Skagit Valley Breach Summary

The lack of treatment for mental illnesses — due partly from the stigma with which it is associated with — comes with a number of public issues: economically,

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.

There is so much that can be done to create more access to mental health care but we need to start somewhere. To reduce the effects of untreated mental health care, access to care needs to become available to everyone. Having care and access to that care is essential in treating mental illness and to help provide a better life to those suffering from mental illness. Access to care needs to increase so that everyone in the world has a fair shot at receiving help. It's time to take a stand and increase the access to mental health

As discussed in class, little advancement has been made in the field of mental health care over the past two decades. Rates of mental illness continue to be high especially among certain subgroups, but progress has been stunted by stigma and social environmental issues. Mental health disparities, like many other health disparities, are embedded within a trend of socioeconomic differences (Miranda, McGuire, Williams, & Wang, 2008). Racial and class disparities exist among those afflicted

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.

Trauma informed care is also used because traumatic stress is widely experienced by those with mental illness. Trauma awareness helps clients build resiliency in an environment that is safe and welcoming to all. Peer Delivered Services are also provided because sometimes the most valuable supports are provided by someone who has been there. Peers help navigate recovery through the perspective of shared experience. Luke-Dorf has two fully peer-driven programs and employs peer counselors at most sites. Lastly Luke-Dorf believes in integrated care, coordinating primary and preventive care. Providing many health and wellness services, such as smoking cessation and an in-house Healthy Eating and Active Lifestyle (HEAL) program. Ultimately, our vision as a mental health program is to embrace diverse populations and diverse practices to develop a high quality, fully integrated system of service and support that responds to the needs of those affected by mental illness in our community.

Addressing barriers at an individual level will require an emphasis on educating the public on mental health issues. To address systemic barriers that exist at the macro-level, the following policy interventions have been advanced to deal with the treatment gap problem: (i) implementing a ‘life course’ perspective with prime attention to early detection and treatment, (ii) developing mental health literacy programs and campaigns, and (iii) delivering comprehensive, integrated, and responsive mental health and social care services in community-based settings. Each of these are discussed

The negative stigma of mental health has lightened slightly over the years, however, it has not rescinded entirely. People still have an unmanageable time admitting that they may have a mental disorder and that they require assistance. Human beings struggle with these hindrances openly and also hidden on a daily basis. Therefore, our civilization needs to remove the shame associated with the treatment of mental disorders and work on devising a progressive suitable mental healthcare plan in order to ensure that many live a healthy, happy, and prosperous

Throughout this semester I completed an internship in psychology at Jefferson Center for Mental Health. Specifically I spent my time in a short term Hospital Alternative Facility (HAF). HAF is a residential facility that aids in transitioning home from the hospital, another Jefferson Center for Mental Health facility or a crisis situation. All of our clients have current mental health diagnoses, the most common of which are depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, and schizophrenia. Clients stay for only a short time and the main objectives for their stay normally revolve around stabilizing meds and finalizing housing and living plans for the future. HAF provides services that are vital in that clients can have a stable residence so they can focus on managing symptoms and figuring out the best strategy to integrate themselves, with new goals back into their life. However, with all of HAF’s outstanding and vital qualities, there are also areas that I would suggest for improvement given what I have learned through my undergraduate education in psychology.

Access to mental health care is not as good as than other forms of medical services. Some Americans have reduced access to mental health care amenities because they are living in a countryside setting. Others cannot get to treatment for the reason of shortage of transportation or vast work and household tasks. In some areas, when a

Navigation of life is not void of challenges; however, in the presence of a mental disorder, these normal life challenges are exacerbated. Because of this continued mental health services are of fundamental importance for the suffer given they can ease the burden of the disorder. Unfortunately, numerous barriers interrupt the path to care and treatment, which many suffers cannot navigate, thereby severing their link to these vital services. Barriers are either attitudinal (stigma and adverse perception about mental health efficiency) or structural (e.g. location, distance, accessibility, inadequate health coverage) both of which appear to have an impact in this particular case (Eaton, 2012). Ms. Jones unwillingness to accept her diagnosis with paranoid schizophrenia is indicative of the power of stigmas, as well as their ability to obstruct treatment.

The recipients of mental health services in the U.S. represent only a small percentage of those in need of services. Discuss the factors that impede access to mental illness treatment.

The community mental health population is one that is comprised of individuals of different ethnicities, backgrounds, cultures, diagnoses, worldviews, and many other diversity variables. Unfortunately, working with this population often occurs in short-term care settings whereby the clinician may only have several days or weeks to work with a client. Similarly, the following conceptualization will be based off of a client who the writer treated in a residential program whereby clients can stay for up to 25 days. At this site, most clients are homeless, have a serious mental illness (SMI) determination, and suffer from substance abuse, severe depression and/or anxiety, and psychotic disorders. Therefore, an in-depth analysis of this client’s

During a mental health event the First Lady, Michelle Obama said, “At the root of this dilemma is the way we view mental health in this country. [...] Whether an illness affects your heart, your leg or your brain, it’s still an illness, and there should be no distinction.” This shows that mental illness stigma in society is based on mental illness being perceived more negatively than other physical illness when it should actually be seen as the same. Stigma around mental illness has had very immense adverse effects on the willingness of undiagnosed suffers to not seek treatment when they need it. As a result of this one in five people with a mental illness will not get the treatment they need which has the effect of high suicide rates among the untreated sufferers. In an effort to reduce stigma around mental illness, so that more undiagnosed sufferers seek treatment, schools should devote more time to increasing awareness of mental illness and its effects.

“I want to be able to talk to someone in a pub and say ‘I have been mentally ill’ and for them to say ‘That’s interesting, what did you experience?’”, said a survivor from the UK in 1997 (Sayce 18). Almost twenty years later and this man 's wish still has not come true. People may ask why, and the answer is because of the stigma that comes along with having a mental illness. Mental illness is something not often talked about because of the fear of being judged. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in every four Americans has a mental illness, and only about 40% of them seek professional help (Hamid). People are being put into mental institutions instead of getting the help that they need to get better, because even people in the medical field are not understanding about this situation because they do not understand how it feels. The stigma and stereotypes towards mental illnesses are overwhelming, therefore people should be made aware of their impact and take steps to reduce stigma and stereotypes.