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Article
Parents as Navigators: How Caregivers of Children with Mental Health Difficulties find Supports in the Workplace
School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations
  • Katherine J. Huffstutter, Portland State University
  • Jennifer R. Bradley, Portland State University
  • Eileen M. Brennan, Portland State University
  • Marlene Penn
  • Julie M. Rosenzweig, Portland State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2007
Subjects
  • Work and family,
  • Children with disabilities -- Care,
  • Caregivers -- Services for,
  • Mentally ill children -- Services for
Disciplines
Abstract

For some parents, the gap between the demands of work and family and the resources they have available to meet these responsibilities is too great, particularly for employed parents of children with emotional or behavioral disorders (Brennan & Brannan, 2005). While responding to the increasing demands of the workplace for dedicated performance and significant facetime, parents must also arrange for their children's treatment, see that their educational needs are met, and provide enrichment opportunities in the community (Huang et al., 2005). Despite challenges, these parents have used creative approaches to "cobble together" flexible arrangements that work for both their families and employers (Rosenzweig, Brennan, & Ogilvie 2002). We report the results of six focus groups of employed parents of children with mental health difficulties. This research was conducted as part of a federally funded five-year research project investigating work-life integration for this group of families.

Description

Originally appeared in the 19th Annual Research Conference Proceedings: A System of Care for Children's Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base, published by University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Research and Training Center for Children's Mental Health.

Persistent Identifier
http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/9040
Citation Information
Brennan, E. M., Penn, M., Huffstutter, K., Bradley, J. R., & Rosenzweig, J. R. (2006, February). Parents as navigators: How caregivers of children with mental health difficulties find supports in the workplace. Paper presented at The 19th Annual Research Conference: A System of Care for Children's Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base Tampa, FL.