About COMIC
Mission Statement
Recent Achievements
Our Challenge to You
Issues
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About COMIC
COMIC was formed at a forum held on 18 February 2000, and is comprised of
a group of adult children who share a common interest for children of
mentally ill consumers. The group shares a common perception of the past
failure by the mental health services to acknowledge and support them as children
with special needs and assistance. COMIC also acknowledges that there has been a
lack of support for ill parents and / or families. The group has begun to lobby
and advocate for the rights of these children and the ill parent who continue to
suffer due to the lack of sufficient acknowledgement, education and support by
services.
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Some members of COMIC have expertise in relation to children of consumers with a
mental illness and all members are identifying issues and the means of
addressing them. We aim to change the culture surrounding mental illness within
both mental health services and the broader community therefore contributing to
destigmatisation. COMIC wants to see a higher focus pertaining to children of
parents with a mental illness.
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Mission Statement
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TO ADVOCATE AND PROMOTE AWARENESS FOR CHILDREN OF MENTALLY ILL CONSUMERS BY:
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Lobbying for Children's Rights working within the guidelines and recommendations:
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United Nations Convention for Children’s Rights |
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Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission Report (Brian Burdekin (1993) Chapter 16) |
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National Mental Health Strategy (1999) Phase Two |
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Brennan Report (2000) |
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Children of Parents Affected by a Mental Illness Scoping Report prepared by
AICAFMHA - Australian Infant Child Adolescent Family Mental Health Association Inc. (March 2000)
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| 2. EDUCATION |
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To promote mental illness education as part of the school curriculum.
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| 3. INFORMATION |
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Supporting Our Family Kit |
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COMIC Brochure |
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COMIC Web Site |
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COMIC Corner Resource Library |
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Presentations
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| 4. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES |
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Acknowledgment of childrens existence.
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Advocate for the commencement of concurrent child and parent support groups.
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Encourage Young Carers Respite Programs.
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To ensure that all children of mentally ill consumers receive
information, education about mental illness and they are
supported so that they do not feel alone and isolated.
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To encourage the use of a Care Plan so that children understand what
to do during a crisis situation so that any trauma will be cushioned.
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To make counselling available should the children be traumatised.
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COMIC has also contributed to the development of The Department of Human Services
South Australia Draft Policy for Children with Parents or Relatives
with a Mental illness.
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COMIC believes that a concerted focus on children is timely because of the process
of reform occurring within South Australia following the Brennan Report and the
implementation plan for the National Mental Health Strategy Stage 2.
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Our Challenge to You
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How can your organisation contribute to finding solutions to some of the above issues? |
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How can you contribute to educating these children? |
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How can your organisation help to support these children by
offering respite and perhaps fun as this may not always be available
to them?
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How can you offer them mental health and wellbeing? |
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These questions are all food for thought.
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We at COMIC believe there are many organisations that can offer some solutions to the above.
Ultimately, we would like to see the services available through a universal hospital and
psychiatric intake computer system throughout Australia. We would like to see that once a
parent is initially admitted and/or diagnosed that services are automatically made available to
their dependant children and a family approach is taken.
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We believe that with better interagency communication, better education,
better care and support this can be achieved.
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Our goal is to see the family unit as a whole supported during a perhaps difficult time.
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It Can Happen!
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Issues
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Could I Lose My Children?
Some vulnerable parents are afraid of having their children taken away because
they are unwell. We're sure this is not the case with parents who have diabetes,
heart problems etc. Respite services should be made available.
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Inadequate Counselling for Children
There is no counselling in most States and Territories within Australia available to these
children on trauma, anger, grief and behavioural management unless they present to a service
when the problems have escalated and reach crisis point. COMIC advocates for early
intervention, prevention and promotion.
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Lack of Funding
This is one of the most neglected areas of funding/support to mental health since it began.
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Inadequate Support Services
With deinstitutionalisation there has unfortunately been a lack of support and services for
parents and that this effects the children too!
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Communities Lack Understanding
The Stigma of mental illness has a huge effect on these children and they somehow have to
try and grow up at the same time.
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COMIC continues to:
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Advocate for services and support to be put in place |
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Provide education about mental illness |
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Provide public speakers |
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Provide links to other services |
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For futher information:
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