Service evaluation of an integrated assessment and treatment service for people with intellectual disability with behavioural and mental health problems

• Published in: Journal of intellectual disabilities 2011-03, Vol.15 (1), p.7-19
• Main Authors: Richings, Ceri, Cook, Rachael, Roy, Ashok
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Admissions; Aggression; Aggression - psychology; Assessment; Behavioural problems; Biological and medical sciences; Community Mental Health Services - methods; Community treatment. Ambulatory treatment. Home care; Comorbidity; Day Care, Medical - methods; Delivery of Health Care, Integrated - methods; England; Female; Health Services Research - methods; Hospitalization; Humans; Intellectual Disability - rehabilitation; Learning disabled people; Length of Stay; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Disorders - rehabilitation; Mental health; Organization of mental health. Health systems; Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care) - methods; Patient Care Management - methods; Patient Care Team; Program Evaluation - methods; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Referral and Consultation; Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Treatments
• ISSN: 1744-6295; 1744-6309
• DOI: 10.1177/1744629511403563

In response to rising local need and national drivers such as the Mansell Report, an isolated inpatient ward for people with an intellectual disability and additional mental health and behavioural problems was developed into a more flexible service integrating inpatient beds, day assessment, outreach and the local community learning disability teams. The functioning of the new service is evaluated on the basis of the way it was utilized in its first 2 years, and its outcomes, and compared with the pre-existing, more traditional inpatient ward. Although the new service model treated a higher number of people, it was more able to prevent or shorten inpatient admissions and to prevent placement breakdown and reduce aggressive incidents amongst inpatients during their stay. The integrated model described, whilst not being immune to the problem of delayed discharge, has in its first 2 years been a more effective, more flexible and safer service than the previous more traditional model.