Family involvement in care: essential next step?!

Abstract

First, we outline the current state of family involvement in mental health care. Based on testimonials from families and family organizations, the strengths, needs and deficits regarding family involvement in mental health care are listed. Furthermore, some innovative good practices are explained, demonstrating the ongoing evolution in healthcare.
 Research has demonstrated that treatement, involving, supporting and informing family members and children has an important positive impact for family, patient and care provider.
 However, too often Familieplaform receive signals from family members and family organizations that family invovement in mental health care is limited. Moreover, great differences exist between organisations, teams and health care provivers: while some organisations/teams/care providers akcnowlegde the importance of family (involvement) and make great efforts to maximale involve the context, many others don’t. By creating frameworks - such as the multidisciplinary guideline for involving relatives in mental health care - we want to invite mental healthcare organizations to systematically make the ‘family reflex’ and to see family as  equal partners in care.
 The ‘Family Reflex’ translates the guideline on involving relatives in mental health care by offering online trainings, a Quickscan, coaching programs, etc. During this workshop, we will discuss the recommendations of the guideline, the merrit of the Family Reflex and our experiences in helping organisations and care providers to integrate these recommendations into their own practice. 
 We discuss with participants on different topics : professional secrecy, support for family members/ children, participation in care.
 Concrete:
 explaination 45min
 interaction 3x15 min (each topic/ can be less)