Children and Adolescents in Need : A Legal Primer for the Helping Professional

The critical needs of neglected and abused children are explored in this volume. The author discusses the challenges faced by practitioners who must provide the resources and support to help such vulnerable children anticipate the future with hope and confidence.

Topics covered include: professional responsibility; physical, emotional and sexual abuse of children; family support; adoption; and mental health issues. Weisz also examines the complex legal and professional issues surrounding the decision to remove children from parents who abuse or neglect them.

The book includes case studies to illustrate the efforts required to coordinate multidisciplinary services whose aim is to achieve long-term positive i

A valuable sourcebook for individuals interested in the tragedy of child abuse, Children and Adolescents in Need is a practical legal primer that looks at the complex and varied issues besetting child abuse. --Edelman Children′s Court Newsletter, Monterey Park, California The vulnerability of children becomes tragically apparent when they are neglected and abused by those persons most intimately responsible for their well-being. When this occurs, and parents are judged incapable of adequately providing for the critical needs of a child, the responsibility for determining "best interest" falls to the community legal system. In some instances--even before birth--legal principles, statutes, and case law are shaping the decisions that will profoundly affect the lives of these young human beings. With compassion and practicality, Children and Adolescents in Need looks at the complex issues surrounding these decisions and discusses the challenges faced by people involved in providing the resources these special children need to anticipate a future with hope and confidence. The poignant clarity of Children and Adolescents in Need makes it an excellent sourcebook for mental health practitioners, volunteer child advocates, and students in clinical training. Case studies explore the effort required to coordinate multi-disciplinary services to achieve long term positive impact on the "whole" child.