The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #44921

Shelly Botuck and Joel M Levy. Research Department, YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities, 460 West 34th St., New York, NY 10001

People with developmental disabilities are among the heaviest users of the health care system (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 1997). Yet, their needs frequently present a challenge to service providers. In this presentation, the challenge of how to proactively plan for and deliver services that address the mental health needs of children, adolescents and adults with mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities will be presented.

We will describe the comprehensive care model that we have developed to integrate clinical interventions (e.g., behavior management, psychiatric care, social skills training, etc.) with medical, habilitative, and family support services. Through case presentations and data from our applied research we will show how this model can also promote the empowerment of caregivers, by maintaining a supportive environment for them, while providing services to their family member(s) with MR/DD.

Learning Objectives: Participants will learn

• Components of a comprehensive model for providing mental health care services to people with MR/DD that provides an integrated informational framework that can be coordinated, evaluated, and revised in response to the emerging and changing needs of individuals with MR/DD.
• How this model can accommodates individuals and families with differing needs.
• Interventions to support and enhance caregivers’ coping abilities.
• Characteristics that may influence service utilization for children and adults with MR/DD.

Keywords: Mental Health, Disability

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.