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COPE - Centre of Perinatal Excellence

COPE - Centre of Perinatal Excellence

Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) (Opens in new tab) is Australia's peak body in perinatal mental health. COPE supports the emotional and mental health of new, hopeful and expectant parents, and supports health professionals to deliver best practice in perinatal mental health care.

Vision and mission

COPE's purpose is to prevent the incidence and minimise the impact of emotional and mental health problems in the perinatal period, and to improve the quality of life of those living with these conditions.

COPE's vision is a connected, informed and empowered community that supports women and their families to achieve strong and enduring mental health.

COPE's mission is to enable mandatory national perinatal mental health screening and referrals, based on the National Guideline.

How COPE can help

COPE works nationally to support perinatal mental health through strategic partnerships, public awareness campaigns, and best practice guidelines. It provides resources including the Ready to COPE guide, accredited training for health professionals and families, and innovative screening tools with national data analytics. The COPE Directory connects parents and practitioners to qualified services. COPE also drives research and advocacy to improve care standards.

Programs and apps and tools

  • Ready to COPE (Opens in new tab) Stay informed and feel reassured during pregnancy, birth and the first year of parenthood with the free Ready to COPE Guide.
  • COPE Directory (Opens in new tab) Find an accredited professional, service organisation or community support service with perinatal mental health expertise on the COPE Directory.
  • Applied Skills in Perinatal Mental Health Assessment and Care (Opens in new tab) Underpinned by the 2023 National Perinatal Mental Health Guideline, this online training course has been designed for trained mental health professionals wishing to gain specialist expertise in perinatal mental health.
  • Basic Skills in Perinatal Mental Health (Opens in new tab) Fully funded by the Commonwealth Government and informed by the 2023 Guideline, Mental Health in the Perinatal Period: Australian Clinical Practice Guideline, this free, comprehensive online training program is designed to provide health professionals with a practical overview of best practice.
  • Preparing for Parenthood (Opens in new tab) Developed to provide hopeful, expecting and new parents with information and insights about the range of emotional health challenges that can arise when having a baby – yet are often not spoken about openly.

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