The Whole Person Approach: Supporting People with Co-occurring Disabilities

When an individual has a disability (e.g., visual, brain injury, autism spectrum disorder, etc.) and a co-occurring mental health challenge, accessing appropriate treatment can be challenging at the very least. In this session, presenters will discuss some of the systems issues, characteristics of these populations, and strategies for supporting those with co-occurring challenges.

Presenters: Dr. Cathy Pratt, BCBA-D | Director, Indiana Resource Center for Autism, and the Indiana School Mental Health Initiative

Kristy Cook Russell, M.Ed., CSSGB | Manager, Adult and Youth Employment Services

Wendy Waldman, BSW, CBIST |Brain Injury Continuum Outreach Manager, Brain Injury Association, Indiana

Dr. Faith Thomas | Senior Program Coordinator, Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities National Training Center

Resources

Indiana School Mental Health Initiative (ISMHI): https://ismhi.indiana.edu/

Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities National Training Center (MHDD) : https://www.mhddcenter.org/

NCI Dual Diagnosis Brief: https://www.nationalcoreindicators.org/upload/core-indicators/NCI_DualDiagnosisBrief_Oct072019.pdf

Employment or individuals with a mental health diagnosis: https://www.in.gov/fssa/ddrs/rehabilitation-employment/employment-for-individuals-with-a-mental-health-diagnosis/