ABSTRACT

This study examined the implementation of Korea’s integrated care services for individuals with profound intellectual and developmental disabilities by exploring the experiences of frontline staff in challenging-behavior contexts. A focus group interview with six practitioners was analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis. Four themes emerged. First, staff reported difficulty identifying the functions of challenging behavior due to mixed sensory, medical, psychological, and environmental factors, compounded by information gaps between home and service settings. Second, they described ethical tension between minimizing restrictive practices and ensuring safety during crises, with prolonged incidents contributing to emotional strain. Third, staff experienced recurring value conflicts between supporting daily “happiness” and promoting “growth,” alongside cumulative emotional fatigue from persistent behavioral stimuli. Fourth, while recognizing the need for Behavioral Intervention Plan, they emphasized difficulties in goal setting and the importance of practical tools, hands-on training, and parent coaching. Overall, the findings highlight the necessity of strengthening functional assessment capacity, expanding practice-based training, improving family-institution information sharing, and establishing burnout-prevention systems to enhance the feasibility of Korea’s integrated care model.

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