There are generational issues involving addiction mental health issues in families of all races. In the families I have encountered working in education and inpatient/outpatient mental health/addiction treatment, the root issue isn’t poverty. The root issue is an untreated addiction/ mental health issue. Often children suffer abuse with mom or dad or both. They are placed with a relative and the case is closed. There is no support provided financially, for mental health needs, etc. In a family with generations of these issues, this is a huge failure.
Another concern is Child welfare workers often have little knowledge of addiction and mental health issues. Often these issues go unrecognized by the agency. In working with children involved with the agency inside the school, I have recognized parents with addiction to meth, parents with schizophrenia, etc. The observations often happened in face to face conversations and home visits to speak to parents. Sometimes they are also from children reporting behavior about parents that they have no idea they are reporting on, such as “mom talks to herself in the mirror all the time and Mom thinks our food is poisoned.” Another one reported was “dad has been under the front porch since last night and won’t come out and he is talking about pink rabbits.” Other observation reported were mom has lost huge amounts of weight and her teeth are now black and falling out.
All of these reports were totally disregarded by the child protective agency in my community and the children continued to suffer. There has to be a better way.
There are generational issues involving addiction mental health issues in families of all races. In the families I have encountered working in education and inpatient/outpatient mental health/addiction treatment, the root issue isn’t poverty. The root issue is an untreated addiction/ mental health issue. Often children suffer abuse with mom or dad or both. They are placed with a relative and the case is closed. There is no support provided financially, for mental health needs, etc. In a family with generations of these issues, this is a huge failure.
Another concern is Child welfare workers often have little knowledge of addiction and mental health issues. Often these issues go unrecognized by the agency. In working with children involved with the agency inside the school, I have recognized parents with addiction to meth, parents with schizophrenia, etc. The observations often happened in face to face conversations and home visits to speak to parents. Sometimes they are also from children reporting behavior about parents that they have no idea they are reporting on, such as “mom talks to herself in the mirror all the time and Mom thinks our food is poisoned.” Another one reported was “dad has been under the front porch since last night and won’t come out and he is talking about pink rabbits.” Other observation reported were mom has lost huge amounts of weight and her teeth are now black and falling out.
All of these reports were totally disregarded by the child protective agency in my community and the children continued to suffer. There has to be a better way.