My child’s support network

Having access to supportive relationships can help your child to thrive. These relationships can also assist you as a parent and be a support for your family.

The ‘My child’s support network’ guide was originally developed in partnership with parents who live with a mental illness, their children and supporters. It will help you to think about the relationships in your child’s life, and to identify how these relationships can support your child and family.

The guide is designed to be used separately for each child in the family. It will help you to:

• identify the closest relationships in your child’s life
• consider the role these relationships play in their life, and how these connections could be strengthened so that they can be used during times of adversity
• help your child to fill in their own ‘My connections’ worksheet, in which they’ll identify the people in their life they feel comfortable contacting.

You might ask a friend, family member, health professional or other support person to help you complete the guide. If you have more than one child, you can download copies of the worksheets here.