Mental Health Advocacy

Mental Health Advocacy Online assignment help tutors – Discussion
1. Introduction
Nowhere is the need for mental health advocacy and quality services more necessary than in India. The National Mental Health Survey 2015 – Research Paper Writing Help Service-16 of India, conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, estimates that nearly 150 million people in the country are in need of active mental health care, with the prevalence of mental morbidity in India being 10.6%. It is also reported that there was a treatment gap of nearly 70% to 92% for those needing mental care (Guru Raj, M. et al., Bengaluru: NIMHANS, 2016: 2024 – Do my homework – Help write my assignment online). In a country such as India, both public and private mental health facilities, particularly in rural areas, suffer from a major lack of infrastructure, funding and human resources. Currently, there are only 43 government-run mental hospitals in the entire country and the majority of mental health professionals are based in urban areas, leaving those in rural areas with little to no access to mental healthcare experts. This research aims to add to the slow but growing volume of literature surrounding the critical issue of mental health in India, highlighting concerns over funding, the nature of care and methods of incentivization for NGOs and other forms of advocacy. More broadly, this is certainly a context in which an analysis of global and local intersections within psychiatry might prove fruitful and provide a more comprehensive perspective of a healthcare system in flux. Through a comprehensive consideration of long and short term solutions, we aim to illustrate a dynamic understanding of the implications of terminology, policy and funding not just for mental health patients or advocates, but in terms of broader questions of patient rights and wellbeing. Finally, a focus on the experience of mental health patients is a significant emergent area within global health literature. There is a palpable absence of Brahmi-based health systems in upper regions such as Kashmir, compared to the high prevalence in states such as Tamil Nadu. Also, the disparities in treatment based on gender or caste, albeit becoming less overt and entrenched, remain a concern for mental healthcare in contemporary India. Mental Health Advocacy: A Comprehensive Approach seeks to understand and evaluate various aspects of mental health in the developing world and, in particular, in India, analyzing the interplay between historic, political and socio-economic factors that have contributed to the modern state of mental health care in the country.
1.1 Background
Mental illness is a worldwide problem. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness. In many low-income countries around the world, mental health care is extremely scarce; the World Health Organization reports that over 33 million people suffer from severe mental disorders in these nations, with the majority receiving no treatment at all. Even in developed countries, mental health care is still often underfunded, and many people lack access to essential services. The human cost of mental illness is profound. People with serious mental illness are more likely to be the victims of violence than to be violent themselves – still, the social exclusion and discrimination that those with mental illnesses can face often fuel this myth that they are dangerous and unpredictable. For those who have been diagnosed, the chances of long-term, successful recovery are greatly increased by access to a comprehensive, community-based mental health treatment program – but the stigma and lack of funding for mental health education and treatment make that goal difficult to obtain. This lack of access means that emergency room staff and law enforcement are often the first to come into contact with those in need of mental health care – after a mental health crisis, many end up in jail or prison, with over two million bookings a year involving someone with a serious mental illness. As a result, it’s clear that mental health advocacy is more critical now than ever before. Mental health advocates work in a variety of settings to promote awareness and support for those affected by mental illness, working closely with other health professionals to create an overall healthier community. This research seeks to address some of the current challenges of mental health advocacy, specifically focusing on strategies to increase funding for mental healthcare, to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, and to promote mental well-being through education. By addressing these three interrelated aspects, the research aims to offer a comprehensive solution to the shortage of adequate mental health services.
