Taking a closer look: A cross-sector audit of families where a parent has a mental illness.

A growing number of studies over the past decade have identified the needs of families where a parent has a mental illness (FaPMI) and the responsibility of organisations to provide adequate services to effectively support them. This article describes the development and implementation of a cross-sector audit between mental health and family support services in a catchment area in Melbourne, Australia. The audit gathered information about the number, demographics, supports and potential needs of FaPMI clients and their dependent children (aged 0-18 years). Selected results are presented here. Across ten teams, the audit identified 223 FaPMI clients (including ten shared clients across organisations) with a total of 400 children. The audit provided insight into gaps in knowledge about FaPMI and possibilities for service development for participating agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]