Peer-reviewed article
ReFraming The FaPMI (Families Where a Parent Has a Mental Illness) Program: Using a Participatory Action Research Approach to Create Change.
Allchin B, Morgan A, Clark C, Jewell H, Legge J et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This paper describes a participatory action research process used to reframe the FaPMI Program in Victoria, Australia, which supports families where a parent has a mental illness. The program shifted away from a deficit-focused approach that emphasised vulnerability and risk toward a strength-based, person-centred approach. Coordinators and people with lived experience of mental health challenges worked through four phases to identify problematic framings and develop guidance on how the program should communicate about these families in future.
Key points
- The original FaPMI program (established 2007) was built on frames emphasising families as vulnerable and at risk
- Participatory action research involved FaPMI Coordinators and people with lived and living experience of mental health challenges
- The process had four phases: establishing direction, scoping existing frames, identifying FaPMI's frames, and building consensus on frames to avoid and advance
- A resulting 'Avoid and Advance' guidance document was produced to guide framing shifts in the program and broader field
- The reframing aligns with policy shifts toward strength-based, person-centred, context-responsive views of people with mental health challenges
Limitations
The document describes a process for reframing and does not present empirical evidence of outcomes for children or families. It does not measure whether adoption of new frames actually improves child or family well-being.
Abstract
This paper documents a staged participatory action research process used to shift the underlying frames of the FaPMI (Families where a parent has a mental illness) Program. The FaPMI service development initiative in Victoria, Australia established in 2007 was built on a foundation emphasising these families as being vulnerable and at risk. While intentioned to promote action and compassion from policy makers and governments, researchers and programme developers, there has been growing awareness of the unintended consequences of these frames. In line with shifts in policy and social environment promoting context- and person-centred, strength-based views of people with Lived and Living Experience (LLE) of mental ill health, the FaPMI Program commenced a process to review and reframe its work. The participatory action research process with FaPMI Coordinators and people with LLE of mental health challenges used four phases to (i) establish direction for change, (ii) scope existing framing of parenting, mental health, child mental health and families, (iii) identify FaPMI's existing frames and (iv) build consensus for frames to avoid and advance in future. The resulting Avoid and Advance guidance document gives guidance to the programme and others in the field to support the framing shifts required.