A new study has shown that parents are not the natural enemies of teenagers and shouldn’t be seen as irrelevant or the cause of all the problems their adolescents face. The discussion paper was published by the Australian Institute of Family Studies this year and included the RAPS Adolescent Family Therapy and Mediation Service (RAPS), run by Relationships Australia NSW.

RAPS is located in Parramatta and services the Sydney Metropolitan Area.

At a time when teenagers need their families most, the Australian Institute of Family Studies says that few services operating around the country bring young people and their families together. “At a minimum, good clinical practice should involve family, especially when it comes to containing the risk of suicide,” said the Institute Research Fellow Elly Robinson.

The Institute has highlighted the Relationships Australia program, RAPS as one of three programs nationally that improve at-risk teenagers’ prospects for social inclusion, by giving families and adolescents a stronger voice.

To contact RAPS call 9890 1500 or toll free on 1800 654 648.

To contact Touchstone in the Illawarra call  4221 2000 or toll free on 1800 240 231