Admission & Referral
Adults with mental illnesses are just as likely to be parents as those without a mental illness. In fact, the population of parents who have serious mental illnesses has increased in recent years. With the advent of improved services and medications, increased consumer advocacy, expansion of community-based care and decreased reliance on psychiatric hospitalization, more adults with serious mental illnesses have chosen to become parents.
The objective the Invisible Children's Program (ICP) is to support parents with mental illness in their parenting efforts and to keep the family together. The ICP is based on the idea that all parents want to be the best parents possible and the art of being a parent is tremendously rehabilitative. Its main priority, then, is to empower the parent to be a role model for their child.
Admission
The Invisible Children's Program (ICP) is for parents who:
-
Are 18 years of age or older.
-
Have mental health concerns.
-
Have children 17 years of age and younger.
-
Have custody of their child(ren) or want to regain custody.
-
Receive, or plan to receive, mental health treatment with a psychiatrist and therapist..
-
Want to create a safe home environment for their child(ren).
-
Are willing to make a commitment to regularly attend the program and services.
Referral
Download The Invisible Children's Program
Referral Form.
Please note: The ICP does not accept self-referrals. A parent must be referred by a mental health professional. However, if a parent is involved with the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare (BMCW), then the referral must come from the site's family assessor.
Please return completed form(s) to:
Beth Lappen, Program Manager
Mental Health America of Wisconsin
734 N. 4th Street, Ste. 200
Milwaukee, WI 53203
(414) 276-3124 (fax)
For those parents who do not meet the requirements of the ICP and are still interested in taking the educational courses through Mental Health America's Specialized Resource Center, please download a Referral Form.
