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.