1. Tips for Working with Participants with Psychiatric Disabilities
2. Supporting Participant While They are Abroad
3. Providing Reasonable Accommodations
4. Resources

Psychiatric Disability Accommodations

It is important for the individual and international program staff to communicate to find out what types of services the individual has received at home and what the individual might require abroad. Accommodations preferences will vary from person to person, and what works well for one individual may not work well for another. In order to better advise program participants about their options, international programs staff are encouraged to research ahead of time the resources available in the host country. The following resources and tips may be helpful.

Tips for working with Participants with Psychiatric Disabilities

• International programs can make it a policy to include an accommodation assessment questionnaire along with the acceptance packet sent to each participant. This allows participants the option to disclose any disability information and to request accommodation they may require while abroad. For more information on disclosure of disabilities see Disability Disclosure and Study Abroad: Understanding the Issues.  Organizations should make clear that this information is confidential and for the purposes of arranging accommodations or services only. For a list of organizations that have developed such forms for use in international exchange programs, please request our list of resources for accommodation checklists.
• Organizations can also encourage disclosure by including disability statements in their materials, such as brochures and handbooks, letting applicants know that they can assist in arranging accommodations.
• Avoid making assumptions about what accommodations participants may need or their ability to participate in an international program.
• For academic programs, international program staff and the student can contact the disabled student services office or officer to find out about reasonable accommodations for students with psychiatric disabilities. Other resources include the Association on Higher Education and Disabilities (AHEAD), Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) and the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University, all listed below.
• Academic program staff can also ask the international student office at the host institution if they have experience accommodating students with psychiatric disabilities. They may have knowledge of resources for students who experience psychological issues while abroad.
• Academic programs should also find out about on-campus counseling or similar services for international students. Many campuses have a student health center or other medical services on campus, which can also be useful. It’s a good idea to research these resources as many students, both with and without documented disabilities, have a need for these services while adjusting to living in a new environment abroad. Back to Top
  

Supporting participant while they are abroad

• Find out about free or low-cost support groups in the host community. For example, organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, and other participant-led groups often have international chapters. For additional information on such groups, you may wish to visit the website for the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University, listed below.
• Local crisis telephone hotlines may also be a good source of support for program participants, and may provide information about other community resources.
• If the student is not fluent in the language of the host country, it is important to find out if services are available in the student’s native language.
• If participants anticipate utilizing professional counseling or medical services abroad, they should find out if their insurance would cover such services.
• If the participant uses medications, make sure that the participant brings a supply adequate for the entire stay. For more information, request our "Questions For Those Who Use Daily Medications" information sheet.
• Individuals may have concerns about legal issues or cultural attitudes toward people with psychiatric labels. Organizations of and for people with psychiatric disabilities in the host country may be able to provide information to the participant on what to expect. Contact the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange to find out about organizations abroad, or contact Support Coalition, listed below.
• The participant and the program staff should establish guidelines about who will have access to the disability-related information. Back to Top
  

Providing Reasonable Accommodations

Participants and program staff are encouraged to work together and think creatively to determine what type of reasonable accommodations would best meet each participant’s needs. Some examples of the types of accommodations that can be made are:

• Orienting the participant to the area where they will be living, working, studying or volunteering and discussing any accommodations that may need to be made.
• Providing an accompanier/assistant to the participant. Some individuals may want a trusted and easily available person on the program who can provide assistance when requested by the participant. An accompanier/assistant could also be a person who serves as a notetaker, or a separate notetaker may be provided, if needed.
• Allowing breaks when needed to manage stress, anxiety or restlessness (which may be caused by medications or other factors).
• Providing flexibility in completing assignments and negotiating expectations ahead of time.
• For academically oriented programs: providing a quiet area for study and permitting alternative testing arrangements, including extended testing time, individually administered exams or changes to the testing format. Back to Top
  

RESOURCES

Note: NCDE can provide individualized contacts for several countries upon request. The following are general contacts.

Association on Higher Education and Disabilities (AHEAD)

University of Massachusetts Boston
100 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02125-3393
Tel: (617) 287-3880
Fax: (617) 287-3881
TTY: (617) 287-3882
E-mail: ahead@umb.edu
Web: www.ahead.org

AHEAD is an organization committed to promoting the participation of people with disabilities in higher education.

Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation

Boston University
940 Commonwealth Avenue West
Boston, MA 02215 USA
Tel: (617) 353-3549
Fax: (617) 353-7700
TTY: (617) 353-7701
Web: www.bu.edu/cpr/reasaccom/index.html (home page)
www.bu.edu/cpr/reasaccom/ (reasonable accommodation information)
www.bu.edu/cpr/reasaccom/educa-go-mencon.html (mental health resources)

Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University offers an on-line list of reasonable accommodation options for individuals with psychiatric disabilities in employment and education. This is separated into sections for educators and employers, and for mental health consumers. While the website does not explicitly address study or work abroad issues and has a medical focus, it does contain helpful information.

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)

2212 Sixth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
ADA Hotline: (800) 466-4232 (voice/TTY)
Tel/TTY: (510) 644-2555
Fax: (510) 841-8645
E-mail: dredf@dredf.org
Web: www.dredf.org

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) works to advance the civil rights of individuals with disabilities. They can provide technical assistance and resources regarding accommodation for students with psychiatric disabilities.

European Network of (ex-)Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (ENUSP)

Peter Lehmann, Coordinator / Desk
Zabel-Krüger-Damm 183
D-13469 Berlin GERMANY
Tel: +49 30 85963706
Fax: +49 30 85963706
E-mail: plehmann@t-online.de
Web: www.enusp.org

ENUSP is a regional organization of people with psychiatric disabilities, with member organizations in many European countries. The website contains links to some of these organizations.

Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI)

1156 15^th Street, Suite 1001
Washington, DC 20005
Tel: (202) 296-0800
Fax: (202) 728-3053
E-mail: mdri@mdri.org
Web: www.mdri.org

Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI) enforces the rights of people with mental disabilities by working with human rights advocates in the Eastern European, the Middle East and South American regions.

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)

Colonial Place Three
2107 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22201-3042
NAMI Helpline: (800) 950-NAMI (6264)
Tel: (703) 524-7600
Fax: (703) 524-9094
TTY: (703) 516-7227
Web: www.nami.org

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) is an organization for people with psychiatric disabilities and their families in the United States. NAMI focuses primarily on medical treatment options for people with psychiatric disabilities, and provides resources related to this, including a number of online tipsheets on psychiatric diagnoses and the use of medications to treat them. NAMI can also refer people to state and local chapters.

The National Empowerment Center

599 Canal Street
Lawrence, MA 01840
Tel: (800) POWER2U (769-3728) or (978) 685-1518
TTY: (800) TTY-POWER (889-7693)
Fax: (978) 681-6426
E-mail: madpride@aol.com
Web: www.power2u.org

National Empowerment Center is an organization offering information and referral to people who have been diagnosed with mental illness. In addition to providing referral to local resources, they can assist with information on self-help techniques and advocacy information. They are also a resource for information on accommodating people with psychiatric disabilities in international exchange. Their information is available in English and Spanish.

Support Coalition International

PO Box 11284
Eugene, OR 97440-3484
Tel: (877) MADPRIDE (623-7743) or (541) 345-9106
Fax: (541) 345-3737
E-mail: office@MindFreedom.org
Web: www.MindFreedom.org

Support Coalition is an international coalition of groups that advocate for human rights in psychiatry, and includes current and former mental health consumers. They can provide information on support and advocacy groups abroad in several countries.

World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation

Mario Negri Institute
Via Eritrea 62
20157 Milano, Italy
Tel: (39) 02-39014431
Fax: (39) 02-33200049
Email: dirba@tin.it, barbato@marionegri.it
Web:www.wapr.info/

The exclusive mission of the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation (WAPR) is to improve the quality of life of individuals and families throughout the world affected by disabling mental illnesses. Currently WAPR has 86 chapters worldwide who are representatives of consumers, families and voluntary organizations.

World Federation for Mental Health

Secretariat:2001 N Beauregard Street, Suite 950
Alexandria, Virginia 22302-0810
Fax: +1.703.519.7648
Email: info@wfmh.com
Web: http://www.wfmh.com/world/index.html

World Federation for Mental Health, with members and contacts in 112 countries on six continents, has responded to the international mental health crisis through its role as a worldwide grassroots advocacy and public education organization.The Federation's organizational and individual membership includes mental health workers of all disciplines, consumers/users of mental health services, family members and concerned citizens.

World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (WNUSP)

Secretariat
Klingenberg 15, 2.th,
DK-5000 Odense C, DENMARK
Tel: +45 66 19 45 11
E-mail: admin@wnusp.org Web: www.wnusp.net/

WNUSP provides a global forum and voice of users and survivors of psychiatry, to promote their rights and interests. The organization includes people with psychiatric disabilities and professionals interested in furthering human rights in psychiatry. They have a list of related organizations and support groups worldwide.

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