1. Supporting Psychological Health
Neighborhood Bridges
Supporting Psychological Health

2. Neighborhood Bridges
A Human Rights community committed to creating activist environments that end oppression and establish meaningful citizenship for people with intellectual disabilities
A community built on the notion that disability is a distinct culture, and still affected by various forms of oppression.

3. Our Community: Who are the People in the Neighborhood?
People with Intellectual Disabilities
Families
Human Rights Workers
Supportive Roommates and Neighbors
Community Partners

4. Areas of Focus
Supported parenting for parents with Intellectual disabilities
People with dual diagnosis, trauma histories and multi system involvement including: penal and justice system, addictions, sex work, registered sex offenders

5. The Behavioral Paradigm
Why ‘Behavior First’ interventions don’t work
Why our own Experiential Bias interferes with democratic and useful supports
Why WHY is the most important aspect of exploring what people do
EXAMPLE: Perseveration around food post institutionalization. Control of meds vs

6. The ‘Behavior First’ Myth
Discredits the notion of functionality – ALL behaviors are serving a function BUT not the one you think
That surface interventions net zero long term outcomes
Is dehumanizing

7. Experiential Bias
People with intellectual disabilities have a different set of experiences with which to respond to the world, and it is not expressed in the same way as people who have not experienced oppression
Therefore assigning motives that would mirror your own is counterproductive
Because causality and emotion dictates behavior (and we cant read people’s minds)

8. Why is WHY so Important
Because you cannot KNOW someone else’s motivation
Because by being curious we get better context and often, disclosures allowing us to develop better therapeutic interventions
Because not asking results in negative emotions, labels and responses – and then no healing or learning can happen

9. Assessment Along the Continuum
Diagnosis - Acute and Chronic
Trauma
Self Identity and Self Concept
Family of Origin - Where oppression starts
Personal History
Internal drivers – Unmet wants and needs

10. Personal Agency, Evaluation and Recovery:
Why we follow a continuum of knowledge to ensure we are useful

11. Oral History and Asset Framework
The Oral History allows us to tell the story of who a person truly is, it seeks to explore more valuable information such as family history, personal history, current self concept and the clues, behavioral and otherwise of who a person is seeking to be.
Asset Framework
The asset framework provides a work plan for Human Rights Workers to be useful in supporting each persons progress towards relationships, contributions and citizenship. Needed assets are identified on each of 5 domains.

12. The 5 Domains
Service – appropriate resources incl: Housing, medical (generic), childcare, employment counselling
Financial – access to adequate funds to pay bills, access to credit, savings, support for success
Social – trusting relationships with supports, reciprocal relationships with family/friends, understanding of what authentic relationships look like

13. 5 Domains Continued
Personal – sense of self outside of labels imposed by others, ability to stand up for personal rights, a life without fear
Human – Access to knowledge, skills in making decisions, comfort in using available resources (people/tech/learning)

14. How to be Useful(s): Keeping well day to day
These tools keep the community:
Attached to the details that make life more meaningful
Sensitive to emotional/psychological triggers
Aware of our own behavior

15. Keeping the Vision Alive
ALL. THE. TIME.

16. The Log Note
Requires the staff to address a goal area in each of the 5 asset area frameworks
Need to be revised and evaluated regularly
Need staff to be trained to be good observers, curious and interested at all times

17. The Team Meeting Framework
Looks for each of the team members to examine not just what has happened but why
Requires a skilled mediator to be successful
Demands each member contribute and challenge each other
Requires weekly/bi-weekly evaluation of all support documents
Allows for changing gears ‘on the fly’

18. What About When People are not well?
Supporting psychological health

19. The Support Matrix
Seeks to improve on the functional assessment/behavior program paradigm
Seeks to have a deeper understanding of a person’s core identities
Seeks to understand the internal and external wants and needs of a person
Recognizes the emotions and experiences that drive a person to do things
Recognizes that ALL behaviors are, in fact, FUNCTIONAL

20. Restrictive Procedures Suck
All aspects of our supports must have a learning component
All aspects of our supports must address the underlying emotional issues
All interventions need to be trauma sensitive
All interventions need to be anti oppressive in practice
All interventions need to be sensitive to vicarious trauma

21. CRISIS PREVENTION PLAN
Modeled on the CPI model of 4 domains
Does not generally include restrictions
Primary focus is on safety ,
Recovering the relationship which is WHY there is RARELY physical restraint and currently only on an emergency basis

22. OUTCOMES USING THIS METHODOLOGY
NB WORKS FOR 19 PEOPLE WTH SEVERE TRAUMA HISTORIES
WE HAVE 1 ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL , AND
1 RESTRICTIVE PROCEDURE

23. Continual Evaluation
Read, Research, Review, Revise

24. How We Work to Keep on Vision
Requesting and evaluating feedback from all community members
Engaging in academic research
Seeking the input of other social movements
Engaging in community development