Breaking down barriers to better mental health care

The Metro North Mental Health Intellectual Development Disability Service is providing localised specialised support for people with intellectual development disabilities and improving collaboration between clinicians.

Patients with intellectual developmental disability are benefiting from more personalised and accessible mental health care thanks to Metro North’s new Mental Health Intellectual Development Disability Service.

Metro North Mental Health Intellectual Developmental Disability Service Acting Team Leader Rhonda Beggs said the new service provides localised specialised support for people with intellectual developmental disabilities that require mental health care.

“People with intellectual developmental disability experience mental health conditions at a rate of at least 2.5 times higher than the general population, yet many face barriers accessing appropriate care,” Rhonda said.

“Diagnostic overshadowing occurs when symptoms are incorrectly attributed to a disability and are overlooked as a cause of physical or mental health.

“Communication differences, cognitive challenges and co-existing conditions such as epilepsy, ADHD and autism can make assessment and diagnosis more complex in traditional clinical settings.”

Previously, specialist support was provided through a statewide service based at West Moreton Health. The new Metro North Mental Health Intellectual Developmental Disability Service provides a local multidisciplinary team embedded within mental health services, improving collaboration between clinicians and access to specialist assessment.

“Optimising mental health care options for people with intellectual disabilities include intellectual developmental disability specific assessments, use of alternative communication strategies and making reasonable adjustments,” Rhonda said.

“Our multidisciplinary team sees things through a disability lens, not just a mental health perspective.

“By incorporating neuroaffirmative and person-centred frameworks, we work together to provide diagnostic clarity, interventions and recommendations for the individuals to enhance both their mental health and physical care.

“As well as supporting with the care of people with intellectual developmental disabilities, we focus on capacity building and cross sectoral collaboration to build staff confidence and knowledge.”

By strengthening local expertise and collaboration, the Mental Health Intellectual Developmental Disability Service is improving patient experience and supporting more responsive, person-centred mental health care across Metro North.