Signpost Professional help
If the young person needs support to access professional help, you should ask them if there is someone they know well and trust who they would like to support them. People with a learning disability are entitled to use the same mental health services as the general population and have the right to accept or refuse professional help. However, there are barriers that may hinder a young person with a learning disability from seeking professional help, e.g. accessing transportation. If challenges arise that prevent the person from receiving appropriate professional help, try to find an advocate who can support them to access it. Try to find appropriate services that specialise in supporting young people with a learning disability and offer information that may help them to decide about seeking professional help (e.g. what is involved and the benefits of each option). There may also be a certain level of support that can be provided for the young person within an education setting, such as improving opportunities for socialising, changing activities or staff, or providing greater support over periods of transition (179). Using your MHFAider app or the Hub of Hope website directly, explore targeted help local to the young person using the support tags e.g., ‘Disability’.
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