Parenting with a mental illness: a guidebook of programs and resources in the USA

Although parenting is one of the most highly valued social roles, service providers often ignore this role when working with clients.  Providers sometimes assume that parenting is a stressful role that is not highly valued by their client, and may not even ask about a client’s family roles and responsibilities. Failure to address this important role results in missed opportunities to support parents with mental illnesses. This guidebook offers tips and suggestions that can be used as a starting point to better support parents. 

There is clearly a need for programs specifically tailored to the unique needs of parents diagnosed with mental illnesses, yet most programs for parents have been developed on a small, local scale with limited funding. This guidebook was developed as a comprehensive resource to help parents, providers, and advocates find information about possible programs in their area.  We also hope it will be a useful source of information for administrators and providers who are beginning their own initiatives to support these parents. 

parenting-with-a-mental-illness-programs-and-resources.pdf

For more information, please visit: www.upennrrtc.org

The UPenn Collaborative on Community Integration is A Rehabilitation Research & Training Center Promoting Community Integration of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities, funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).