West Wimmera Health Service is proud to launch the Hindmarsh Day Stay program to offer parents and their children a safe and welcoming space to find support for any parenting issues they are currently facing.

The partnership between West Wimmera Health Service and Tweddle Child and Family Health Service will give families the opportunity to visit a local Early Parenting Centre where they can work alongside trained Maternal and Child Health Nurses, looking at the whole daily cycle spent with their babies and young children. This will help provide practical strategies to empower parents and children to thrive when they are back in their own home.

West Wimmera Health Service’s Maternal and Child Health Nurse, Mandy Stephan, is thrilled to see the innovative program come to life after much research and work to develop it for the Wimmera region.

Mandy said that the program will provide much-needed support for many families in the Wimmera. “There can be a great deal of overwhelm for people as they try to navigate raising their children, and it can feel very isolating at times.” she said. “This new program is here to let parents know that they don’t have to do it alone.”

The Hindmarsh Day Stay program offers the opportunity for practitioners to work alongside parents to provide practical strategies to empower parents to do the best they can.

Tweddle Chief Executive Officer Ms Jacquie O’Brien was excited about the new partnership. “The Hindmarsh Day Stay Program is about ensuring regional families get accessible, high-quality support for their babies, toddlers and preschoolers. We know that the new program will serve parents in the West Wimmera region well, and will help babies and their families to thrive in the crucial early months and years of life.”

Emily Kumpis started at Tweddle in 2018 as an Early Parenting Professional (EPP) after finishing her Graduate Diploma of Psychology. Her interest in the perinatal psychology field and her passion for supporting parents and families with young children led her to Tweddle. Her psychology studies have how seen her EPP role expand.

A new provisional psychologist role has been created which will see Emily offer a Telehealth Provisional Psychology service to families experiencing vulnerability.

She spoke about her new role and responsibilities; “I have been fortunate enough to complete the 4 + 2 pathway (4 years study and 2 years supervision) to psychology registration here at Tweddle. This means I am able to practice as a provisional psychologist under the supervision of both Tweddle’s Registered Psychologist Jess and my external supervisor for the next 2 years” she said.

Emily uses various evidence base therapies including acceptance commitment therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, and Circle of Security principles.

In consultation with Tweddle’s Psychologist and Nurse Unit Manager, Emily developed a pilot program called the ‘Telehealth Provisional Psychology Program. She explained that the program will allow her to engage with clients who have been referred into the residential program via internal review and on the standby list, who may need mental health support prior to their admission.