Behavioral Health Services Outpatient Clinic Case Study

Underutilization and early termination of mental health services for Latinos in the U.S continues to be a concern for current research and practice in social work. A synthesis of current research demonstrates that there are several factors impacting access and utilization of mental health services for Latinos. According to U.S Department of Health and Human Services (2001), although Latinos are at increased vulnerability for developing mental illness, they continue to be half as likely in comparison to whites to access mental health services. Low rates of utilization of mental health services among the Latino community can be associated to a variety of factors including socioeconomic factors, cultural variables, stigma, psychotherapeutic challenges, client-therapist interaction (Kouyoumdjian, Zamboanga, & Hansen, 2003). Mental health conditions can significantly impact and individual’s ability to function and achieve their highest potential, consideration of these factors is essential in order to address the needs of a vulnerable population, and support Latinos in accessing mental health services when needed. This learning brief will focus on exploring how client system factors specific to Latinos’ resources, culture and worldview are associated with the underutilization of services for Latinos and important implications for practitioners when providing treatment.

For example,African-American and Hispanics are less likely than European-Americans to receive outpatient treatment, In many African-American communities, there is a persistent belief that social and treatment service attempt to impose European-American values, adding to distrust of the treatment ( ).

These health disparities are persistent and need to be addressed in order to reduce the disparities and improving the health industry. Correspondingly, many Latinx suffer from poor quality of mental health care, therefore, are discouraged to seek for treatment. In particular, many LGBTQI Latinx and Latinx in general receive, “negative experiences, related to language barriers, discrimination, or poor treatment, impact a person’s confidence in the ability of services to meet their needs (Rastogi, 2012). This emphasizes on the fact, that structural and cultural competency is needed in order to fix these gaps in the health industry and supply a marginalized population with appropriate mental health care in order to help improve health outcomes and quality of care which will eliminate the racial-ethnic gap in the health sector and reduce the linguistic and cultural barriers of patient care. Thus, health provider, physicians, and hospitals are required to become culturally competent in order to improve the quality of care of a growing population with distinct needs. Additionally, there are structural barriers that reduce the amount of LGBTQI Latinx utilizing mental health services. For instance, “Latinos who come from low socioeconomic backgrounds are at higher risk for

As social worker’s we must be culturally competent to help client’s from various cultures. This is critical to a successful social work practice. As Latinos become a larger proportion of the U.S. population, there is a greater need for social work education to provide culturally sensitive training to social work students (Furman, Bender, Lewis, & Shears, 2006; Iglehart & Becerra, 1995). Latinos have become the largest minority population in the United States “Latino” defines a cultural or ethnic group, not a racial category. While the U.S. Census defines this population as “Hispanic,” Garrison, Roy, and Azar (1999) argue for the term “Latino,” because it conveys the population’s diversity.() While the we should avoid the thought that all Latino’s are the same or have the same experience, they do share

There are Latinos who need services, but as mentioned, they also face barriers that hold them back from seeking the help they need. If Latinos feel that the services are culturally appropriate it will be easier and more comfortable for them to be willing to seek the services. One of the first things Latinos may look for is to see if services are bilingual as well as providers. (Haack et al. 2011; NIH 2002; Ojeda et al. 2010 as cited in Haack, Gerdes, & Lawton, 2014). It is important to make that clear as well as the information on the agency. Reaching out to communities may also be a successful strategy to get through Latinos, such as churches and places where they feel safe, and they trust. By hearing it from someone close to them, such as

Heritage Valley Medical Center has been known for it’s stellar reputation of providing excellent care to residents of the surrounding community. In recent years, it has had a changing demographic, and occupancy rates have decreased to 40%. This is due to the relocation of more affluent private-pay patients from the city to the suburbs. The center has developed alliances to increase Medicare referrals and indigent patients, with the hope of increasing additional Medicaid revenue. Although the minority population has increased from 10% to 40%, the staff demographics did not change. There is still a disproportionately low number of minorities employed by the facility, and an even lower number of minorities in management

In the case of Jared, he is seeking treatment after being in an inpatient alcohol treatment center. In patient services helped him focus on addressing his addiction to alcohol and what triggers him to drink. Jared can benefit by using outpatient services. Outpatient services will help Jared by giving him more freedom to allow his commitment to family responsibilities at the same time attend his sessions (Erford, 2013). Jared must abstain from alcohol which requires a lot of willpower but outpatient can offer him support groups, individual counseling, and family counseling, so Jared will never feel like he is alone in his recovery.

