Mental Health Services for People with Developmental Disabilities
It’s June 19, 2013, my first day as a behavior and sexuality support professional. I’m handed a caseload of over 30 people with developmental disabilities and mental health diagnoses. All of them had a psychiatrist who prescribed psychotropic medications; however, none of them were working with a therapist. How were they ever going to get off these high doses of psychotropic medications without working with someone on the underlying mental health challenges? Obviously, this was a fluke or caseload oversight…right? Sadly, over the next few weeks, I learned about the severe lack of mental health professionals (MHPs) providing support to clients with developmental disabilities. Some struggles – such as insurance coverage limitations and numbers of certain types of specialists in an area – were shared by everyone seeking support. The biggest challenge for people with developmental disabilities was finding MHPs trained in adaptations for people with developmental disabilities. Fast forward to 2022. While COVID significantly impacted all of us, we’ve had the opportunity to reflect on what truly matters and create new capacities for the most important resources. While some delighted in having a favorite snack delivered to their doorstep at 2 a.m., it was remotely offered mental health services that had me singing with joy like a character in an animated movie. Finally, a step toward increased accessibility of [...]