1.2 Purpose of the Research
The purpose of the research is to identify the common factors leading to delays for access to care and to figure out potential steps that can be made in order to limit and avoid these delays. The research has three main directions: increasing funding for mental healthcare, challenging the stigma surrounding mental health, and supporting mental health education. First and foremost, the research aims to find ways to increase state funding for mental healthcare. As an analysis published by the Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research discovered, state funds serve as the predominant revenue source for public mental health services. However, the Behavioral Health Barometer reports that state mental health funding has been experiencing a decrease since 2009. This can be a valid explanation for why since 2009 the annual percentage of adults with mental illnesses who did not receive the care they need has constantly been around 55-60%, tallying up to about 3 in 5 adults with mental illnesses each year. Next, the research aims to provide directions for reducing the stigma surrounding mental health. Studies show that mental health stigma can prevent individuals from accessing services, seeking help, or even engaging in treatment. If left unaddressed, stigma can exacerbate suffering by delaying diagnoses, maintaining silence about symptoms, discouraging individuals from getting help, and ultimately impeding treatment and recovery. Last but not least, the research endeavors to investigate the beneficial methods of promoting mental health education. It is crucial that the research findings and solutions will not be confined to the scholarly world, but rather reaches and affects the legislative and policy-making processes as well as the wider community. The ultimate goal is to transform current interpretations of funding into actual state behaviour pattern, such that the research findings can really lead to changes that will improve people’s accessibility to quality and timely mental healthcare. By investigating the main reasons and problems of delays for mental health treatment and by looking solutions from the aspect of mental healthcare funding, mental health stigma and mental health education, this research hopes to offer some meaningful directions to make positive changes that will help those who suffer from mental illnesses and also to improve overall mental well-being of our society.
1.3 Scope of the Research
It is the researcher’s hope that this work can help to encourage not only continued federal and state level commitment to mental health reform through advocacy and education but also further meaningful connections between community-based local programs and outreach initiatives.
Thirdly, the research aims to add to the literature on successful local and state level implementation of comprehensive mental health programming. Critically, this will involve both studying what new advocacy options in a more open federal funding environment look like and examining how education and access work in a diverse population state like Florida. By contributing to literature which calls for the development of multimodal and developmentally rigorous educational programs in the mental health field, the sanction and support for a more public-based mental health advocacy system will grow.
Secondly, it endeavors to address the needs and barriers expressed in the newer, smaller-scale, community and education-focused recommendations in the field. These smaller-level recommendations may offer insight into where specific emphasis on advocacy needs to be. For example, this research seeks to explore the idea that education in mental health at the community level can both enhance existing mental health delivery systems and act as a catalyst for individualized person-centered practices.
First, it seeks to integrate and respond to the strategy set forth by the National Institute of Mental Health and the more recent calls for a comprehensive approach in federal policy documents. Consumer guides and reports to Congress have made recommendations based on intensifying research programs and developing better outreach capacity. However, the literature argues that what is lacking in current mental health programming is meaningful integrative education and service access work.
This research focuses on the need to develop new advocacy strategies that will increase the overall focus on and funding for mental health programming and education. Specifically, it zeroes in on what a comprehensive approach to mental health looks like, addressing issues both of individual care and access and the broader educational and sociopolitical barriers. The research will engage at three levels with the existing literature and recommendations in the field.
Currently, there are limited resources available for this particular group. The quality of care for individuals who seek mental health services can vary greatly, and the ability for people to access and pay for adequate healthcare is a significant problem. Although shame and embarrassment play a role in preventing individuals from seeking help, it is thought that the lack of resources and education on mental health are the greatest obstacles in people’s attainment of care.
2. Increasing Funding for Mental Healthcare
Therefore, finding a way to increase the federal spending allocation for mental health and substance abuse services to ensure that it is proportionate with the mental health burden in society can reduce the cost individuals incur in supporting the affected, society at large, and the impact that could have been accumulated in the absence of treatment. A favorable environmental funding factor is necessary to reduce crisis-related appointments and ensure stability in the workforce. This calls for the adoption of alternative per capita models and block grants as proposed by Obama’s administration under the 21st Century Cures Act so as to increase financial support for mental healthcare. This will ensure a more enhanced quality of mental health services provided, and as the burden in healthcare cost within the private sector reduces, families and business entities will continue to invest more in the health of the citizens as crisis episodes and emergency services will significantly reduce. We can also advocate for equitable environmentally based funding mechanisms to be adopted in all states, coupled with increased oversight and accountability to ensure that all funds are used for the intended purposes. Achieving all these goals will bring the realization of a market-driven solution in mental healthcare provided, hence integrating the quality and innovation of best practices that suggest proper use of resources, which includes time, personnel, and raw material, making every step towards a positive outcome manageable.
