This handbook is intended to assist South Carolina parents of children with severe emotional disturbances as they participate in the state's "Continuum of Care" program, which attempts to provide community based treatment in the least restrictive environment for each client. The handbook begins with a letter from a parent of an autistic young adult, then goes on to discuss the importance of parents in the Continuum of Care program and to describe the program as state-funded effort to keep the child in his/her own home while providing needed services. A question and answer section addresses such concerns as: how the Continuum of Care program is different from other agencies; the role of the service coordinator; the Total Service Plan (TSP); the TSP meeting; closing of a case; placement outside the home; and parental financial responsibilities. The next section briefly describes the four services available under the program: (1) educational services, (2) treatment services, (3) residential services, and (4) support services. The final section describes eight South Carolina agencies with which the Continuum of Care program works, including the Departments of Social Services, Mental Health, Youth Services, Vocational Rehabilitation, Education, and Mental Retardation. Locations of program offices and names of major personnel conclude the handbook. (DB)