Featured Leader: Arabella Gibson on demand for perinatal mental health services

The demand for perinatal mental health services in Australia has risen rapidly, calling attention to the lack of specialists in the field nationally.

After more than 2 decades in the media and communications industry, Arabella joined Arabella Gibson joined Gidget Foundation Australia as CEO. She has a passion for improving support systems for expectant and new parents by building emotionally resilient families. 

Third Sector News interviewed Arabella Gibson, Chief Executive Officer of Gidget Foundation Australia on the demand and importance of perinatal mental health services for not only expecting mothers but also their partners.

Perinatal depression and anxiety are assumed to affect women during pregnancy. How does Gidget Foundation Australia accommodate men who also undergo the same?

All of GFA’s services and clinical programs are also offered to men. GFA provides free individual psychological counselling services delivered face-to face or via telehealth. Gidget Houses are accessible and provide compassionate holistic care for expectant and new parents and their families. They are a safe haven for parents, where expectant and new parents are respected, and the needs of each unique family are paramount. We also run regular Gidget Village group therapy specifically for Dads and we have a dedicated men’s support with our Gidget Virtual Village for Dads. Gidget Virtual Village Dads is a private, moderated peer support group for expectant and new dads (with children up to school age) based in Australia. The Facebook group is coordinated and moderated by GFA, and is aimed at creating a safe space connecting expectant and new dads with GFA, and with each other.

The Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Training and Development Institute enlists mental health professionals that have a background in mental health. What are the incentives they can get out of the program?

The incentives from the Workforce Development program include (but are not limited to): weekly supervision with a Senior Perinatal Psychologist or Senior Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, group supervision focussing on presenting and promoting case discussions, access to monthly professional development in perinatal specific topics presented by experienced perinatal professionals, as well as commencing a caseload of clients which allows Clinicians to directly apply their theoretical knowledge to practical presentations. This is a unique offering as it’s a free program that targets experienced mental health professionals, who are dedicated to further their knowledge and upskill in perinatal and infant mental health.

How do you envision this program to impact the general public’s view on perinatal mental health in Australia?

The Workforce Development Program will highlight GFA’s dedication to providing excellence in perinatal mental health service delivery by ensuring that their workforce continue to receive a high level of professional training and support, to provide targeted assessment and interventions in the perinatal period. We hope that the public can identify GFA’s ongoing commitment to reducing the incidence of perinatal mental health conditions by ensuring that their workforce is continually growing and producing perinatal mental health professionals with a high level of training and competence.

What are some of the critical considerations you and your team must keep in mind while providing mental health services?

One of the considerations for the Workforce Development Program, is the commitment to continue to monitor our progress against identified strategic outcomes to ensure we are meeting best practice guidelines in perinatal and infant mental health. Another critical consideration is the need to continue to access funding to ensure that we can consistently grow our workforce to parallel the current and urgent demand for perinatal services. This will ensure that we are able to continue to identify risks in the perinatal period and act quickly to mitigate any risks to families at this time of their lives.

Third Sector News and Healthcare Channel had exclusive access to Arabella Gibson, CEO of Gidget Foundation Australia for this interview.

Related: Demand for perinatal mental health services soar

Menchie Khairuddin

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Menchie Khairuddin is a writer Deputy Content Manager at Akolade and content producer for Third Sector News. She is passionate about social affairs specifically in mixed, multicultural heritage and not-for-profit organisations.

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