Mental health recovery happens through connection and relationship. Relationships are the foundational pre-conditions to everybody’s health and wellbeing, as we are all interdependent. Children and adolescents’ mental health, identity and sense of safety are shaped within their relationships, notably their family kin, peers, schools and to a lesser extent services around them. In a changing world, where mental health distress is rising and systems are stretched, relational recovery approaches are the most protective and practical ways to strengthen social connections and relationships of young people.

This keynote draws on A/Prof Marianne Wyder’s work on relational recovery and applies a child and adolescent development lens to this approach. It will provide real-world practical insights into how best to place the young person at the centre while including the needs of the family. It explores what relational safety and recovery looks like in everyday settings and how these may change over time.

While for many family relationships may be the primary social context in which the mental health distress emerges, it is also where treatment, as well as recovery, generally occurs. Families and carers can have the greatest interest in the well-being of the young person and can play a critical role in supporting their recovery.

The presentation will focus on practical approaches for clinicians, educators, and community practitioners to strengthen connection and continuity of relationships and care. Some of these approaches will include providing psychoeducation and how to apply these to their circumstances, restoring their natural family role of partners in care. Delegates will leave with a clearer shared language for working alongside families in ways that strengthen safe spaces and strong minds. They will also leave with a simple relational recovery zones map and three practical changes they can apply immediately.

Three Key Learnings:
1. Relational recovery: Understanding the relational nature of recovery and how identity, connection and safety shape outcomes for children and adolescents

2. Earlier intervention with families: practical supports and interventions for family-inclusive approaches that supports the young person to flourish in their social network.

3. Map of the relational recovery zones a practical approach to be able to support the needs of both the young person and their family.