ACIDD Maryland was formed in July 2013 in response to a broader social mission of ACIDD, a non-profit social enterprise, to bring about positive change in mental health and freedom to people with severe mental illness and to people who have dual diagnoses of Intellectual disability and mental illness and to their families, while they overcome and manage their disease(s), meaningful life activities, creative endeavors, recovery supports and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope.
Behavioral health is essential to overall health. ACIDD Maryland directly addresses an intractable need to serve the common good of people in a unique role in advancing service delivery systems and community-wide strategies improving the health status and well-being of Marylanders by providing leadership and voice, public awareness and education, and community-based recovery programs of Rehabilitation. Each program of ACIDD Maryland is a new social initiative that has an overarching purpose, specific goals, action steps, and measures to determine success.
ACIDD Maryland also has a shift in focus to the mental health needs of people who have the ‘other dual diagnosis’ of Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and co-occurring Mental Disorders. People with Intellectual or Developmental Disability are at a significantly higher risk of mental illness. The prevalence is estimated to be 33% to 35% at the national level. Unfortunately, a few professionals only know about this other form of ‘dual diagnosis‘. Clinical programs and medical schools do not include dual diagnosis of Intellectual Disability and Mental Disorders in their training curricula. A clinician has the tendency to recognize the developmental delay of a person and his/her odd behaviors to that condition. This phenomenon, known as “Diagnostic overshadowing,” blinds clinicians to the possibility that a mental illness could be the cause of behaviors for which the person is being referred. Without specific training in the “other dual diagnosis” of IDD and Mental Disorders, mental health clinicians are unaware of the possibility of co-occurring conditions and create circumstances in which these individuals are untreated, undertreated, or, more alarmingly, treated with ineffective or inappropriate methods.
ACIDD Maryland is able to develop specific programs for adults with the ‘other dual diagnosis’ of Intellectual or Developmental Disability and Mental Disorders. Our programs help adults develop coping and self-management skills and access local resources needed to learn, work, and live as contributing members of their community. Our Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program (PRP) and Mental Health Vocational Program (MHVP) are structured programs with a schedule of therapeutic activities designed to help each participant develop the skills necessary to maintain stable behavior in a community setting. Our holistic psychiatric services are unique in nature.
Our team of clinicians and mental health professionals is experienced in Mental Health Treatment and Intellectual/Developmental Disability. Our leadership has several years of experience working with people with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities and Mental Disorders.