2.1 Current Challenges in Mental Healthcare Funding
These inequalities in funding sources and access to care perpetuate the significant discrepancies and inefficiencies in the funding and delivery of mental health services. Overall, it is clear that the United States’ mental healthcare funding is currently ineffectual for preventing and ameliorating the effects of mental illness in our society. By understanding the current problems within our funding system, we can begin to develop and apply future solutions that will provide for comprehensive and effective mental health treatment, minimize the overall impact of these disorders, and help to reduce the long-term costs associated with their care.
Besides the traditional fee-for-service disincentives to the funding of mental healthcare, some of the other large issues in the funding of care are a lack of funding sources, limited ability for individuals to access care through traditional sources, and limited funding and access for a great deal of public healthcare options. On the patient side, privacy rules and insurance limitations provide significant barriers to individuals seeking care. There are numerous privacy and consent laws that regulate mental healthcare in a way that they do not regulate other forms of medical care. These rules, although in place to protect the patient, can create significant delays in receiving treatment; and many private insurance companies do not cover mental health treatment or have very limited levels of coverage available. For example, in a 2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer report from the National Alliance of Mental Illness, it was found that private insurance paid for 26% of the US’s mental health treatment costs, less than both out-of-pocket payment by individuals and family members and local, state, and federal funding combined.
There are several key issues that create challenges in the United States’ current method of funding mental healthcare treatment. First, mental healthcare services are almost invariably based on a fee-for-service model. Under this system, healthcare providers are paid for each individual treatment they provide. This creates a strong financial disincentive for providers to help prevent the onset of severe mental illness. Most mental health issues are easiest to treat and have the best prognosis if they are identified and treated as early as possible. However, because preventative care does not produce the same level of payment as crisis care in the fee-for-service model, there is a powerful motivation for providers to ignore prevention and early treatment and instead focus on the treatment of advanced, disabling psychiatric disorders.
2.2 Strategies for Increasing Funding
Thirdly, another effective strategy is to organize special events to raise money for mental health organizations. Such events can not only engage the general public in a good cause, but also attract media attention and spread the message that mental health funding needs to be increased. Nowadays, there are many types of events one may consider. For example, walks or runs are popular and relatively easy to organize. They can be done on a small scale at a local level, but can also become large national events if successful. Another example is holding a benefit concert or even a festival. In addition, sports related events such as golf tournaments, basketball three-on-threes, or even a charity flag football game are also interesting ideas. With the start of crowdfunding platforms such as GoFundMe and JustGiving, digital and internet-based fundraising techniques have become increasingly popular. According to Stevenson, online donations to health-related charities were doubled during 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap-2013. This trend also indicates the potential of future online fundraisers. With the help of social media, it is very easy to set up a page for online donation and share it with a large group of people. Furthermore, by utilizing the internet, it is possible to create innovative events such as a charity day in virtual reality online games. Given the fact that a well-organized and appealing gaming event can attract thousands of participants, the amount of money generated through this type of event might be surprisingly high. In addition, considering the digital nature of this type of fundraising, it is very likely to gain worldwide attention and recognition. However, one should not underestimate the amount of work and time needed to put together a successful event. A good outcome from these events requires careful planning, creative ideas, and more importantly, teamwork and dedication. It is recommended to form a planning committee consists of people who are passionate and experienced in event organizing and most importantly, the mission of advocating for better mental health funding. By sharing the workload, different problems can be addressed with collective effort and the chance of success is higher. Last but not least, organizing a well-designed and meaningful event can not only raise money, but also serve the purpose of raising public awareness. It is important to involve all kinds of media power, including newspapers, TV and radio. The weeks before and after the event can be used to create and spread the message of the event and the purpose of raising fund. The pictures and videos taken during the event can also be shared with the public to let them know about the success and joyful moment. By maintaining active interaction with media, the attention to mental health funding can be maintained at a high level. All these events and strategies can be used to advocate for better mental health funding in different ways and build a brighter future for those suffering from mental illnesses.
