Supporting the Mental Health and Well-being of Youth with Developmental Disabilities

Youth with developmental disabilities (DD) experience traumatic and stressful events at higher rates than people without DD and are more likely to struggle with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Despite this, mental health treatment for people with DD is often inaccessible due to system divides in mental health and DD services, mental health concerns in this population being frequently overlooked or attributed to their DD, and a lack of mental health service providers who feel confident working with people with DD. Youth and young adults (ages 14–24) with DD are particularly vulnerable as many of the resources and supports that were available to them as children end between the ages of 18 and 22. Improving how we identify and treat the mental health needs of youth with DD is something that requires community-wide action and is critical to ensuring these young people have every opportunity to live happy and healthy lives.

Reports

Supporting Youth with Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health Concerns in the Juvenile Justice System
Supporting Youth w DD MH in Juvenile Justice System July 2025
This report provides information and recommendations for individuals and organizations who are in a role to both prevent youth with Developmental Disabilities (DD) from entering the juvenile justice system—e.g., school personnel, primary care providers, community organizations—and/or intervene with youth already involved with the juvenile justice system. This report identifies challenges and opportunities for youth with DD, particularly those with co-occurring mental health conditions, at every stage of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Continuum of Care—prevention, intervention, out-of-home placement, and community reintegration. It concludes with recommendations aiming to improve cross-system collaboration, increase earlier identification and intervention for youth with DD and mental health concerns, and promote trauma-informed practices prior to and throughout the juvenile justice system.

Supporting Youth with Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health Concerns in School
Supporting Youth w DD MH in School
This report provides critical information and resources to improve how schools identify and respond to the mental health needs of students with Developmental Disabilities (DD). The report includes information on communication assessments and supports, mental health assessments and interventions for students with DD. It concludes with a summary of resources to support the mental wellbeing of youth with DD.

We created an additional resource for schools focused on two frameworks that provide the basis for comprehensive school mental health in Texas: (1) Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and (2) Nine Components of State-Required School Mental Health Practices, Procedures, and Training. For each framework, information on how to use the framework to best support the mental health of students with DD is provided. You can access that resource here Frameworks to Support MH of Students with DD.

Recorded Webinar

Supporting Youth with Developmental Disabilities in Mental Health Crises
On February 6, 2025, the Meadows Institute hosted a webinar to equip individuals providing services to children, youth, and young adults with DD experiencing a mental health crisis with tools and resources to effectively meet their needs. Panelists included KodiKay Cain, parent; John. M. Keesler, PhD, MSW, Associate Professor, Indiana University Bloomington, School of Social Work; Jordan Smelley, MHPS, Certified People Planning Together Trainer and Meadows Institute’s staff – Laura Merola, Katie Mitten, and Jeff Spivey.

This training brought me back to a place where I can believe my work does matter and we should keep going!” – webinar participant

Download Resources

Download Resource
Download Webinar Slides
Download Q&A Responses

Additional Work

Engaging the Community to Reduce Barriers to Accessing Mental Healthcare for Youth and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities
In 2023-2024, with funding from the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities (TCDD), the Meadows Institute conducted research to better understand the relationship between trauma, mental health, and DD for youth and young adults. The Meadows Institute facilitated focus groups with young adults with DD and mental health concerns and hosted three community convenings in Austin, Texas. The convenings included a cross-section of individuals working with and on behalf of young people with DD, family members of young people with DD, and individuals with DD and lived experience seeking mental health support. The purpose of the convenings was to collaborate to identify mental health resources for young people with DD and jointly identify solutions to create a more trauma-informed system of mental health care.

The Meadows Institute’s Community Action Guide summarizes key insights from this work and provides guidance for communities interested in replicating this work to improve mental health care for youth and young adults with DD.