CHHHS Midwifery learning packages: Kimberley Mum's Mood Scale

The Kimberley Mum's Mood Scale (KMMS) was developed in Western Australia (WA) between 2012 and 2014 to address concerns about the effectiveness of existing perinatal mental health screening practices for Aboriginal women in the Kimberley region. Through extensive consultation with Aboriginal women, health professionals from both Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and WA Health, the KMMS was created as a two-part tool. It emphasises the importance of building trust, allowing time for conversations, completing assessments collaboratively, and taking a strengths-based approach to follow-up care.

The goal of this online module is to equip midwives, child health nurses, and Aboriginal Health Practitioners with the skills needed to identify and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who may be at risk of mental health issues during pregnancy or early motherhood. It gives detailed guidance on conducting routine psychosocial assessments using the Kimberley Mum’s Mood Scale, which involves screening for depression or anxiety symptoms and evaluating psychosocial risk and protective factors through conversations. 

Online training includes:

Module 1: Kimberley Mum’s Mood Scale. This module provides a detailed description of how to perform a routine psychosocial assessment with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients using the Kimberley Mum's Mood Scale. It also explains pathways for follow-up and referral, and the importance of psychosocial care.

Module 2: Clinical Yarning. This module discusses Clinical yarning, which involves applying patient-centred communication skills in specific ways to ensure consultations are culturally secure for First Nations people.

Please access the KMMS training modules here: https://elearning.sdc.qld.edu.au/lessons/first-nations-perinatal-mental-health-screening/

Please forward your certificates of completion to the Midwife Educator for recording on the TrendCare database. 

For further information relating to learning packages and midwifery education within CHHHS, contact: