June 2024: A celebration of family wellbeing

Art from the heart

This edition features the work (above) of Jodi, one of our fantastic lived experience advisors.
Artist Jodi said, "My artwork is inspired by my experience of grief and loss, and the creative process has been healing for me. Please visit the Children's Mental Health Gallery to check out Jodi's podcast interview or to view more art by our Lived Experience Advisors.

A celebration of family wellbeing

Our Family Centred Care team hosted a special celebration to mark the launch of our Family Wellbeing Model pilot which is now live!

Staff, Lived Experience Advisors (LEAs), and the strategy team came together to acknowledge this huge milestone and show appreciation for everyone involved in the development of the model.

We're currently piloting the Family Wellbeing Model in Kelpie, Adolescent Medicine, and the Complex Care Hub.

The model includes an online training package and resources to equip staff to initiate conversations with families about their mental health using the Wellbeing Continuum.

One of the celebration's highlights was hearing from our LEA, Deanna De Cicco, who gave an incredible speech recognising the co-design and involvement of lived experiences in the model's development.

"It takes immense courage, strength and resilience to use what is often some of the hardest parts of your life to help others. I want to hold space and recognise that all of the incredible LEAs who have contributed to this piece of work, could only do so because they have navigated a system without it", she said.

Deana said, "It is mind-blowing to know that all around us in the hospital today are hundreds of people who will benefit greatly from the work we have done and everyone should be so incredibly proud of that". She continued, "One of the biggest takeaways from this project is that just a simple conversation can change everything. We can learn so much and help so much with just a five-minute chat."

Reshaping Mental Health Resources: A Collaborative Approach

In May, the campus delivered a Grand Round, "Reshaping Mental Health Resources: A Collaborative Approach", which featured the second edition of our Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline for Anxiety in Children and Young People and new quick reference flowchart.

The round explored how integrating the voices of children and their parents can transform our mental health work. The panel of speakers included: Dr Zeffie Poulakis, Director of Psychology at the RCH; Dr Anthea Rhodes, Developmental Paediatrician and Founding Director of the RCH Child Health Poll and the RCH Health Literacy Project; Derek McCormack, Director of Raising Children Network; and Deanna De Cicco, Lived Experience Advisor at the Campus Mental Health Strategy.

They shared projects and insights, emphasising the impact of lived experience when creating mental health resources. The panel also discussed practical tips for supporting lived experience in research, knowledge translation and clinical practice, and challenged current assumptions towards co-design.

Photo: Grand Rounds panel (from left to right) Dr Zeffie Poulakis, Deanna De Cicco, Derek McCormack, and Dr Anthea Rhodes.

You can watch the recorded Grand Round on the RCH webpage.
To view our featured anxiety resources, please visit Mental Health Central.

Meet our Steering Committee and our Family Centred care team

Call out: help develop a new guideline on suicide and self-harm

Our strategy is in the early stages of developing clinical guidance for suicide and self-harm in children and young people. We invite staff from the RCH to express their interest in joining our development group. We also welcome information about existing projects and resources available on the topic.

To learn more or get involved, please email our Senior Project Officer, Sydney Stevens, at [email protected].

For help, please contact:

Lifeline: 13 11 14 (available 24/7)
Suicide Call-Back Service: 1300 659 467 (available 24/7)
SuicideLine: 1300 651 251 (available 24/7)

For more information please contact, [email protected].

Acknowledgement of Country

At Mental Health Central we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we live, gather and work. We recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

We acknowledge all people with a lived or living experience of mental ill-health and recovery. At the Campus, we particularly acknowledge children, young people, families, carers, and supporters. We recognise their vital contribution and value the courage of those who share this unique perspective for the purpose of learning and growing together to achieve better outcomes for the Campus, staff, sector, and all people of lived experience.