Recht op geestelijke gezondheidszorg voor personen met een verstandelijke beperking: onnodig controversieel?

Abstract

On an (inter)national level, social policy, research and practice indicate the violation of the human rights (and particularly the right on mental health) for people with an intellectual disability. At the end of the nineties, consultation teams originated in Flanders (the Dutch speaking part of Belgium) in response to the lack of ambulatory mental health care for people with an intellectual disability and their network. In this contribution, first we illustrate this social problem by the story of Maria, which describes the ‘jammed situation’ of a woman with an intellectual disability and additional mental health problems. The story reports the complicatedness of her search for ‘good enough’ care and support. Second, we explore whether the theoretical frameworks disability studies and feminist ethics of care can inspire the support practice of people with intellectual disability and additional mental health problems, along the lines of human rights. We conclude this paper by analyzing the working of the consultation teams to explore some emerging insights and implications for their search for support