Clients with intellectual disabilities on psychiatric units: care coordination for positive outcomes

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  Resources for treatment of clients with intellectual disabilities and a psychiatric illness are scarce in the USA.
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  This case study looks at a treatment approach which includes multidisciplinary as well as interagency cooperation and coordination to enhance the outcomes for a client in crisis.
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  This case study presents a Best Practice model for clients with intellectual disabilities who are treated for psychiatric illness and maladaptive or unsafe behaviours on a general adult psychiatric inpatient unit.

The transition from residential facilities to and from the psychiatric hospital setting is difficult for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). In the USA, specialized psychiatric units for individuals with ID are uncommon and this population is usually served in generalized services. Nevertheless, providers of mental health services in the USA receive little training in their specific needs. Best practices call for coordination of plans between psychiatric units and community agencies, multidisciplinary care plans, staff education and comprehensive discharge planning in order to improve outcomes of psychiatric hospitalization. An inner city psychiatric unit in a major academic medical centre and a community agency providing residential care for individuals with ID cooperated to provide a plan of care for a client with ID both for hospitalization and for discharge leading to improved outcomes.