We are delighted to celebrate Midlands MHN DTP fellow Naomi Williams for her recent publication in Disability & Society:
“Lost in the System: Rethinking Mainstream Mental Health Services for People with Intellectual Disabilities.”
This important open-access article, co-authored with Helena Tuomainen and Julie Taylor, explores the significant barriers people with intellectual disabilities face when accessing mainstream mental health services. Despite high rates of co-occurring mental health conditions, individuals frequently encounter diagnostic overshadowing, limited clinician training, and rigid service structures that make appropriate support difficult to obtain.
The paper highlights how evidence-based adapted therapies and integrated care models hold real promise, yet are too rarely implemented consistently across services. The authors call for inclusive service design, informed by people with lived experience, and for mental health services to embed intellectual disability competencies at every level, from policy to practice.
Naomi’s contribution draws on her professional and lived experience at the intersection of intellectual disability, neurodivergence, and mental health, as well as her extensive work across health, social care, education, and community settings. Her research offers powerful insights into how services can move towards more accessible, accountable, and truly person-centred models of care.
🗓️ Accepted: 05 February 2026
🔗 Read the full article here