult Mental Health Program, Ringwood East, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Allchin
authors.affiliation: Bendigo Health, Psychiatric Services, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Cait
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.affiliation: Northern Area Mental Health Service, NorthWestern Mental Health, Epping, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Sabin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fernbacher
authors.affiliation: The Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Rose
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cuff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005190:Family; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D016487:Parenting; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014739:Victoria; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: family-focussed practice; mental illness; parenting, workforce