Social Inclusion for Adults with Mental Health Difficulties - Essay Example

Mental Health Social Work Define Main Terms - Social Inclusion Social inclusion for adults with mental health difficulties has a comprehensive definition. It is defined as a virtuous circle of improved rights of access to the social and economic world, new opportunities, recovery of status and meaning and reduced impact of disability. This is as a multidimensional system acknowledging the social, psychological and physical components, (including sense of belonging and a support network), promoting reflection on what it really means to be socially included. It is the maximum integration of people with mental health difficulties into the general community that entitles them to equal opportunities and responsibilities that are available in the society (Boutillier and Croucher, p 136). To gain a clearer insight of inclusion, it is a must to recognize how this concept has come to being. Even before the people with mental health difficulties become adults, there has been a prelude to the federal special education as brought about by a history of discrimination (Turnbull, et. al. 1995). The nations' schools practiced two kinds of discrimination related to disabilities for a long time in all over the country for a number of years until a law was passed. The concern on discrimination was that school administrations excluded many, if not most, students with disabilities from schools altogether (and if they admitted the students with mental difficulties to school, they did not provided them with an effective or appropriate education) and students from minority groups are often classified as students with disabilities when in fact they did not have disabilities. And as part of their classification discrimination, they are sometimes labeled as students with one kind of disability when they really had other disabilities. (Lippmann, and Goldberg: 1973). Inclusion has become controversial as interest groups, politicians and the general public has strong opinions on the practice. Although many of those opinions are well informed, sadly some are not and just want to change the way inclusion is conducted (and even some want to abolish the practice). Even educators disagree about how inclusion should be implemented and whether it should be done at all/ nonetheless it is the law, and every educator at every level of schooling is affected. True to the premise that excellent education is education that is excellent for all, it is the professional responsibility of every educator to provide each student with the best education possible, thus, inclusion, when done well, is an important means for meeting that responsibility (Lombardi, 1999). History and why it is important The advocate for rights to an equal education opportunity begun in the early 1970's when families begun to sue state officials, claiming that the exclusion and classification practice violated the students' rights under the federal constitution, until a public law was enacted to protect the rights and interests of people with mental health difficulties. The law, which is now called Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantee students a free appropriate public education, providing them federal to state and local educational agencies to help educate them from birth to age three (early intervention) from age three to age six (early childhood special education) from age six to age 18, and from age 18-21 (transitions or aging out of school). In as much, through IDEA special education was classified as specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs o a student with disability (Turnbull, et. al. 1995). Its development The social-cultural realities of integration of this law, however, are not with any challenge. When inclusion was enacted and people with mental health difficulties were given equal access to educational system (and the society in general) there were such that one group is viewed as the "mainstream" and one group that is not. The challenge on inclusion lie heavily on a value that has to be manifested in the way the community (families, administrators, and government) plan, promote, and conceptualize the education and development of the young with difficulties. Until such a time that change in embracing inclusive program that the diverse needs of all children and adults are accommodated to the maximum extent possible within the general education curriculum and schools become creative and successful environments for the people they serve (Salisbury, 1991). Mental health and social inclusion reports Conforming to IDEA's policies, a student with disability must be educated (disability to the maximum extent appropriate for the student) along with students who do not have disabilities. It was ensured that the school may not remove the student from general education unless he or she cannot be educated there successfully (appropriately in the sense that the student will benefit) even after the school provides supplementary aids and support services for the student. Schools were instructed to offer a continuum or range of services from more to be less typical and inclusive: that is from less to more restrictive or separate. The most typical and inclusive setting is in general classes, followed by special classes, special schools, home instruction, and instruction in hospitals and institutions (Salisbury, 1991, Turnbull, 1994, Turnbull, et. al. 1995). The following are the statistics that represented the settings and the percent of all children with disabilities in each (ages 6-21) during the 1989-90 school years (1992): 1. Regular classroom and receive special education and related services outside the regular classroom for less than 21% of the school day. It includes children placed in a regular class and receiving special education within the regular class as well as children placed in a regular class and receiving special education outside the regular class; 2. Resource room (37.6 percent): included students who receive special education and related services outside the regular classroom for 21%-60% of the school day. This may include students placed in a resource rooms with part-time instruction in a regular class; 3. Separate class (24. 9 percent): included students who receive special education and related services outside the regular classroom fro more than 60 percent of the school day. Students may be placed in self-contained special classrooms with part time instruction in regular classes or placed in self-contained classes full time on a regular school campus; 4. Separate school facility (4.6 percent): included students who receive special education and related services in separate day schools for students with disabilities for greater than 50% of the school day, and; 5. Residential facility (.09 percent) included students who receive special education and related services in hospital or homebound programs (Turnbull, et. al. 1995). Challenges for social work practice Rural areas face special challenges in reaching to people with mental health difficulties especially in terms of education. Two-thirds of schools are in rural areas, and these areas typically have disproportionate percentage of students from poor families and linking parents to schools and students to services is has become a challenge because so few people are scattered over such large areas. Moreover, the local school budgets are relatively small and that was seen as a reason why professionals often prefer to work in cities and suburban communities (Helge, 1991). The government's program is under severe criticism in its shortcomings for treating the public sector, including social services departments, as part of the problem to be addressed, rather than part if the solution. The traditional strength of UK social work and its unified organizational base within the welfare state has become a weakness when it failed to properly address child protection and adoption work. Hence, the program itself needed a new identity and new strategic alliance, in order to develop set of qualifactory, regulatory, and standard-setting systems to modernize its whole approach to the service of people with mental health difficulty (Jordan, 2001). Different strategies/approaches of tackling social exclusion There are a number of strategies that are very helpful in the issue of social exclusion. The most widely observed strategy is collaboration, the process that forms of inclusion-directed collaboration and calls for problem solving by and among families, friends, and professionals, each of whom who pays close attention to a students preferences, strengths and great expectations. And with help from the professionals, they can create opportunities for people with mental health difficulties to participate in the society and find a community job that matches the person's preferences (often called action group collaborated with job placement). Family can also meet at different times for support as well as the student and community (Mount, 1992a). Collaboration among these group will utilize peers as problem solvers, (valuable sources of insights particularly on how to make social and instructional inclusion work) and the individual can expand his ability to express his preferences, engage in group discussion, attend to long agenda, develop self-esteem from having so many people care about his preferences, and further experience reciprocal friendship and camaraderie is not limited (Mount, 1992b). Creating job opportunities - links, trainings, promotions in schools With proper collaboration from support system (family, friends, community and government support) people with mental health difficulties can have equal opportunities in terms of economic and personal advancement with people who do not have these problems. As early as the individual's school years, the administrators and the family can utilize the school-to- work program consist of a team whose job is to secure permanent regular employment for the student (Davis, 1993). Part-time to full time jobs helps people with mental difficulties gain valuable knowledge about work habits, skills and attitudes. These jobs may lead to other jobs, perhaps with same employer. School to work internship program is changing that outcome for students and young adults with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities through combining the talents of the local high school special education programs, chamber of commerce members, employers, and a non profit corporation called full citizenship to give students with disabilities job training and experience while they are still in school. Together, they can gather information about the student's skills, training and community work experiences and choices and match the screening and providing support for students, and identify students who want and are ready for job training and community work experiences which will ensure success on the job for the benefit of employers and students (Davis, 1993). Read More