2.2.1 Advocacy for Policy Change
2.2.2 Collaborations with Private Sector
2.2.3 Public Awareness Campaigns
2.3 Impact of Increased Funding
With more research and experience, the potential impact of increased funding on mental healthcare is becoming increasingly clear. First, increased funding can have a great positive impact on the access to mental healthcare. For example, research on the impact of healthcare spending by the journal Health Affairs has shown that “a 10 percent relative increase in the number of mental health providers in a given area increased the probability that each person would receive treatment by 1.6%.” This may not sound a lot, but when national provider shortages can mean that nearly a third of those seeking mental healthcare cannot access it, any increase in the number of healthcare providers and in access to treatment has to be welcomed. Also, increased funding might improve the quality of care, particularly in the context of specialist or longer term care. Currently, care quality can be deeply affected by a simple lack of resources. For instance, at the moment, there is variation in mental health prescribing across the UK, which might partly be because there is less investment in the latest drugs and treatments in some areas than others. Greater investment in mental healthcare, from better talking therapy services to modern facilities and new, innovative treatments, could have a transformative effect on peoples’ lives. And of course, increased funding can help to expand the scientific research base for mental illness and treatment. Such assistance from government funding for mental health research can provide valuable new insights and continue to advance our understanding for conditions and treatment. For example, in the United States, this has led to a huge growth in scientific excellence and answered substantial questions for psychiatric and clinical psychology, especially in the advent of new neurotechnologies such as fMRI and brain stimulation. This could potentially improve diagnosis at an early stage for a number of mental health conditions, which may change the way of treating patients. It is also possible that such increased funding might bring to more effective new treatment through more researches. All these potential impacts suggest that increased funding on mental healthcare is an essential and productive investment for bettering the mental wellbeing of our society.
3. Challenging Stigma Surrounding Mental Health
Understanding mental health stigma
In this section, we first define what stigma is and then go on to describe its various types, namely social stigma, self-perceived stigma, and label avoidance. Then we discuss why mental illnesses are stigmatized. As the majority of people stigmatizing mental illnesses are perceived to have a lack of knowledge and particular beliefs about such illnesses, we list out three main beliefs held by the public that contribute to stigmatizing. These include the belief that people with mental illness may be dangerous or unpredictable; the belief that people with mental illness may be responsible for their illness; and the belief that people with mental illness may have a character defect or be of low intelligence. We elaborate on why these beliefs are held and discuss the role of the media in perpetuating these beliefs. The section further explains in two subsections why stigma serves as a barrier to seeking help and getting better and finishes with a paragraph summarizing the prevalence of stigma.
3.1 Understanding Mental Health Stigma
Stigma is a mark of disgrace that sets a person apart. When a person is labelled by their illness, they are seen as part of a stereotyped group. Negative attitudes create prejudice which leads to negative actions and the loss of opportunities and rights. Throughout history, people with mental health problems have been treated differently, excluded and even brutalized. It is no surprise then, that it is one of the most disabling forms of discrimination. Some adults and children have stopped doing the things they love or need to do, like work or attending school because of stigma. According to various researches, it has been found that stereotypes also carry through to the services that are offered and do not acknowledge that the people who use the services are individuals. This then results in recovery being delayed, because when the environment is not helping someone to feel better, it can lead to an increase in their symptoms. If people say that the problem was not as bad last week, it might be that they are starting to feel better. However, if someone is surrounded by negativity and not given help in an empowering way, then their symptoms are more likely to get worse. Other people’s negative attitudes can lead to families and friends becoming more distant and alienated. If the wrong treatment is given, this can lead to a feeling of hopelessness because the person cannot see that they are not going to get better. Also, those people who have high standards when it comes to the success of their life and the lives of the close relatives, can be more afraid of the negative attitudes that people carry. This is because they might feel that having a comfortable life and being successful can be threatened by not getting the right job, or not having the right push in life. When people are suffering from mental health problems, they might not always introduce themselves and tell new friends or colleagues about their lives because they might be afraid of what could happen if people find out about their illness. For those who are experiencing the discrimination in the workplace, if a negative incident of stigma takes place, it could result in an impact on the place and support that is given to that person. If the person receives less access to sustenance and social or emotional support, it could be very damaging not only to their emotional state, but also their physical being as well. It has far-reaching consequences. Everyday life and community networks can be badly affected. When society fails to provide the right kind of support and opportunity for people with mental health problems, the costs can be higher in terms of welfare and lost productivity. People may not recover their previous quality of life or level of emotional and physical well-being. They may not be able to cover everyday tasks and financial responsibilities. This too can lead to social exclusion and further distress. Recovery and empowerment are very much interlinked. When people feel in control of their own life and are helped by others in a way that respects that control, then this can help as a sign of re-inclusion into society and deeper engagement in all the opportunities that life has to offer.
3.2 Consequences of Stigma
We cannot ignore the fact that people with mental health problems face ignorance, prejudice, and discrimination every day, but too often it’s the stigma itself that stands in the way of progress. Consequences of stigma and discrimination can have devastating effects on an individual’s mental health, such as:
– Exclusion: This may be excluding people from day-to-day activities like shopping and exercising. It might stop them from finding work.
– Physical Health Problems: People with mental health problems are more likely to experience physical health problems too.
– Poor Mental Health: People can become trapped in a downward spiral. It’s really important to take action before it gets to this point.
– Self-esteem: Many people internalize the stigma, thus feeling shame and believing that they are less valuable because of their mental health problem.
– Impact on Family and Friends: Not only is the individual affected by stigma, but family members can be impacted as well. This can make the experience of living with someone with a mental health problem very isolating.
We can change the way society sees mental health. Create the right knowledge, attitude, and behavior, we can make a real difference to the extent of stigma. We can challenge stereotypes. We can speak out against discrimination. And we can offer hope to those affected by mental health problems. It may not be easy, but it’s very much worth the effort. Coherent Text: In this section, the writer focused on the disclosure of protected health information. The writer suggested that more straightforward rules and regulations are needed in limiting the disclosure of protected health information and proposed replacing the current standard to receive protected health information as “reasonable possibility”. This modification will limit the disclosure to a greater extent. Also, it will provide better guidance to the medical records about how to handle the situations in which the patients refuse to disclose their records. This proposal will benefit both the individuals and professionals in mental health services because it will give individuals more control over their information and simultaneously the regulation for the disclosure of protected health information is more targeted and restricted to a certain extent, as the disclosure is only allowed when the written or expressed consents are provided by the individual. This will preserve the full autonomy and self-determination of the individuals and will not interfere with the quotidial work of the medical professionals. By doing so, it will further strengthen the confidentiality between the individuals and professionals in mental health services. Individuals will be more trusting in seeking information, advice, and services from the mental health team in managing their problems on the understanding that their privacy is being respected. This will possibly eliminate the barriers of seeking mental health service as well as promote the early detection and management of the mental health problems. On the other hand, the professionals can be more focused on providing the high standard of care to their service users without having to worry about the potential violation of the disclosure rules. All in all, the writer reinforced the significance of protecting the privacy of individuals in mental health services and he provided a new proposal to achieve this goal.
3.3 Approaches to Reduce Stigma
Coming to the approaches to reduce mental health stigma, such as implementing and carrying out effective mental health education programs. By including mental health education in the regular education curriculum, children and young people can be taught knowledge and skills at an early age. Research has shown that these programs can improve mental health literacy, which in turn reduces the held stereotypes and misconceptions. The priority audience for these programs would also be the general public, such as school children, teachers, and the parents of the children. There can also be programs that help a person with mental illness to get work. Mental illness has a significant impact on employment. It is important that supported employment programs that offer specialist assistance for people with severe mental illness to get and keep work are provided in all parts of the world. The work in America showed to be the most effective in helping people with the most severe mental illnesses to gain and retain meaningful employment. Community interventions and projects which aimed to improve social support and connectedness have long been seen as a means to reduce stigma and discrimination of mental illness. For example, Time to Change – the UK’s largest programme to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination – organized many social marketing projects, and many local communities and workplaces across England were involved. This suggests that these projects may be effective in fostering positive change in social and cultural attitudes to mental illness. Last but not least, it is important that more research and evaluation is carried out to continually refine and improve the understanding and effectiveness of stigma reduction strategies. This may involve adopting a common indicators approach, which advocates that anti-stigma work should be evaluated with regards to key indicators of success: knowledge, attitude, and behavior change. Also, future research should investigate the effectiveness of different types of intervention at different target audiences, in order to identify specific approaches. However, it is important that all these future researches should be conducted in close collaboration with the service users, health professionals, and policy makers. This is to ensure that the work is national and locally relevant and sensitive to the changing needs and opportunities in the mental health sector. Such is a reason that the involvement of people with lived experience in research, commissioning, and delivery of anti-stigma work has been seen as a central principle of good practice in the field.
3.3.1 Education and Awareness Programs
3.3.2 Media Representation
3.3.3 Empowering Mental Health Advocates
4. Supporting Mental Health Education
The mental health education should be established and we should support it. It is difficult for the patient of mental health to get help because “stigma, misinformation and lack of awareness” still exist (Mental Health America, 2019: 2024 – Online Assignment Homework Writing Help Service By Expert Research Writers). Therefore, it is important for mental health education to be established and supported. In the article “Narrative and Healing” which is published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, written by Ruth Colomb, the author introduced a mental health education program in a college setting called “Narrative and Healing”. The program was designed to help students view mental illness from a narrative perspective – to appreciate sufferers of mental illness as agents of their own personal healing and to understand their own subjective experiences as professionals within the mental health system (Colomb, 2015 – Research Paper Writing Help Service). As what had been happening in this program, mental health patients’ voices can be heard, however, not only strictly following the instructions from healthcare providers. The patient’s willingness and their standpoint on the diseases can be respected and valued. By this program, the author mentioned that it helps students “to discover their own voice in the healing process” and facilitated them in “view mental illness from a narrative perspective” (Colomb, 2015 – Research Paper Writing Help Service). Through providing students direct experience with a variety of healing strategies, this program helps to “validate the lived experiences of those with mental illness” and the program is successful as the healing practices are being demonstrated through the patients’ voice (Colomb, 2015 – Research Paper Writing Help Service). As what happened in “Narrative and Healing”, Karen’s presentation of how mental health practitioners and patients can work together sounds true to Gary and the Truth and Reconciliation program. Mental health patients should be listened to and heard as what Karen advocates. “Collaboration, cooperation and respecting the Bonov’s ‘sphere of sovereignty’ would better assist Rudiger in his recovery” explained by Karen. Therefore, Gary should know that it is important to listen and value the patients’ opinion, not just following the instruction from the healthcare provider. In fact, the power of mental health imagination is being demonstrated in The Mighty article: “Here’s What Your Mental Illness Looks Like – Literally”. Through creating an adaptable, evolving game By The Menninger Clinic called “Destiny Land”, a 3-Dimensional game board result, it allows players to use it in any way they would like to, whereas “the physical layout of the board is interpreted to portray the power of mental health imagination”.
4.1 Importance of Mental Health Education
One of the major goals of mental health education is to reduce the stigmatization of those who are experiencing mental illness. Stigmatization, or the process of negatively branding an individual based on particular attributions, causes several detriments as it creates an environment of fear, shame, and silence. People who experience stigma are less likely to disclose their experiences and seek treatment because of a fear of being discriminated against. This is especially relevant for teenagers, as studies have shown that most mental health disorders develop during adolescence. By promoting education programs that provide young individuals with access to information that reduces stigmatization of mental illness, we can encourage more open and positive discussions about mental health and more adolescents can receive the help that they need.
First, mental health education aims to increase public knowledge about various types of mental illnesses. There are many different types of mental illnesses, such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders. By educating the public about the symptoms and behaviors associated with each type of mental illness, people with mental illnesses are more likely to be recognized and diagnosed in their early stages. With early diagnosis often leading to better prognosis, mental health education literally saves lives. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that suicide rates in the United States declined following the establishment of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a federally funded 24-hour suicide prevention support line.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) estimates that 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience mental illness in a given year. Considering the high prevalence of mental illness, it is essential to prioritize mental health education in terms of increasing public awareness and addressing the negative misperceptions associated with mental illness.
