Further reading and case studies
Borderline Intellectual Disability
Borderline Intellectual Disability – Support from an NGO
Jacob was a 19 year old man who lived with his father who had been his sole carer without any supports for the entirety of Jacob’s life. Jacob’s father was an elderly man who himself had significant learning difficulties.
Psychological assessments, including assessments carried out by ADHC, indicated that Jacob suffered from symptoms that were consistent with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, depression and autism.
Jacob had attempted suicide on a number of occasions and continually made threats of suicide. The previous year his father found Jacob hanging from a tree in his backyard. Jacob was often harassed by local young people in the area and by trying to fit into this crowd Jacob would drink heavily and got involved with drugs.
There had been significant disputes in relation to whether or not Jacob suffered from an intellectual disability as well as having other mental health issues. ADHC assessments placed Jacob as having a borderline intellectual disability which meant that he was ineligible for direct ADHC services.
Jacob had a significant criminal history and had regularly been involved with the criminal justice system. In just over a year Jacob had been charged on six separate occasions with a total of 24 offences. On almost all occasions the charges have resulted from altercations with his father in the family home, during which it has been alleged that Jacob has assaulted his father and damaged his property. Previously section 32 applications failed, even though Jacob was found eligible under the first limb of the section, because he did not receive any support and an adequate support plan could not be put before the court. As a result he served a number of terms of imprisonment.
IDRS referred Jacob to a non-government organisation (NGO) which provided case management to him. The benefit of a NGO, often funded by ADHC, is that they often have broader eligibility criteria. Once he was allocated a case manager he received assistance in behaviour intervention and anger management. His family were also linked up to support services. He was referred to a psychiatrist by his GP who was able to undertake a medication review. Jacob was linked up with a local sporting team which opened up new friendship circles for him. Jacob was additionally referred to GROW Community Farm, a live in residential unit for persons with dual diagnosis, for 6 months.
Jacob’s case manager from a local NGO prepared a support plan for court and the section 32 application was granted.