Policy Research in Mental Health Disabilities

Policies surrounding individuals with disabilities that do not function from a deficit lens have been a relatively modern evolution. The once-dominant medical model that was applied as a one size fits all intervention regarded disability as a pathology warranting treatment. With the advent of new and more inclusive policies and legislature, disability studies have become a multifaceted discipline garnering the advocacy and resources it needs to engender change for the population. Outdated treatment models, infrastructure, and resources designed to serve the community are being reassessed through the more contemporary and inclusive lens of societal accommodation. The language surrounding individuals with disabilities has changed to a person first orientation, as there is power in language, and one is no longer relegated to their entire identity being their ability status. Although the stated supports progress and is cause to believe an inclusive society is on the horizon, the marginalization and exclusion of individuals with disabilities within most societal frameworks prevail; the hard work has only just begun. This literature will highlight the disparities and stigma surrounding individuals living with mental health disabilities while highlighting the policies, services, and resources surrounding the population that remain ineffective.