Strategies and issues in supporting children whose parents have a mental illness within the school system.

It has been estimated that over 20% of children live in families where one parent has, or has had, a mental illness. Given the role of schools in children's academic as well as psycho-social development, it was considered important to identify effective strategies that school personnel have used in supporting such children. Parents and children, affected by parental mental illness, were invited to nominate school personnel who had provided exemplary support to themselves and/or their children. Participants included six teachers (four secondary and two primary), two school counsellors and one high school principal. The strategies and issues for school personnel included (i) how they became aware that the child had a parent with a mental illness, (ii) how they acquired training in supporting such children, (iii) the specific teaching strategies employed, (iv) developing relationships, (v) home-school communication and finally, (vi) whole school community strategies. While the study had a small number of participants, the findings provide potentially useful information for school staff when working with this at risk group of children.