The NewCan Practice Framework: Using Risk and Resilience to Work at the Interface between Professional Expertise and Parental Knowledge and Experience in Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Abstract

This paper describes the NewCan1 practice framework that is designed to enable professionals from a range of agencies (health care, education, social services) to utilise evidence on risk and protective factors in child and adolescent mental heath (CAMH) in order that they can: Susan Croom is senior Lecturer/Research Fellow, Northumbria University and Newcastle Northumberland and North Tyneside NHS Mental Health Trust. Correspondence to: Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit, Faculty of Health, Social Work Education, Northumbria University, Coach Lane Campus (East), Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7XA, UK. Tel: +44 (0)191 215 6221, e-mail S.Croomunn.ac.ukSusan Procter is Professor of Primary Health Care Research. Correspondence to: Public Health and Primary Care Unit, St Bartholomew's School of Nursing and Midwifery, City University, Philpot Street, London EC1 2EA, UK. Tel: + 44 (0)020 7040 5964, e-mail S.Procter@city.ac.uk 1NewCan reflects the origins of the practice framework which was developed in Newcastle upon Tyne UK based on study visits to Canada. It can be accessed at http://online.northumbria.ac.uk/faculties/hswe/research/nmahp/camh.htm 1. assess the child and family needs using a common evidence base and shared language to communicate across all agencies involved in the care of the child; 2. enhance local capacity to respond to the needs of these children by identifying resources/services available locally which can enhance protective factors and reduce risk; 3. develop a plan of intervention shared by all agencies involved in the care of the child, including the child's contribution and that of their family/carers to the realisation of the plan. The framework was designed to help practitioners across agencies to identify the most effective combination of universal, targeted and clinical services for each child/family and community that can be configured to respond to the risk and protective factors within the local socio-cultural context. This paper describes the development of the framework and includes some preliminary experiences from professionals and parents who have used the framework in practice.