When Elijah arrived at one of Albertina Kerr’s youth group homes, his world felt overwhelming. Living with both autism and a mental health diagnosis, he reported struggling to express his emotions and shutting down in response to stress. Without coping tools, he isolated himself and sometimes turned to self-injury when upset.
His struggles with communication added another layer of complexity. It was difficult to tell whether his actions stemmed from his disability, mental health challenges, or both. Like many youth with dual diagnoses, Elijah was navigating two systems that rarely work together.
To address this need, Kerr is proud to announce the launch of a Dual Diagnosis Pilot Project, with generous seed funding from the Oregon Health Authority. The two-year initiative brings additional mental health resources directly into four of Kerr’s youth group homes in Washington and Multnomah counties. The goal is to provide integrated, trauma-informed care where it’s needed most and help inform broader statewide practices.
Nationally, about 41% of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) also experience mental health conditions. Yet few services are designed to address both needs at once. Too often, families find themselves navigating disconnected systems with no clear path forward.
Instead of referring youth like Elijah to yet another program, the pilot embeds care into the rhythm of daily life. Clinical staff—including therapists and behavior specialists—work alongside group home teams and the person’s family using Collaborative Problem Solving, a person-centered model that builds trust, reduces crises, and helps youth feel safe and supported. The goal is to support both the youth in the program and their families, but also the staff working in these homes.
“Real change happens when systems come together to meet an individual’s full needs,” said Allison Stark, CEO of Albertina Kerr. “We’re proud to lead a model that demonstrates what’s possible when mental health and disability supports are fully integrated.”
As one of the few Oregon organizations serving the I/DD and mental health communities, Kerr is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between siloed services. For Elijah, he benefitted from practices that Kerr has already integrated. Kerr’s care team—including his therapist, behavior specialist, parent, and group home program manager—met regularly to assess what was working and what needed to be adjusted. Even on the toughest days, Elijah trusted they would meet him where he felt safest—at home.
A breakthrough moment came when Elijah told staff he felt unsafe and wanted to follow his safety plan. He requested to call his therapist, behavior specialist, and parent. Together, they helped him identify the trigger and name the emotion. For the first time, he was able to regulate his feelings—without any self-injury—in a moment that once overwhelmed him.
“This project lays the groundwork for a new standard of care in Oregon,” said Stephanie Smith, Director of Mental Health Services at Kerr. “It reflects what’s possible when we stop asking kids to navigate broken systems—and start building systems around them instead.”
Kerr operates group homes for both adults with I/DD and youth with complex needs, as well as a 24/7 Crisis Psychiatric Care facility (Subacute) for youth in acute mental health crisis.
The pilot will be evaluated throughout the two-year period, with the goal of expanding and helping inform broader statewide practices. This work is ultimately about ensuring every individual receives more than a patchwork of services—they deserve to be seen, understood, and supported every step of the way.