Women and Newborn Health Service
Health Professionals
King Edward Memorial Hospital
About WAPMHU
The WA Perinatal Mental Health Unit (WAPMHU)
for families in WA during the perinatal period"
- Strategic Initiatives
- Teamwork
- Excellence
- Ethical Practice
- Results
- Indigenous communities
- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities
- Rural and Remote communities
- 'mainstream' communities
Background
In 2003 the State Government provided funding to address perinatal mental health issues for women and their families. Through this funding, the WA Perinatal Mental Health Unit (WAPMHU) and the State Perinatal Reference Group (SPRG) were formed. The two groups work together, with the WAPMHU coordinating initiatives and the SPRG providing valuable input from stakeholders.
The WAPMHU is staffed by the State Coordinator, Education and Training Officer, Research Officer, Health Promotion Officer, Website Developer and Administrative Assistant. Key activity areas of WAPMHU include:
Research
Research underpins the other four activity areas of the WAPMHU. It has enabled the identification of community needs and highlighted gaps in service provision, allowing new services to be implemented and existing services to be expanded. Particular emphasis has been placed on research into the provision of culturally sensitive and relevant services, and interventions that reflect the needs of CALD, Indigenous and rural and remote area communities. Research has also informed the development of training programs and resources that reflect the findings of recent literature. Ongoing evaluation of services and resources is also a priority- since the inception of WAPMHU, evaluation frameworks have been embedded in all projects.
Coordination
A coordinated approach is needed between service providers to ensure that women, babies and their families receive the most appropriate and timely care in the perinatal period. The WAPMHU aims to achieve this outcome by developing relationships between both government and non-government agencies. A set of guidelines that will assist service providers is currently being developed.
Service Expansion
A number of service expansion projects have been initiated with the aim of delivering interventions for women and their families. Extensive consultation processes ensure that all projects are directed by the needs of local communities and service providers.
Current projects include:- The establishment of an Indigenous perinatal mental health service for Carnarvon and the surrounding districts, designed to raise awareness of perinatal mental health issues amongst Indigenous communities, provide support to existing service infrastructure and build support networks for Indigenous women during the perinatal period
- The trial of a practical home support service in metropolitan and rural areas, designed to impact positively on women's psychological health during the perinatal period
- The trial of perinatal support groups for women from CALD communities, designed to increase the women's level of perceived social support, increase the awareness of perinatal mental health issues within their communities, increase the women's level of engagement with health and community services, and increase the women's 'comfort' levels during engagement with health and community services
Education and Training
The WAPMHU aims to promote best practice in health education as well as the early identification of perinatal mental health issues. Several training programs are offered, including 'Use and Misuse of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)' and 'Boodjarri Business: Introduction to Perinatal Mental Health' for Aboriginal Health Workers. A module on perinatal anxiety is currently in development.
Health Promotion
It is important to raise awareness of perinatal mental health issues- not only to dispel myths and misconceptions, but to encourage early identification and treatment. The WAPMHU has developed several resources to assist in this aim.For more information about the WAPMHU or to enquire about resources or education/training available, please contact us.
