Social Work with Marginalised People Who have a Mild or Borderline Intellectual Disability: Practicing Gentleness and Encouraging Hope

Abstract

People with mild or borderline intellectual disabilities are a group of people who usually do not meet the eligibility criteria for specialist disability services, yet are high users of many generalist services, such as mental health, child protection, and criminal justice systems. They may traverse many services, often entering, exiting, and returning to the same service providers with few positive results. This article explores the practice approach of the Meryton Association, a medium-sized nongovernment agency located in Brisbane, Australia. The Meryton Association provides social work support to people with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities, actively assisting this group to build relationships, resources, knowledge, and autonomy in their everyday lives. Using qualitative in-depth interviews with Meryton Association staff and secondary analysis of Meryton Association policy and practice documents, the challenges and opportunities of using this practice approach have been documented. The article proposes that specialist services are needed that use a developmental approach, stress the importance of relationship, and the need to practice gentleness and hope in social worker-client interaction.

Keywords:

• Disability
• Practice Research
• Social Work

Notes

¹All names of people and organisations are altered.

²While MA receives State and Federal disability funding, it has diversified its funding sources through a number of avenues. These include the private sector, community development finance institutions, and businesses run by MA.

³ http://www.larche.org.au/index.cfm

⁴The term “constituent” came into use at MA rather than “clients or service users” because people in the organisation wanted to emphasise that the organisation belonged to the people who used its services and existed for them. Constituents and their significant others have formal power in the organisation and are offered membership in MA. One third of MA's board is reserved for constituents.

⁵MA policy documents were used in formulating the interview guide.