In responding to continually increasing community needs PANDA has evolved into a valuable and vital service, funded by Governments and well utilised by the wider community and health professionals. PANDA's services include:

Helpline

PANDA's telephone information, support and referral service is staffed by trained volunteers, supervising staff and professional counsellors. In keeping with PANDA's Mutual Support Self Help principles most of these volunteers and staff on the helpline have experienced antenatal or postnatal depression and anxiety.

On average PANDA receives and makes over 500 calls through the Helpline per month.  PANDA is happy to receive calls from anyone who is concerned about how they or someone else if coping during pregnancy or after having a baby.  Many partners ring the helpline as well as extended family members and friends.

The desired outcome for each caller who makes contact with PANDA is to have been supported, to have gained an increased understanding of what might be happening to them and how they might seek ongoing services and supports in their local areas. PANDA maintains a resource and referral information database about local services throughout Australia as well as the Victorian online database.  Services listed include PND support groups and playgroups, doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors and support services. These professionals and support services have a specific interest and expertise in working with families experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety. Sometimes this may involve PANDA staff or volunteers making contact with these services on behalf of the woman due to her degree of illness.

Education

PANDA adopts a number of strategies that facilitate the education of callers and the wider community regarding information about perinatal depression and anxiety. This is based on the belief that people are empowered to seek the help that they require, as early as possible, if they understand the conditions and the importance of intervention. Some of these strategies include

• Fact sheets about perinatal depression and anxiety are offered and distributed to women, their families, friends and general community members as well as health professionals.
  
  
• Guest speakers - PANDA staff and volunteers are available to speak to professional and community groups about the issues related to perinatal depression and anxiety from professional and consumer perspectives.
  
  
• PANDA's website - Increasingly the website will provide a source of easily accessible information and support for women and their families.

Training

PANDA has an ongoing role in providing customised and specialist training and education programs for consumers and professionals related to perinatal depression and anxiety. Contact PANDA to discuss your specific needs and costs.

Some of the topics of education and training include:

Assistance setting up PND Support Groups - PANDA encourages a 'whole of community' response to perinatal depression and anxiety. The outcome of community meetings, specific training or an apparent community need may be a collaborative effort to establish a new support group for women experiencing PND. PANDA provides information and training to prospective support group facilitators and ongoing secondary consultation. PANDA also facilitates a peer support and education network for PND Support Group Facilitators from throughout Victoria. (click to go to PND Group Facilitators' Network page).  See also PANDA's Guide to Postnatal Depression Support Groups (click to go to the Guide).

Information, education and training seminars - training can be developed for professionals and community groups according to specific requirements for information and skills, addressing a broad range of topics. (click to go to the Events Calendar).

Volunteer training program - PANDA seeks to recruit volunteers to fulfill a number of roles, including the Telephone Support Worker role. To ensure a high calibre of volunteers and consistent service delivery PANDA has formalised the structure of this training program. (click to go to Volunteer training info)