What do child welfare workers need to know about the disorder? Can children really have bipolar disorder (BD)? Why do we have so many children diagnosed with BD now? And adults too? What treatments work? Are the children overmedicated? What are reasonable expectations for parents with BD?
Bipolar disorder is an often a perplexing and confusing mood disorder than can bring great suffering to those affected. The challenges of identifying and treating the various forms of BD can be considerable, but research and clinical experience indicate that, with a correct diagnosis, BD can be managed with relative success with consistent treatment. However, child welfare workers are too often left managing chaotic, difficult families and facing placement difficulties because of the disorder.
This workshop presents an overview of the human experience with bipolar disorder with a sharp focus on recent research on the identification and treatment of BD in children, adolescents and adults and how this knowledge can shape child welfare practice.