1. CENTRE FOR WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH
PROMOTING research and PRACTICE development IN FAMILY VIOLENCE

2. Translational Research AND FAMILY VIOLENCE
Pregnancy and early parenting as a key area for intervention
Issues for women's mental health and infant development
Role of antenatal care and women's access to broad psychosocial support
Enhance capacity of antenatal care for risk identification and response
Address barriers to risk identification and dialogue with vulnerable women
Move beyond advice giving
Need to develop targeted mental health and psychosocial support approaches that are accessible and deliverable in multidisciplinary context
Currently limited mental health programs available despite high rates of depression and trauma related issues
Little focus on promoting infant development and parenting in the face of domestic violence

3. SAFE MOTHERS, SAFE BABIES Better identification and response to women at risk of family violence
ISSUE – family violence increases in pregnancy; 20% of new cases of FV begin in pregnancy
Stress and anxiety in pregnancy impacts mother mental health and infant development
RESPONSE – antenatal clinic as ideal setting for identifying women at risk and linking them to support; there are currently no standard approaches to this and no designated early intervention service
DISSEMINATION – antenatal services with training provided by NBO Australia. RWH

4. MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSES TO FV IN PREGNANCY
Provide information and access to support options
Support women in protecting their own mental health and wellbeing and health of baby
Mental health early intervention program around stress and anxiety and promotion of parenting
Use of interactional interventions – NBO, PWF
Follow up focussed on infant parent relationship and child development

5. PROJECT COMPONENTS Antenatal screening and identification
Mental health assessment and planning appropriate approach
Antenatal Group program – Mind Baby Body
Postnatal Mother Infant group program – Parenting With Feeling, Newborn Behavioural Observation
Focus on engagement around safety, foetal and infant development and parenting in the face of risk, addressing mental health issues related to trauma such as depression and anxiety
Focus on infant attachment and development and issues of parental reflective capacity

6. PREVENTION IN HIGH RISK DYADS
Interventions focus on improving responsivity and emotional attunement
Aim at improving understanding of infant needs and changing perceptions of the infant
Attachment focussed interventions
Infant -led interventions

7. PARENTING WITH FEELING
Uses interaction of infant and parent in direct way – observation and reflection
Uses video of infant communication
Addresses trauma issue in parents history and current issues
Tasks to improve reflective capacity and parental role
10 week group program for 5-6 dyads using 2 clinicians
RWH providing training for facilitators in approach
Incorporates NBO and trainings provided Nationally by NBO Australia, hosted by RWH

8. PWF KEY CONCEPTS Trauma and representation of the infant
Development of emotional competency
Parent as attachment figure
Supportive exploration and normalisation
Support for mothers in developing sense of self as emotionally responsive and available to infant – self esteem and confidence