As a refresher, I am interning at Mercy Behavioral Health Service Coordination Unit (MBH-SCU). Overall, I am enjoying the roles and activities in MBH-SUC and I believe that the experience is a very valuable learning practice. This reaction paper discusses a concept as it relates to my field practicum/field experience: Diversity and inclusion in healthcare organizations.

South Florida Behavioral Health Clinic, Inc. is a comprehensive and federally qualified health clinic serving residents of all ages, races and ethnicities, with or without insurance, within Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties for more than 15 years. SFBHC encompasses 6 health clinics across South Florida, and employ approximately 25 providers with over 135 staff members. The SFBHC main purpose is to provide residents in South Florida with effective treatments and services for mental and/or substance use disorders. Recent changes in the United States health system has helped remove barriers for citizens to access behavioral health services. As a result of the Affordable Care Act, a range of health plans are being required to cover essential benefits including mental health and substance abuse treatments.8 The Affordable Care Act extends the impact of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) so that many health plans must offer coverage for mental health or substance use disorders with at least an equal level of benefits as the plans offer for the treatment of physical health problems.8 Services at SFBHC include: individual/group counseling, supportive services, evidence-based treatment and

Skyland Trail is a nonprofit mental health organization founded in 1989 in Atlanta Georgia. Named one of the top mental treatment centers in the nation, Skyland Trail provides help for an arrangement of disorders ranging from schizophrenia to depression in adults. At least 82% of their clients have multiple co-occurring diagnosis (“History and Mission,” 2016). Unlike other treatment centers the facility focuses on holistic and evidence based treatment which is customized for each patient in the facility (“History and Mission,” 2016). The target population I would like to work with within Skyland Trail would be the minorities in the facility especially the African American clients. Working with the mentally ill during my undergrad it was alarming

1. Before you contact an agency, do some research Is the agency a registered non-profit organization? Are they supported by other larger organizations (e.g., church, United Way, state or federal agency)? What else do you know about the agency’s location, hours, clientele, funding support, etc.? Do they have a web site, social media, or other sources of information?

Diversity becomes a cornerstone to the local recovery community, as treatment moves from statistical data into the actual process of treatment. This is where the local community thrives in creating options to the treatment process, modeled after particular client needs. Though treatment is designed to be multi-cultural, there is still support communities available that are modeled to a culturally biased society. Burrow-Sanchez & Wrona (2012) states that Latinos are projected to make up 29% of the population by 2050 and currently report a rate of 14% of substance use disorders compared to 12.7% of Caucasians. Drug use is not discriminatory by any means, but stereotypical beliefs often segregate individuals based on ethnic, gender, religious and sexual orientation. Due to this fact there are treatment options that cater to a more specific group, in hopes of creating a more diverse culture in recovery. Scheneider-Corey, Corey & Corey (2013) establishes that counselors must understand the many types of client populations in order to design effective group treatment programs tailored to meet the specific needs of the client. As such the therapist establishes groups based on the cultural diversity of the clients, yet understands that at times specific groups catered to religious, gender, or race may be more beneficial to the client. The therapist becomes familiar with the local community available to the client and willing to communicate the best care options

Cultural competence is a critical instrument for any government since it indicates the users and information and the relevant terms and concept. Particularly in the federal government who mandates the delivery of culturally competent health care to these communities, and health services in a culturally appropriate way. Therefore, the concept of diversity now includes cultural diversity or different cultures with diverse features. For this reason, the importance of such research into these areas deliveries of health services to immigrant and minority community incorporated into the concept of the public administration spectrum.

In the past, minority groups needs have been neglected in terms of mental health services (Sue & Sue, 2015). While the profession of counseling has come a long way, there is still much work that needs to be done, as can be seen with the WEAVE organization. While it is apparent that the organization has taken some steps in the right direction by having two counselors on staff who speak Spanish, there is still work that needs to be done. This organization does not appear to be addressing the needs of other minority groups or training their counselors on the needs of these groups. The statement that was made about how they didn’t offer training on multicultural issues because they assume this is done in counselor training, is worrisome, as

Rosemont Center is located in Columbus, Ohio. It provides for the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being of troubled youth and their families. Rosemont is committed to helping children in need; it is dedicated to healing and renewing youths with a history of trouble and abuse. Rosemont provides the unconditional acceptance, treatment, counseling, education and hope that the youths urgently need to be more productive members of the community. Rosemont had two locations, Rosemont-Bay Saint Louis and Rosemont-Jackson (Swayne, Duncan & Ginter, 2008).