Children of Drug Abusers

Until now, no one has spoken out for the children of heroin and cocaine addicts. The addiction treatment field has never been family or child-centered; workers were wholly unprepared for the vast numbers of children of drug abusers, and child mental health workers were not trained to work with the wanted or unwanted children of several million addicts in America. This is the first book to speak out passionately for these neglected, abandoned, and maltreated children. Combining a complete review of the literature with their own clinical experience with adult drug abusers and their children, the authors describe pioneering efforts by child mental health, child welfare, and addiction treatment personnel to get children of drug abusers the help they urgently need. They offer clinical strategies for working directly with these children in family centered settings.