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      Mental Health and Intellectual Disability: The Experiences of Disability Support Workers in Relation to the Mental Health Needs of Clients

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      THIEMANN-THESIS-2017.pdf (1.232Mb)
      Date
      2017-04-05
      Author
      Thiemann, Tara
      Type
      Thesis
      Degree Level
      Masters
      Metadata
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      Abstract
      Adults with intellectual disabilities are known to have a high prevalence of mental health problems. As with other Canadians, access to adequate mental health services for this group is a challenge. As a result, these individuals along with their family members are turning to intellectual disability services for assistance with issues of mental health regardless of the fact that employees do not receive specialized training in this area. Research indicates that intellectual disability service providers play an important role in the mental health of these individuals, are supporting service users with a variety of mental health issues, and are in need of specialized training. What is missing from this research, is the experience, of Canadian support workers as they support the mental health of adults with intellectual disabilities. Through the use of a general qualitative research design, this study attempted to explore and understand the experiences of direct support workers as they support adults with intellectual disabilities where issues of mental health and well-being appear. A semi-structured interview was utilized to elicit descriptions of these experiences in addition to the perceptions of direct support workers in relation to training competencies and needs. It is anticipated that through understanding the experiences and perceptions of direct support workers, a better service model can be delineated.
      Degree
      Master of Education (M.Ed.)
      Department
      Educational Psychology and Special Education
      Program
      School and Counselling Psychology
      Supervisor
      Claypool, Tim
      Committee
      Claypool, Tim; Brenna, Beverley; Squires, Vicki; Mousavi, Amin
      Copyright Date
      March 2017
      URI
      http://hdl.handle.net/10388/7795
      Subject
      mental health
      intellectual disability
      disability support workers
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      • Graduate Theses and Dissertations
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