Family, Work, and Community Issues for Parents of Children with Mental Health Disabilities

Family, Work, and Community Issues for Parents of Children with Mental Health Disabilities provides accessible, internationally researched knowledge regarding the challenges of parenting a child with a mental health disability from a social work perspective. Situating the care of children with mental health disability within a social justice and disability rights framework, it presents current interdisciplinary theories used to examine the phenomena of caring for a child with a mental health disability. Specifically addressing the facilitators and barriers for parents that support or inhibit their ability to manage their exceptional care with other social roles, it provides current international empirical evidence on how parenting a child with a mental health disability affects and is affected by work, family, and community resources. Chapters explore international policy responses to family caregiving of children with mental health disabilities and discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated shutdowns affected parents of children with mental health disabilities. This volume will be required reading for social work educators, students, and professionals. It is also relevant for social work practice with children and families, and researchers, teachers, and practitioners in the fields of social policy, public administration, occupational psychology, and disability studies.

Claudia Sellmaier, PhD, MSW, MA, University of Washington Tacoma. With over ten years of experience as a social work researcher and educator, Dr Sellmaier's scholarship centers economic stability and work-life fit in the context of disability with a specific focus on the role of community resources and social policies. Lisa M. Stewart, PhD, MSW, is a social work scholar and policy expert specializing in family support, children's mental health, and work-family dynamics, with over 18 years of research focused on caregivers of children with mental health needs. Her work bridges research, policy, and practice to develop innovative tools and interventions that support families navigating complex systems at the intersection of health, employment, and social care.

List of figures and tables. Preface. 1. Understanding Mental Health Disabilities in Children. 2. Exceptional Care as a Social Justice Issue. 3. The Community, Work, and Family Interface: Theoretical Analysis. 4. The Family System. 5. The Work-Family Dilemma. 6. Social Support and Community Resources. 7. The Effects of COVID-19. 8. Comparative Analysis of Developed Countries' Policies. 9. Emerging Trends and Innovations. 10. Summary and Future Directions. Glossary. Index.