Working With Mentally Challenged Persons
Working with the mentally challenged can be a rewarding career, full of opportunity for the right person. The keys to getting started in a human services career are to find a job with a reputable agency, having the necessary skills, and choosing the right type of work.
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Educate Yourself
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Decide if this is the right career for you. The phrase "mentally challenged" encompasses the developmentally disabled (those with autism, Down's syndrome and other behavioral disorders) as well as those with such mental illnesses as bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia and clinical depression. The work can be extremely stressful because those with mental illness can behave unpredictably.
If you lack experience in the field, there are entry level positions in group homes and institutions, but your employer will want you to have at least a basic understanding of the behaviors and disorders you may encounter. You can learn about those at the website of the Mental Health America at nami.org and clicking on "Get Information."
Necessary Skills
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Working with the mentally challenged requires patience, compassion and an upbeat, positive nature. You must be able to slow yourself to the pace of the person you are helping and let him complete tasks as independently as possible. You will often be working with people who are anxious and severely depressed and part of your job will be to motivate them to grow and try new things.
You must maintain a clinical detachment from your clients' situations, understanding that you cannot fix their lives, "adopt" them into your life or become too emotionally involved. This is not only unhealthy for the client, but destructive to your mental health as well, leading to caregiver burnout.
Employment Opportunities
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The power of connection
There are many agencies at which you can find work. The Easter Seals Society serves the mentally ill and physically disabled, with chapters in nearly every state. The Arc serves the needs of the developmentally disabled by operating group homes, supervised apartments and career workshops. The National Alliance For the Mentally Ill is a source of information and has chapters in nearly every county in the United States.
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