Developmental Disabilities Services
West Michigan CMH is committed to providing the care necessary to improve the lives of children and adults with developmental disabilities.
A “developmental disability” can be categorized as any disability that requires treatment for disorders such as autism, cerebral palsy, Prader-Willi syndrome, epilepsy, or related disorders. It also includes intellectual disabilities and those caused by injuries to the brain.
Individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities deserve to live meaningful lives in our community, and it is our goal to facilitate this to the best of our ability. We aim to enhance independence, self-sufficiency, and productivity and support and encourage community inclusion.
The Developmental Disability Team provides an array of services for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.
Outpatient Therapy
Mental Health Therapy and Counseling includes therapy or counseling designed to help improve functioning and relationships with other people. Outpatient therapy may be the only services a person receives or may be part of a whole array of services that someone receives—depending on what is most appropriate to each person’s needs. Outpatient therapy may be provided to individuals or in groups.
Care Management
Supports Coordination or Targeted Case Management: A case manager is a staff person who helps write an individual plan of service and makes sure the services are delivered. His or her role is to listen to a person’s goals, and to help find the services and providers inside and outside the local community mental health services program that will help achieve the goals. A supports coordinator or case manager may also connect a person to resources in the community for employment, community living, education, public benefits, and recreational activities. Care managements primary focus is on linking, coordinating, and monitoring services with the individual to ensure that each person gets the services most appropriate to their needs and in accordance with their person-centered plan.
Medication and Health Services
- Medication and health services include a variety of different components designed to best meet the needs of each individual. Services begin with a comprehensive Health Assessment and Psychiatric Evaluation to best understand the unique symptoms and experiences you have to determine if medications are likely to assist with your unique challenges.
- If medications are appropriate to your needs, West Michigan CMH doctors and nurses will work with you to follow up regularly on your medications and to see how the medications are affecting your symptoms and overall health.
- Certain lab work may be completed to ensure the medications you need are appropriate to your needs and symptoms and to ensure that there are no negative side effects on your overall health.
- West Michigan CMH health services team members will coordinate your medication treatment with your care manager and with your primary care physician.
- Your appointments with a psychiatrist may be in person or may occur via telepsychiatry. Telepsychiatry is where you meet with a psychiatrist over a secure television connection.
Skills Building
Skill-Building Assistance includes supports, services, and training to help a person participate actively at school, work, volunteer or community settings, or to learn social skills they may need to support themselves or to get around in the community. These services may be one-to-one or in groups and may be delivered in a variety of settings including our office, your home, or the community.
Community Living Support
Community Living Supports (CLS) are activities provided by paid staff who help adults with either serious mental illness or intellectual/developmental disabilities live independently through the development of home living skills. Through CLS services address community integration through recreation activities, socialization, and/or civic activities.
Supported/Integrated Employment Services
Supported/Integrated Employment Services provide initial and ongoing supports, services, and training, usually provided at the job site, to help adults who are eligible for mental health services find and keep paid employment in the community. These services are delivered in the community or at our gathering sites.
Respite Care
Respite Care Services provide short-term relief to the unpaid primary caregivers of people eligible for specialty services. Respite provides temporary alternative care, either in the family home or in another community setting chosen by the family.
Autism Services
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is an Evidence Based Practice for the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. ABA uses observation to look at the relationship between behavior and the child’s surroundings. Treatment involves making small, sequential changes to the child’s surroundings to produce change in behavior. One-on-One treatment is provided by a Behavior Technician working under the supervision of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).The primary goal is to teach new and appropriate skills. In addition, the BCBA meets regularly with the family to provide ABA Family Guidance. This allows the family to take an active role in their child’s treatment and promotes the transfer of skills from treatment to the child’s home. ABA is available for children and adolescents age 0-21 who meet medical necessity criteria.
Other
This is not an exhaustive list of services available. As part of assessment and person-centered planning, your care manager will assist you in determining what other services might be appropriate to meet your recovery goals.