A BRIEF PROJECT HISTORY

Mid-1993 – Parents with Psychiatric Disabilities project was funded through the insight of the NYS Office of Mental Health to raise awareness of the strengths and needs of parents. Meetings were held with parents, providers and system representatives.

1994 – Informational materials were compiled, developed, and distributed through a toll-free telephone number. Data on regional support groups were gathered for a referral data base.

1995 – Contracted with the MHA in NYC/Bronx to hold a dialogue in the NYC Area in order to receive some start up funds for the development of support services. Additionally, a legal forum was held in the fall in Utica.

1996 – The program worked to identify and link existing and developing programs with parents, and facilitated the creation of new services. An advisory council drew representatives from mental health, social services, legal, public policy and business communities together with parents to continue to identify issues critical to parents with psychiatric disabilities and to guide the project’s direction.

1997 – Focus group of 14 parents from all over New York State was convened to assess ongoing needs. We worked with a consortium to address needs. A conference on Pregnancy, Parenting and Mental Illness provided a training opportunity for recipients and professionals in the fields of mental health, reproductive health, family planning, preventive services, family support and legal advocacy.

1998 – We conducted roundtable discussions regarding childcare access and the needs of parents with psychiatric disabilities.

1999 – The project produced and distributed Helping Yourself Through Family Court Proceedings: A Guide For Parents With Psychiatric Disabilities and continued distributing information, referrals, brochures, and other available resources on an ongoing basis.

2000 – We produced a manual, Working with Parents with Psychiatric Disabilities and Their Children: A Family-Centered Approach. Data for the manual were gathered through community dialogues held in five counties throughout the state. In addition, a provider survey was developed and distributed to discern the services available in New York State for Parents with Psychiatric Disabilities.

2001 –The first statewide meeting was held for consumers and stakeholders and regional task forces were developed throughout the state. The program website enlarged to include publications, task force meeting minutes and much more.

2002 – The second statewide meeting was held and an executive summary of the meeting and the presentations were posted on the website. The Children Bibliography was produced and distributed.

2003 – The third statewide meeting was booked to capacity! Task forces began working on projects that reflected the needs of their regions. The program director created a program brochure for use by all task forces and this helped to increase participation by additional stakeholders throughout the state. Trainings were developed and presented to help treatment and social service providers identify and empower parents with psychiatric disabilities to parent successfully.

2004 – The task forces continue their work while redefining their geographical boundaries. After conducting three consumer focus groups and interviewing service providers, work has begun on a Family Support Tool Kit to help all stakeholders better increase their skill to work with parents with psychiatric disabilities. The fourth state wide training is held and booked to capacity.

2005 – The Family Support Kit was completed while presentations were given across the state. We began to offer additional training in Common Sense Parenting, an evidence-based program that works well for parents with psychiatric disabilities.

2006 – The Resource Section of the Parent Support Toolkit was enlarged for its second printing. In order to giv emore stake holders easy access to training. Regional trainings were held in Kingston and Batavia, as well as in Albany. The focus of the trainings is intergrating knowledge of and activities for parents with psychiatric disabilities into existing programs. The PWPD website redesigned and expanded.

Our thanks to the many people who have worked with us on this project over the years!