ABSTRACT
Being a parent and raising a child with an emotional, behavioral or mental health challenge is a full time job without pay, vacations or nights or weekends off. We should know because two of the authors of this chapter (Trina and David Osher) have more than 30 years of personal parenting experience that included navigating the mental health, education, social service and criminal justice systems. Based on this experience, we can say that, despite the stress and strain of raising a child or children with complex mental health needs, families typically serve as an anchor or “home base” as their child encounters various systems and services to address their mental health needs.
