Early Help in a Clinical Setting for (Expectant) Parents with Mental Illness and at Risk of Addiction

The measure "Early help in a clinical setting for (expectant) parents with mental illness and at risk of addiction " is being developed in order to transfer parents under stress from inpatient to outpatient structures, to strengthen cooperation within early help and to ensure support during pregnancy and parenthood.

Start date:

01/04/2024

Type:

Transfer project

Cooperation project

Profile:

Forming Society

Organisational Unit:

Social and Educational Sciences Department

Cooperation partners:

State capital Potsdam
IFFE e. V.

Funding:

Project funding by the City of Potsdam, Department of Children, Youth and Family

Early help for (expectant) parents with mental illness and at risk of addiction: preventative support in a clinical setting

In 2024, the project "Early help in the clinical setting for mentally ill and addiction-prone (expectant) parents" was developed in cooperation with the state capital of Potsdam. The aim of the project is to create a preventative and low-threshold counselling service that supports expectant or young parents with mental health issues and/or at risk of addiction.

Transition from inpatient to outpatient care structures:

At the parents' request, the measure enables the transfer of parents receiving inpatient treatment to suitable outpatient care services. This takes place through outreach counselling by early help specialists directly in the inpatient facilities. They clarify individual needs and ensure seamless further counselling in the outpatient sector or referral to a more suitable service.

Aims of the programme:

Early support: Establishment of low-threshold services that reach mentally stressed parents and parents at risk of addiction during pregnancy and support them in preparing for their role as parents.
Continuous support: Ensuring appropriate support for parents and children up to the age of three.
Improving co-operation between support systems: Strengthening co-operation between healthcare and youth services to create seamless transitions.
Relieving the burden on clinical staff: Reducing the workload in inpatient facilities through early transition and cooperation with outpatient structures.

Long-term effect:

The measure supports expectant and young parents in difficult life situations and strengthens the integration of early help into the healthcare system. It helps to sustainably improve the care of parents with mental illnesses or at risk of addiction and to establish a reliable network between clinical and outpatient support.