Child Protection Assessments and Liaison

At Relational Minds we have great interest in the assessment and treatment of young people in Out-Of-Home Care (OOHC). We have experience working with the child protection system and child protection staff.

Assessment

Relational Minds clinicians can provide mental health assessments of young people in OOHC supervised by a psychiatrist. Assessments come in two forms:

Brief Assessment

  • Assessing mental state
  • Diagnostic opinion
  • Treatment recommendations to care team

Longitudinal Comprehensive Assessment

  • Comprehensive assessment of mental health history and emotional development
  • Diagnostic clarification
  • Multiple interviews of cadres and care team
  • Ongoing liaison with care team
  • Psychiatrist reviews and ongoing treatment by the team

All OOHC assessments will require a referral from a GP and developmental information sought from Child Protection.

Treatment

Treatment of children in OOHC requires a patient and trauma focused approach to assist in their recovery from developmental trauma. Treatment options include:

  • Individual therapy using art therapy or psychological talking therapy (eg. CBT)
  • Parent or Carer training and support
  • Consultation with care teams and schools
  • Medication treatment and reviews

For more information about how we care for children on OOHC, please contact us

Ready to make an appointment?

You can call or use webchat if you are feeling suicidal, are affected by suicide or are worried about someone who you think is considering suicide to get support and help. The web chat option does require you to register and create a password, so there are a few steps to this in case this may add to your overwhelm.
If you’re experiencing thoughts of self-harm or suicide:

Call Kids Help Line any time for any reason if you need help, especially if you are struggling with difficult emotions or are feeling distressed. They are there to talk to you and help. For anyone 25 or under.

The Lifeline phone line is available 24/7. Their text line is open midday to midnight and requires you to answer some pre-survey questions to register to use the service. Text: 0477 13 11 14 Webchat is available 7pm-midnight and can be anonymous, there are questions, but they are not mandatory to answer.

For all ages.

If you have difficulties relating to your gender or sexuality, the Q-life service may be able to help.

Q-Life is a free anonymous phone or webchat service run by Switchboard. The service is open 3pm – midnight every day. They do not offer ongoing counselling, rather they can offer support regarding any issues you are having related to gender or sexuality that you would like to discuss anonymously.

We are hiring! Please see our Careers page for currently open positions.