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36 Clearinghouse Rev. 295 (2002-2003)
Parenting in the Face of Prejudice: The Need for Representation for Parents with Mental Illness

handle is hein.journals/clear36 and id is 295 raw text is: Parenting in the Face of Prejudice: The Need for Representation for Parents with Mental Illness By Colby Brunt and Leigh Goodmark Imagine that you have just become a par- ent for the first time--one of the happiest events of your life. You learn to feed, comfort, protect, and care for your baby through trial and error; you make mis- takes along the way but generally give your child excellent care. When you feel overwhelmed-as every new parent does-you turn to family, friends, and other systems for support and assistance. However, despite everything that you are doing for your child, representatives from a child protection agency come to inves- tigate your home. Why? Because you, unlike a majority of parents, have a his- tory of mental illness. And, in the eyes of some child protection agencies, that his- tory, in and of itself, is sufficient reason to believe that your child is at risk of child abuse or neglect. The stress of the child protection agency's intervention causes you to relapse, and your child is removed from your care. The longer you are away from your child, the worse your mental health becomes-and the less likely you are to have your child returned to you. This is the crisis that many mentally ill parents face. Misconceptions and mis- givings about the ability to parent while dealing with mental illness abound. State agencies and courts frequently intervene on behalf of the children of mentally ill parents not because the parent has harmed the child but because they believe that mentally ill individuals cannot be ade- quate parents. Stereotypes and assump- tions about mentally ill parents predis- pose child welfare agencies and courts to believe that removal of a child is neces- sary even before the parent ever has the opportunity to care for the child. Mentally ill parents face similar problems in fami- ly court when custody evaluators, guard- ians ad litem, and judges refuse to believe that granting custody or visitation to a par- ent with mental illness can be in a child's best interest. Parenting is wonderful, fulfilling, and joyful-and heartbreaking, demanding, and stressful. The stress of parenting is magnified for parents with mental illness- es. As Employment Options Inc., an orga- nization working with mentally ill parents, reminds its clients, Being a parent requires 100% focus and energy. Being a parent with mental illness requires even more.1 Although mental illness can ren- der some individuals unfit to parent, the vast majority of mentally ill parents simply need access to services and supports that can help them parent effectively. One important, often overlooked, ser- vice is legal assistance. Mentally ill par- ents need to understand their rights in the child welfare and family court systems. 1 EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS INC., FAMILY PROJECT-SUPPORTED PARENTING 1 (n.d.). SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2002 1 JOURNAL OF POVERTY LAW AND POLICY Colby Brunt is a staff attorney, Clubhouse Family Legal Support Project, Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee, 294 Washington St., Suite 320, Boston, MA 02108; 617.338.2345 ext. 31; cbrunt@email.mhl.state, ma. us. Leigh Goodmark is assistant staff director, American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, 740 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20005; 202.662.1758, GoodmarL@ staff.abanet.org. 295

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