About COMIC
Mission Statement
Recent Achievements
Our Challenge to You
Issues
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About COMIC
COMIC was formed at a forum held in February 2000, and is comprised of
a group of adults who share a common interest for children of
parents with a mental illness. 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.
We also acknowledge 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 Phase Two |
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Brennan Report |
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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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Recent Achievements
Since February 2000, COMIC has developed a broad network of contacts with:
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Mental health services. |
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The non-government sector. |
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Consumer groups. |
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Carer groups. |
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In an attempt to heighten awareness of the need and encourage improved interagency communication
in relation to these issues, COMIC has provided speakers to:
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THEMHS Conference - Adelaide 2000. |
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Schizophrenia Awareness Week Seminar - "Road to Recovery" 2000. |
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Carers Week Forum - The Next Steps - Progressing the Needs of Carers within the Mental Health System -2000 |
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The 4th National Conference of the Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent & Family Mental Health Association - Brisbane 2001. |
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OFFSPRING in the southern region. |
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Scoping Project |
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Holding it all Together - 1st National Conference April 2002 |
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3rd International Conference on Child & Adolescent Mental Health June 2002 |
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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
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 a good time 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. 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 uniform assessment sheets throughout
Australia. We would like to see that once a parent is initially diagnosed that
services are available to them but also to the family (which involves children).
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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 ill. 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 available to these children on trauma, anger and
behavioural management unless they present with a problem and come through the services.
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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
ith 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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