Examining the Skills and Traits of Mental Health Service Workers

One of the biggest contributors for poor healthcare is the stigma against mental health. This stigma allows healthcare providers to view those with a mental illness as having low relevance, thus creating disinclination towards providing adequate resources and/or care. This negative stance, based on misinformation and prejudice creates those that have a mental illness to lose their self confidence. Because of this loss, people with mental illness decide not to contribute to their health or livelihood. In the past fifty years, many advances have been made in mental healthcare. However, with the attached stigma, many people choose to not seek out treatment.

Mental illness is nondiscriminatory, can affect any person and transcends all social boundaries. As a result, the issues surrounding mental illness have become common discussion pints among policymakers dedicated or required to formulate solutions around providing the long-term care needed by many patients. Healthcare reforms and changes to the systems that provide services to those living with mental illness and funding for services to the facilities providing care have become major social issues (Goldman, Morrissey, Ridgley, Frank, Newman, & Kennedy, 1992). The reason for this is primarily how it can affect a market economy and how much of a burden diseases of the mind can be in a country such as the United States. According to the 1991 Global Burden of Disease study conducted by the World Health Organization mental health burden accounted for “more than 15% in a market economy such as the U.S.” (The Impact of Mental Illness on Society, 2001). The study also states that for individuals over the age of 5, varying forms of depression are the leading cause of disability. A more recent study indicates that mental illness in general is found in more than 26% of the United States adult population, of which 6% are severe and limit the patient’s ability to function (Martin, p. 163. 2007).

In today’s society there is a greater awareness of mental illnesses. With this greater awareness one might assume that there would be a substantial increase in government involvement or funding in the area of mental illness treatment. Unfortunately this isn’t the case in the U.S. today. There are hundreds of thousands of people with mental illness that go untreated. These potential patients go untreated for many reasons. These reasons are discussed in the Time article “Mental Health Reform: What Would it Really Take.

When thinking about social work, there are different avenues that a worker can explore in this vast field. Because a social workers job is multifaceted, workers can not only integrate themselves in an already created avenue, but can also tailor a field, specifically for a need in the community. Looking at the many different fields in the area of social work, the area of Social Workers in Mental Health facilities and outpatient clinics stands out as an area of depth and interest.

With 33 million Americans utilizing healthcare services as a means to manage mental health conditions and illnesses, adequate delivery of mental healthcare, treatment, and practice is becoming increasingly more important in the American landscape of wellness (SAMHSA, 2004a). The mental health system continues to be a challenging area of healthcare, due to: increased usage of coercion into treatment, diversity in care delivery systems, an unevolved quality measurement mechanism, and a drastically different business and marketplace infrastructure. These factors added to the, already, present stigma associated with mental health, culminates into an extremely

How can we improve the treatment of mental illness in the United States? Take into consideration that the public does not want higher taxes. Explain. There is a five-point plan to improve our nation’s mental health. The first is to increase treatment, prevention and recovery services. We live in a world that is reluctant to make the proper investments that are so needed so we can provide effective, prevention, treatment and recovery services for people who suffer from mental illness. These investments would improve care plans and save us money by preventing costly crisis care and even hospitalization. The second one is to expand our mental health workforce. Shortages burden a fragmented mental health system. I feel that having people

The American mentally ill population faces numerous barriers to acquiring basic services that those without mental illness receive daily. Advocating for the mentally ill population gives a voice to those who cannot voice their problems or may not know how. Mental illness is often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed. Individuals who are not properly diagnosed cannot receive necessary medical treatment which can help them live normal lives. When needed medical treatment is not made available, those who suffer often end up homeless, and frequently cycle in, and out of the judicial system because their

It is important to understand the History of mental illness. "In 1955, there were 558,239 severely mentally ill patients in U.S. public psychiatric hospitals; in 1994, there were 71,619. On the basis of population growth, at the same per capita utilization as in 1955, there would have been an estimated 885,010 patients in state hospitals in 1994 (Torrey, 1997). Most of this projected population-more than 800,000 potential patients- live in the community."

Currently there is no training in place to assist healthcare professional in learning more about mental illness and working with mental ill patients. However, during instruction student are provided with basic information regarding working with patients with mental health issues. Implementation of a new curriculum with have a few barriers as time and content level will be an issue. Prior caregivers may be reluctant to learning more about mental health patients as they may have develop preconceived ideas about this grown population. Students are not giving enough information during current training to meet the needs of the mental health population, however barriers may exist as stakeholders may be reluctant to extend program completion time.

There are so many problems of Mental Illness…Crime is the biggest problem of mental illness. Unemployment rates are high and low all over the place . Homelessness is at an all time in the U.S due to the lack of jobs available and due to that there's nobody who wants to hire a homeless person.

On the one hand, there has been tremendous amounts of progress towards making sure patients receive beneficial and secure care, and also welcoming facilities. More money is invested into the mental health system every year, and the amount of patients has decreased noticeably. The Affordable Care Act implements assistance to the mentally ill, and also to substance abusers. This act requires some employers to provide health insurance to their workers to cover the cost of mental health treatment if needed. 62 million Americans have gained from this legislation, and the number is expected to grow in the coming years. The biggest problem with our mental health care system is that the demand overpowers the supply. Hundreds of thousands of people are left untreated because of a lack of access to care. “Nearly 40% of adults with "severe" mental illness — such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder — received no treatment in the previous year, according to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Among adults with any mental illness, 60% were untreated” (USA Today). The solution to our problem is to reach out to those in need, and to have more space in our psychiatric hospitals. Studies show that a decrease in mentally ill people would lead to a decrease in crime, and an increased productivity

“In the aftermath of the 2008 recession, states were forced to cut over $4 billion in public mental health funding. With funding in free-fall, jails, prisons and nursing homes became the de facto places to warehouse people with serious mental illnesses.” This is not the place where mentally ill people should be, they need to be in places that specialize in helping them. Many police are not trained in how to recognize mentally ill signs, and they end up responding inappropriately. “The number of people with serious mental illnesses who are incarcerated or homeless is three to five times higher than in the general population. There is a wide range of empirical evidence that shows, with appropriate treatment and community supports, people can recover, achieve their goals, and contribute to our society.” “People with mental illnesses have unique needs, and their overrepresentation in jail, prison, and other ill-equipped settings is a national tragedy. The toll it takes on them, their families, and our nation’s commitment to fair treatment for all is immeasurable.” To help the mentally ill and the families of them, we need to have more funding going towards institutions to get them the proper care to be

In the article “A Qualitative Study Exploring Facilitators for Improved Health Behaviors and Health Behavior Programs: Mental Health Service Users’ Perspectives,” in The Scientific World Journal, we learn that world wide there is an increased risk for clients with mental health issues to also have physical health issues. Ability and influence are crucial aspects to captivate mental health service clients in essential health management revisions and treatment commitment.

Today, people with different mental disorders are given various kinds of medical care. It requires

By increasing the access within the community, educating the community, and offering a wide range of services for the community; this will enhance the community’s work force and improve the negative perception of people suffering from mental illness within the work force. There are stigmas and discrimination against people that suffer from mental illness which is hindering and creating additional obstacles for this group of individuals (NAMI, 2013). By contracting with insurance companies, employers and developing a strong marketing and advertising technique, more people will be made aware that most people in their lives have suffered from one or more incidents of mental illness. People will become more understanding