After d’Arc Gala

May 13, 2022

Water’s Edge Event Center

Fund The Need

Mental health awareness has been brought to the forefront of our community due to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our community is currently experiencing a mental health crisis. Resources are overwhelmed, and of those resources, precious few are trained to support those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our 17th Annual After d’Arc Gala will focus its Fund the Need campaign on raising money to address mental health needs for people we support in the following ways:

  • Provide personal support with resources, training and strategies to promote positive mental health in every day living for those receiving our services.
  • Provide professional support to promote and sustain successful employment and community involvement through partnering with all of The Arc NCR’s programs.
  • Provide comprehensive training and support to all staff of The Arc NCR in both caring for one’s own mental health and in recognizing and supporting the mental health needs of others.
  • Provide resources to support the current Clinical Supports Team, and the growth of the team to better meet the mental health needs of people supported by The Arc NCR.

Every dollar matters, and to see the specific impact you can have, here are examples of how your contribution can contribute to this campaign:

  • $2,500
    Funds two people supported by The Arc NCR to attend a 12-week Trauma Support Group and one month of Pet Therapy for an additional two people.
  • $1,500
    Staffing resources for training and development for the Clinical Supports team to better meet the mental health needs of people supported by The Arc NCR.
  • $1,000
    Funds one person supported by The Arc NCR to attend a 12-week Trauma Support Group.
  • $500
    One month of Pet Therapy for two people supported by The Arc NCR.
  • $250
    Monthly Wellness class for 10 people to learn physical and nutritional skills to promote positive mental health.
  • $100
    Annual Subscription for an agency-wide app to promote positive Mental Health among all receiving support.
  • $50
    Provide one resource kit for a Community Living Home with sensory items and resources to assist with day-to-day coping skills.

The COVID-19 pandemic is what is defined as a single event trauma, and it impacted all of us. It brought to light the fragility of everyone’s mental health. Now we can all appreciate the need for mental health resources in our general community. Unfortunately, we have also learned these resources are scarce, relative to the need and those that exist are overwhelmed. Many, who never thought about it, are beginning to understand that it is important to talk about and focus on our mental health. However, in addition to the general mental health needs of the overall community, many are not aware of how much greater the needs are for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). There is a horrifying reality of disproportionately high rates of traumatic experiences and co-occurring psychiatric disorders among the IDD community, largely due to their increased risk for experiencing abuse and neglect. In addition, when people with IDD seek mental health care any behavioral or psychological disturbance is attributed to their IDD, a phenomenon known as diagnostic overshadowing. The toll this takes on their mental health is far greater than what is commonly talked about.

  • The IDD population is 2.5 times more likely to be victims of violent crime and 40% more likely to have the perpetrators be someone they know.
  • The IDD population is 1.5 times more likely to experience repeat instances of abuse and neglect.
  • Over 70% of people with IDD report being victims of physical, sexual or financial abuse — 90% of them said it was on multiple occasions.
  • People with IDD are 7 times more likely to be sexually abused than those without disabilities.
  • Approximately 1 in 5 young adults with Autism will interact with a police officer before the age of 21.
  • Individuals with disabilities, including those with Autism, are five times more likely to be incarcerated than people without disabilities.
  • Individuals with IDD have a higher risk of psychiatric disorders than the general population: prevalence is as high as 40.9% based on clinical diagnosis and 15.7% based on (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual).

These statistics are from the following sources:

  • Bureau of Statistics
  • Bureau of Justice
  • The Autism Society of America
  • Karyn Harvey, PhD in conjunction with DDA, Presentation:
    “Trauma Informed Supports for People with IDD”
  • Dr. Caren Roser-Morris, Licensed Psychologist, OMHSAS, Presentation:
    “Hard to Tell: What Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Need Us to Know about Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care”
  • Jordan Hollander, Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations, Presentation:
    “The Importance of Quality of Live and Lifestyle Interventions in Behavioral Support”

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