Project Description:
The Arc - Jefferson, Clear Creek & Gilpin Counties and JFK Partners of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus are each committed to working with individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) in advocacy and research, respectively. As a partnership, these community and academic partners are dedicated to providing an avenue to bring mental health crisis planning to the I/DD community in a way that is acceptable and useful as defined by the community.
Individuals with I/DD are also diagnosed with co-occurring mental health disorders more often than individuals in the typical population. Co-occurring mental health disorders can range from anxiety and depression to psychiatric conditions, like bipolar disorder. For individuals with such a dual diagnosis, the co-occurring mental health conditions can have a larger impact on their quality of life, and that of their families, than physical or cognitive limitations. However, treatment for mental health and psychiatric conditions for individuals with a dual diagnosis is often fragmented, and the care that is available is underutilized. This disparity can lead to an acute mental health crisis for individuals with I/DD that often requires intervention from first responders or emergency room services.
The Arc-JFK Partners partnership brings over a century of combined experience of working with individuals with I/DD. This shared interest, dedication to the community and commitment to addressing the health disparities for individuals with a dual diagnosis provide the key pieces to a successful partnership with measurable goals. This partnership proposes to 1) build an equal, sustainable partnership to provide a trusted bridge between academic institutions and the I/DD community and 2) use community based participatory research practices in conjunction with self-advocates, their families and medical professionals to explore the best approach of merging research, advocacy and education in a way that improves the acceptance and accessibility of mental health resources, using mental health crisis planning as a model.
