COPE

COPE COPE is dedicated to improving the emotional and mental health of expectant and new parents. COPE stands for the Centre Of Perinatal Excellence.

We are dedicated to reducing distress and restoring lives of mothers, fathers and families affected by perinatal (ante and postnatal) mental health conditions. We work with others to:
* Raise awareness and understanding - so conditions are identified early.
* Stop the stigma - so people feel supported to speak up and seek help.
* Empower people - by providing access to high quality information an

d guide people to care.
* Equip health professionals with knowledge, skills and confidence - so that they can provide safe and effective care.
* Support world leading research - to enhance practice, inform policy and services.
* Provide a voice (advocate) - to represent the needs of hopeful, expectant and bee patents. COPE focuses on the broad range of emotional and mental health challenges faced on the journey to parenthood. Our work is underpinned by the COPE National Perinatal Mental Health Guidelines, and includes innovative digital screening programs, education and training, our Ready to COPE Guide and e-COPE Directory.

Before having children, Lauren knew all about the baby blues, postnatal depression and anxiety.But no one had warned her...
05/06/2026

Before having children, Lauren knew all about the baby blues, postnatal depression and anxiety.

But no one had warned her that distress could show up as shouting, swearing or stomping, rather than the more talked-about tears and fears.

In her day job, Lauren is a journalist, so she turned her professional curiosity to this very personal problem and began investigating maternal rage. – and she realised she wasn’t alone.

She surveyed 200 mums and 97% had experienced anger in parenting. She learnt such much she ended up writing a book – ‘Meltdown – why motherhood makes us angry and what to do about it.’

“Every expert I spoke to confirmed it was a common, and often reasonable, emotional reaction to the circumstances of modern mothering – a steep learning curve, massive identity shift, non-existent village, huge expectations etc” says Lauren.

If you are concerned about how you are feeling, take a free and anonymous self-check: https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0Yf430

iCOPE is the world's first digital perinatal mental health screening tool.It facilitates efficient and effective mental ...
05/06/2026

iCOPE is the world's first digital perinatal mental health screening tool.

It facilitates efficient and effective mental health screening and ensures that every expectant and new parent is provided with the right information and access to support at this vulnerable life-stage.

▶️Easy and quick
Unique to iCOPE, the patient creates their own account to allow them to complete their questions and receive an instant report detailing their outcomes and linking them to further information and referral pathways.

▶️Automated Actions
Scores are automatically calculated, interpreted and delivered as reports for both clinicians and clients. A recent addition is the development of clinical guides for health professionals to guide them in conversations and clinical decision-making.

▶️Secure Access
iCOPE is a secure online platform accessed by patients and health professionals using unique login credentials. All reports, information and access to psychosocial education remains available to the client, at and beyond the point the screening within their private patient portal.

• Learn more about best practice in digital perinatal mental health screening for mothers, fathers and non-birthing parents 🔗https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0Ydhm0

Becoming a parent changes everything – including the relationship you thought you knew. When you’re navigating it all fo...
04/06/2026

Becoming a parent changes everything – including the relationship you thought you knew.

When you’re navigating it all for the first time, (or even for a second or third time) it can be difficult to process the changes and challenges as they happen.

Think about early parenthood as a transition – it requires shifts in you, your relationship and your life. The key is to keep communicating, take moments together as a couple when you can, and trust that with time you’ll find your dynamic together.

If you are finding adjusting to life as new parents challenging, you’re not alone, and there is help available.

Search the COPE Directory to locate relevant supports near you - 🔗https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0Y2l20

04/06/2026

Supporting your clinical decision making is at the heart of the iCOPE digital screening platform.

Enhanced clinical reporting gives you a clearer picture of each client's assessment - with personalised patient reports, full visibility of responses across clinical scales, and new clinical advice guides that deliver tailored guidance relative to individual screening responses.

iCOPE is available throughout Australia to healthcare professionals providing perinatal care and remains free to all public hospitals and maternal child health clinics in participating jurisdictions.

Learn more about best practice in perinatal mental health digital screening: 🔗https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0XYRm0

Many parents experience sudden, unwanted thoughts about their baby related harm. These thoughts are common - but they're...
03/06/2026

Many parents experience sudden, unwanted thoughts about their baby related harm. These thoughts are common - but they're rarely talked about, and many healthcare professionals receive limited guidance on how to respond.

