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Parents with severe and persistent mental illness are at increased risk for involvement with the child welfare system, often including loss of placement/ custody of their children.

Those with minor children currently placed outside their care report a lack of knowledge as to the reasons for the removal of their children and what they need to do to have their children returned, resulting in low attendance at children’s court/child welfare agency proceedings/meetings and lack of regular and consistent visitation with their children.

Those for whom family reunification is not an appropriate option report lacking any significant role in their children’s lives. Others, whose children are now adults, still do not understand why the court took their children away and experience anguish over their continued estrangement from their adult children.
The PWOC Program offers education regarding:
  • mental illness as it impacts parenting & child safety
  • the child welfare system
  • the cyclical impact of childhood abuse on parenting
  • seminars and consultation for child welfare staff
The PWOC Program offers:
  • intake, assessment & care coordination
  • parenting skills assessment & classes
  • member mentors who have permanently lost children may resolve their own pain by assisting other members in dealing with child custody issues
  • anger & stress management groups
  • a formal referral system involving those who conduct initial assessments, case managers, guardians, therapists, mental health agencies
The PWOC Program results in:
  • a collaborative service delivery system
  • increased involvement in child custody process (visitation, permanency planning, court appearances)
this program assists consumers who have lost custody or placement of their children due to their mental illness.
objectives
to educate individuals about the policies & practices of the child welfare system

to provide education about abuse/neglect issues and mental illness

to assess parenting potential based on the individual personality and mental health issues of each consumer

to assist in acceptance of conditions for return

to increase parental participation in permanency planning

to promote the development of meaningful, non-custodial roles in their children’s lives

to facilitate supervised visitation

to foster adult child-parent relationships