Why Most Behavioral Health Care Facilities Don't Rehabilitate Your Children
Why is it that individuals with the dual diagnosis of developmental disabilities and mental illness spend many years working with behavioral specialists on plans that do not work?! For years, attempts at behavior modification have focused mainly on the eradication of a “target behavior” without developing an understanding of the underlying cause of said behavior. We must realize that behavior is a symptom! The current methods of behavioral modification used by most providers are nothing more than symptom management.
When a person has a medical issue, it is expected that the physician will do more than merely mask the symptoms. One expects that the condition itself will be addressed. The same goes for behavioral modification techniques. A behavior modification plan should be deemed successful only after it addresses the underlying cause of the target behavior and the behavior subsequently subsides. Once this occurs, ongoing management of the behavior can be completed without the need for elaborate interventions.
Remember: A successful behavior plan is one that eventually becomes obsolete.
With as many as one-third of the population with developmental disabilities experiencing mental health issues, there is a growing need to understand the unique impacts co-existing disorders have on these individuals. While many are receiving some form of treatment or support, these services often focus on only one of the disorders.
Mental health providers often assume that behavioral difficulties experienced by these individuals are the result of cognitive impairments, while those trained in behavioral interventions assume that an underlying psychosis is the cause. In either scenario, your child does not receive the training needed to truly recover from his/her disability. In fact, many provider agencies have said that it is not possible to recover from a developmental disability. While it is true that a developmental disability is a lifelong condition, recovery is not only possible but should be a main focus of any behavioral intervention.
Recovery is not a cure; rather it is defined as “the reformulation of one’s life aspirations and the development of new meaning and purpose as one grows beyond the catastrophic effects of their disability” (W. Anthony).
It is important to take a holistic approach to providing services to individuals with a dual diagnosis. In order to best accomplish this goal, one must have a true understanding of the needs of the individual. Many times, institutional and community-based staffs practice a “one size fits all” model of case management. The goals developed for these individuals are geared more toward compliance for institutional rules than they are toward achievement of personal goals.
For example, it is not uncommon to find a treatment plan or individual habilitation plan with such goals as “mopping the floor” or “making one’s bed.” While these activities are part of creating a “home-like environment,” they do not focus upon the individual’s long-term personal goals and recovery, a major downfall of a community living arrangement such as a group home.
Most community and institutional providers are good, caring individuals. However, your child deserves more. If he or she has a co-existing disorder, it is imperative to use a provider agency such as Declarations that specializes in rehabilitation for the dually diagnosed. Services for these specialists do not cost any more than a generalist will charge. Why then, when a child’s future is at stake, would anyone choose a generalist?
I invite you to contact me to learn more about how Declarations helps to rehabilitate consumers quicker--and at a lower cost--than traditional programs.
James Marhold, President/CEO
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