The University of New South Wales is hosting a panel discussion on perinatal mental health, featuring keynote speaker A/Prof Nichole Fairbrother - a world-leading expert in perinatal intrusive thoughts of infant-related harm.

Together with researchers, clinicians, policy makers, and parents with lived experience, we'll explore how to improve clinical practice, professional training, and public awareness in this under-recognised area.

📅 Wednesday 17 June · 12–2pm
📍 Scientia Building · UNSW Sydney
🎟️ Free, register here: https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0X3t30

This event is open to GPs, midwives, obstetricians, nurses, mental health professionals, researchers, and anyone working in maternal or child health.

COPE developed the new and improved, iCOPE 2.0 platform following extensive consultation with health professionals and e...
03/06/2026

COPE developed the new and improved, iCOPE 2.0 platform following extensive consultation with health professionals and expectant and new parents.

The feedback from clinicians has been exceedingly positive, with many appreciating the updated features - including the new clinical dashboard, and enhanced clinical guidance.

Under the Perinatal Mental Health Check program, iCOPE remains free for to all public maternity hospitals and maternal and child health centres in participating jurisdictions and is available for purchase to private medical practitioners delivering perinatal care in all Australian states and territories, including GPs, obstetricians, doulas and private maternity hospitals.

Contact us to ensure you have access to best practice digital perinatal mental health screening for those in your care: [email protected]

🤍Words by @3.01am
02/06/2026

🤍

Words by @3.01am

Are you a health professional working with expectant or new parents?Sign up to our free health professional updates to r...
02/06/2026

Are you a health professional working with expectant or new parents?

Sign up to our free health professional updates to receive monthly emails, access to online accredited training courses, and other COPE resources to help you implement best practice.

You'll also receive a free digital copy of the new Australian Clinical Perinatal Mental Health Guideline, Mental Health Care in the Perinatal Period.

▶️ Sign up today: https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0WTrB0

Today marks the 'Global Day of Parents' - a United Nations observance honouring parents and caregivers worldwide. This y...
01/06/2026

Today marks the 'Global Day of Parents' - a United Nations observance honouring parents and caregivers worldwide.

This year’s theme “Together for parents” highlights the need to support parents and recognise parenting as a shared responsibility involving families. communities and society.

Today we want to shine a spotlight on parents at the very beginning of their parenting journey. The perinatal period – from conception through to the first year after birth – is one of the most emotionally significant transformations a person can experience.

Yet one in four mothers, and one in ten fathers will face a perinatal mental health condition, many without timely or adequate support.

At COPE, we are passionate about supporting all hopeful, expectant and new parents through this journey. From the hopeful who are trying to conceive, to the expectant parents carrying joy and anxiety in equal measure, and the new parents adjusting to life and finding their feet in early parenthood.

▶️COPE is dedicated to supporting every parent by:

💜Empowering and reassuring through evidence-based resources – so no parent navigates this journey without the right information.
💌Delivering free weekly psychoeducation and support through our Ready to COPE guide.
🔗Providing accessible pathways to support for every parent through the COPE Directory.
✔️Free wellbeing self-checks to help to parents identify symptoms of depression, anxiety and/or stress, or PTSD following a traumatic birth.

The path to parenthood is full of changes and challenges - and COPE is here for you - Find the links to all our resources on the COPE website 🔗cope.org.au

MHPN in partnership with Emerging Minds is hosting an upcoming free CPD Webinar, 'Infant and Family Mental Health: Integ...
01/06/2026

MHPN in partnership with Emerging Minds is hosting an upcoming free CPD Webinar, 'Infant and Family Mental Health: Integrating Lived Experience Expertise into Your Practice'.

🔗Register now: https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0WT700

An expert panel will explore how lived experience workers are incorporated into infant mental health care, and how peer perspectives can be integrated into multidisciplinary practice when supporting infants, toddlers and their families.

You’ll learn how lived experience approaches can strengthen engagement, build stronger relationships, and improve outcomes in infant and toddler mental health care.

Learn more about this free CPD opportunity: https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0WTpx0

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Level 2, 696 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC
3000

Telephone

+61393766321

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