Work, Life, and the Mental Health System of Care
A Guide for Professionals Supporting Families of Children with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders
By Julie M. Rosenzweig, Ph.D., & Eileen M. Brennan, Ph.D., with invited contributors

When a child has an emotional or behavior disorder, parents experience a host of extra challenges as they attempt to meet their caregiving and employment responsibilities: stigma, increased stress, child care difficulties, lack of workplace supports. Professionals need to know how to help parents address these critical issues—and now there's a book that shows the way. Expertly researched and enhanced with actual strategies used by parents, this accessible resource gives professionals the up-to-date knowledge they need to support entire families, ease the pressures they face, and connect them with the best help and services.

Readers will start with an inside look at what happens within a family when a child has an emotional or behavior disorder. Then they'll get a primer on parents' support needs and in-depth information and guidance they'll use to help parents

• overcome stigma, an inhospitable workplace culture, and other challenges to work–life integration
  
  
• communicate effectively on the job and with service providers to receive support and information
  
  
• solve the child care dilemma with options such as flexible work schedules, in-home care, and the use of inclusive child care centers
  
  
• improve access to school programs—and their child's outcomes
  
  
• navigate the complex mental health system
  
  
• manage the direct and indirect financial costs of having a child with an emotional or behavior disorder
  
  
• connect with community supports through the neighborhood, churches, cultural groups, friendship networks, and peer support groups

Throughout the book, expert contributors blend the latest research with candid stories from parents, giving readers the wisdom and sensitivity they need to work skillfully with families. And to help professionals move the field forward with confidence, the book clarifies current policies, pinpoints gaps in knowledge, and maps out what needs to be done to improve family supports and services. A clear and informative resource that will benefit a wide range of readers—including social workers, special educators, psychologists, human resource professionals, and family support specialists—this is the book professionals need to empower and educate families in their quest for successful work–life integration.

Learn more about the Systems of Care for Children's Mental Health series

ORDERING INFO
ISBN 978-1-55766-827-1
Paperback
400 pages
6 x 9
2008 / $34.95
Stock# 68271