As an MSW student intern, I have been given the opportunity to do my clinical practice in an inpatient psych department. Here we see medically cleared patients that were referred from the ER who have ‘Serious Mental Illness.’ According to the American Psychiatric Association “Serious Mental Illness (SMI) is defined as someone over the age of 18 who has (or had within the past year) a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder that causes serious functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.”
Hospitals and agencies all have their requirements and “exclusionary criteria” as to whom they can admit into their departments. Sometimes these exclusionary criteria can seem to be non-inclusive of patients who need that help most. Often times, individuals with intellectual disabilities are excluded from receiving the care that they need because of their mental health problems are not due to a brain chemical imbalance but by a behavioral problem. I experienced seeing individuals get turned away from mental health assistance because the medical professionals could not treat their behaviors with medication. This type of perspective limits the care and needs for those who do have intellectual disabilities and a serious mental illness. In Illinois, there are even laws made that make sure that these exclusionary criteria are not imposed.
“(405 ILCS 5/2-100) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 2-100)
Sec. 2-100. (a) No recipient of services shall be deprived of any rights, benefits, or privileges guaranteed by law, the Constitution of the State of Illinois, or the Constitution of the United States solely on account of the receipt of such services.
(b) A person with a known or suspected mental illness or developmental disability shall not be denied mental health or developmental services because of age, sex, race, religious belief, ethnic origin, marital status, physical or mental disability or criminal record unrelated to present dangerousness.
(Source: P.A. 86-1416.)”
However, it still is not applied in all the different agencies. How do we “check” these agencies that they don’t decline individuals because of their intellectual disabilities if they present with a mental health problem.
Part of the research that I get to partake in the LEND fellowship is bridging the gap between intellectual disabilities and mental health. Cognitive behavioral therapy has a history of not addressing the needs of individuals who have autism. Honestly, there is just a serious lack of research on these populations and mental health in general. Working with Dr. Kristin Berg on the BEST project, our research team gets to provide workshops to families with children with disabilities and a mental illness.
Resources
What is Serious Mental Illness? | SMI Adviser
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=040500050HCh%2E+II&ActID=1496&ChapterID=0&SeqStart=5000000&SeqEnd=8000000
