RAISE The Standard, May 2025, v.11 n.6 | |
Mental Health Issues in Youth
Young people with disabilities often face extra challenges when it comes to their mental health. They may feel left out or different from others, which can lead to feelings of sadness, loneliness, or low self-esteem. They might also have trouble finding the right mental health support, especially if services are not designed to meet their unique needs. Some youths with disabilities have trouble communicating their feelings, which can make it hard for others to understand what they are going through. There may be additional stress from trying to keep up with school or social activities, especially if they don’t get the help they need.
These challenges can increase the risk of anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues. With understanding, patience, and the right resources, young people with disabilities can build strong mental health, which is a cornerstone for leading happy, fulfilling lives.
In this issue of RAISE The Standard, we will explore how young people with disabilities and their loved ones can navigate mental health struggles.
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The Dual Faces of Mental Health
The students involved with the Disability Rights Center of the Virgin Islands (DRCVI) put together the Teen Mental Health Brochure, the information from which was presented at the 2025 RAISE Virtual Summit.
“Let’s break the stigma around seeking help - it’s a sign of strength, not weakness.”
In this video, the teacher of the course, Shammi Carr, presents the “Dual Faces” that the students drew of themselves: one side representing how they present to the world, the other side representing how they feel on the inside.
Click here to access the video and learn about the students’ experiences.
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The Challenges of Transitioning with Mental Illness
Some of the common mental health concerns among transition age youth include:
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Independence: Turning 18 can be tough for young people with disabilities and mental health issues. They may have to make big life choices without always feeling ready. It can be hard to balance independence with getting the help they still need.
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Support Systems: When transitioning to adulthood, support systems can change or disappear. It can be confusing and stressful to figure out who will help and how. Families often struggle to find the right care and support during this big life change.
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Self-Advocacy: Young people are expected to speak up for themselves in a work or academic setting, but that can be very hard for someone struggling with their mental health. They might not know how to explain what they need or understand their rights. Without the right guidance, they can feel confused or ignored, making it harder to get the help they need as they become adults. Learning to self-advocate takes time, practice, and support.
Strategies to support mental health during transition include:
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Prevention Planning: What do individuals and families need to think about, and when do they need to start thinking about it?
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Action Planning: Methods for tracking and maintaining goals.
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Self-Assessment: The priorities and concerns of the youth who is transitioning to adulthood.
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Family Assessment: The priorities and concerns of the youth’s family or other support system.
Click here to access a video about challenges for transition age youth with mental illness
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The Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities National Training Center (MHDD) provides easy to understand training modules for individuals, families, and other direct supports on topics such as understanding common mental illnesses, preparing for a mental health assessment, and supported decision-making.
Click here to access the training modules.
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Asking for Workplace Accommodations
This link to the ADA guide on disclosing the need for mental health accommodations to an employer provides examples of reasonable requests and advice for the conversation, and debunks myths about workplace accommodations.
Click here to access the guide.
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In this issue of RAISE The Standard, we focus on Open Doors for Multicultural Families, a collaboration between Parent Centers in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam and Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.
With a wide span of services and a team of staff who speak 19+ languages, Open Doors for Multicultural Families supports and partners with individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and their families from a diverse range of communities including immigrants, refugees, people of color, and other individuals who face barriers in accessing support and resources. ODMF connects these individuals and families with specialized services and programs to support a variety of needs from infancy through adulthood.
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The RAISE Youth Advocates for Change (YAFC) have produced podcasts on topics important to them as youth with disabilities to amplify the youth voice and support parent centers as they continue to engage with youth and their families.
Click here for episode 4 on involving youth in healthcare
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Wednesday, June 11 - Friday, June 13, 2025
Pacific Grove, California
The 2025 California Mental Health Advocates for Children & Youth (CMHACY) conference advocates and promotes policies, programs, and practices that support the emotional well-being of young people and their families.
Tickets are available with or without the option to book a hotel room in CMHACY’s room block, located at the hotel venue at which the conference is being hosted.
Click here to learn more about this year’s conference.
Click here to register now.
| | Collaboration • Empowerment • Capacity-building | | RAISE The Standard enewsletter identifies and shares resources that the Rehabilitation Services Administration Parent Training and Information Centers (RSA-PTI) can use and share with families. | | The RAISE Technical Assistance Center is working to advance the accessibility of its digital resources, including its websites, enewsletters and various digital documents. | | RAISE, the National Resources for Access, Independence, Self-Advocacy and Employment is a user-centered technical assistance center that understands the needs and assets of the RSA-PTIs, coordinates efforts with the Technical Assistance provided by PTI centers and involves RSA-PTIs as key advisors and partners in all product and service development and delivery. | |  | |
The RAISE Center is a project of the SPAN Parent Advocacy Network and is funded by the US Department of Education's Rehabilitation Service Administration. The contents of this resource were developed under a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Education (H235G200007)). However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education and should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
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