Program Development And Service Delivery
Mental Health Program Development and Service Delivery for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
A need exists in the Wilmington, North Carolina metropolitan area for licensed professional counselors willing to work with individuals of transition age (18-21) with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families. This paper deals with mental health program development and service delivery for this often-overlooked population. How client needs influence the design of a mental health program; models, methods and principles of program development and service delivery; and how the application of principles, models, and needs assessment results drive program modifications will be discussed. It is of note that there is little extant literature regarding mental health counseling with this population.
How Client Needs Influence the Design of a Mental Health Program
Successful mental health programs follow an evidence-based model of design which is based on the needs of a community or a target population within a community. Calley (2009) asserts that “counselors must be competent in comprehensive clinical program development from design through evaluation” (p. 9). Prior to the design process, a needs assessment must be completed and stakeholder groups identified to determine the direction of the new program (Erford, 2014).
The Wilmington, North Carolina metropolitan area spans three counties with a population of 362,315 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). According to Morstad (2012), 1.5% to 2.5% of Americans are intellectually and developmentally disabled. Given these figures, between 5,435 and 9,058 people in this geographic region are IDD. Only one licensed professional counselor (LPC) and two licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) specialize in counseling persons with IDD and/or their families. These professionals work for the same agency, Cape Fear Case Management and Counseling Services. The agency website
A need exists in the Wilmington, North Carolina metropolitan area for licensed professional counselors willing to work with individuals of transition age (18-21) with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families. This paper deals with mental health program development and service delivery for this often-overlooked population. How client needs influence the design of a mental health program; models, methods and principles of program development and service delivery; and how the application of principles, models, and needs assessment results drive program modifications will be discussed. It is of note that there is little extant literature regarding mental health counseling with this population.
How Client Needs Influence the Design of a Mental Health Program
Successful mental health programs follow an evidence-based model of design which is based on the needs of a community or a target population within a community. Calley (2009) asserts that “counselors must be competent in comprehensive clinical program development from design through evaluation” (p. 9). Prior to the design process, a needs assessment must be completed and stakeholder groups identified to determine the direction of the new program (Erford, 2014).
The Wilmington, North Carolina metropolitan area spans three counties with a population of 362,315 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). According to Morstad (2012), 1.5% to 2.5% of Americans are intellectually and developmentally disabled. Given these figures, between 5,435 and 9,058 people in this geographic region are IDD. Only one licensed professional counselor (LPC) and two licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) specialize in counseling persons with IDD and/or their families. These professionals work for the same agency, Cape Fear Case Management and Counseling Services. The agency website