Collaboration between mental health and child protection services: Professionals' perceptions of best practice

This paper provides a qualitative analysis of mental health and child protection professionals' perceptions of best practice when working on cases where there is parental mental illness and there are protection concerns for child(ren). Data were collected as part of a state-wide survey of professionals in both fields. Respondents offered many suggestions for improving interagency relationships, collaborative processes, and outcomes for children and parents. These suggestions encompassed three major content areas: improving communication; enhancing the knowledge base of professionals in both sectors; and providing adequate resources and appropriate service models. Within the three domains of communication, knowledge development and resources, strategies encompassed both formal, organisation-led initiatives as well as more informal initiatives that could be implemented by individuals or small groups. Additionally, strategies were suggested that required implementation at a range of levels of organisational activity, from the front-line workplace to state-wide policy changes. Thus, a complex picture emerges of intersectoral collaboration that comprises several key domains and needs to be implemented at all levels of organisational influence.