4.2 Integrating Mental Health Education in Schools
Incorporating mental health education in schools not only helps to diversify the curriculum, but also benefits students and provides valuable knowledge and life skills that can help them in the future. Brock, a psychology and social studies teacher at the Rock Island Academy in Illinois, commented that “the issue of mental health in schools is not just a student issue. It’s a staff issue and a community issue” (Lavelle, 2017). However, improper planning and lack of technological aids in providing mental health education to the students and staff have been the major obstacles in the school system. As in a report from the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, only 55% of US high schools have implemented at least one program to teach students about specific mental health issues such as depression, and only 22% of these schools implement a program for each grade (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online). This illustrates a lack of mindfulness practices and activities that can help the students and teachers to be free from stress and mentally focus in the classroom. Moreover, the report shows that only 35% of Florida high schools provide professional development for teachers to enable them to strengthen their mental health literacy and 12% of these schools are not even currently using a program. Therefore, school boards and districts should consider the guidance of proper planning and selection of an appropriate method, which ensures that a long-lasting, effective and sustainable result can be achieved for integrating mental health education in schools. By conducting comprehensive staff training sessions, developing a budget for funding mental health programs in schools and involving parents and communities as valuable resources for providing mental health literacy to the students, school districts can work to ensure that the well-being of the students and staff is a priority. In order to provide an environment for the students to learn and interact with the world, students’ mental wellness is closely related to their academic achievements. Hence, the students should be given absolutely correct and comprehensive mental health education and their teachers, as well as their staffs, should be given the chances to get engaged with such programs in order to increase their mental health literacy today and tomorrow.
4.3 Training Healthcare Professionals
Moreover, “If a doctor feels comfortable promoting mental health, then it would become less of a taboo subject in society,” said Dr. Sangeeta Mahajan, a family physician and member of the McLean Group and the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy. She is currently playing a major role in developing a program that focuses on providing post-graduate psychiatric hospital at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Such clinical health program and many other mental health training programs are pivotal in making this advocacy a reality and developing a strong mental health force. However, this advocacy is slow to develop and far from complete. Federal, state, and professional organizations must get involved by providing financial and legal supports to such training programs. Also, research should be done in the area of conceptualizing mental health literacy and finding ways to assess the effectiveness of clinical programs in increasing mental health literacy.
Regulations should be put in place to ensure that all healthcare professionals working under state-issued licenses have received training. This not only includes doctors and nurse practitioners, but also includes social workers, counselors, therapists, and substance abuse professionals. With regards to education, healthcare professionals must receive documented hours of mental health training as a requirement for license renewals, with extra hours dedicated to every few years. By standardizing mental health training across all states, mental health training for healthcare professionals will not only serve to increase the number of mental health literate professionals in the field, but also reduce the stigma within healthcare. It will allow us to make the first stride towards tackling the wider issue of mental illness stigma by educating the gatekeepers to physical health about mental health.
In the US, the Affordable Care Act and the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act have advanced the initiative to provide mental health first aid training to the public. This initiative gives the public the knowledge of the potential risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems and crises and the skills needed to provide initial help. “Imagine if everyone in a health setting were trained in first aid for mental health and able to help someone experiencing a panic attack or suicidal thoughts. This is a brilliant first step in breaking down stigma and fear,” said Simon Lawton-Smith, head of policy at the UK charity Mental Health.
Mental health advocates believe that universal mental health education is critical. However, the content and delivery of mental health education are not limited to school curriculums. “Training and retraining programs for healthcare professionals in the area of mental health should be adopted, standardized, and institutionalized across the country,” said Dr. Michael Compton, a psychiatrist and president-elect of the American Association of Community Psychiatrists. These evidence-based programs not only lead to better patient outcomes, but also help to decrease and eventually eliminate the stigma around mental illness. Healthcare professionals are not only taught how to diagnose and treat mental illnesses, but also how to communicate about mental health issues, such as effectively relaying diagnoses to patients and their families.
4.4 Promoting Community-Based Education Initiatives
Furthermore, taking mental health education out of the confines of educational institutions helps increase the public’s awareness. When community members are exposed to information and resources in various public settings, it improves the likelihood that individuals experiencing mental health challenges could be understood and supported. It is imperative to run education programs across a wide range of community settings. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a comprehensive toolkit designed to provide program planners with strategies on implementing mental health education. It provides practical guidelines on how best to design and run community-based education programs. Local programs can be developed based on the general principles outlined in the SAMHSA toolkit. For example, a program could start with defining the needs and target audience of the education program, before moving on to selecting an evidence-based program to educate the community. Then, the program could be implemented with a focus on practical issues like recruitment and training of staff and program promotion. The effectiveness of the program can be enhanced through regular evaluations and the use of feedback to continuously improve the program. “Mental Health Education Impact Project” in Tompkins County, New York advocates for widespread mental health education in the community. The program aims to reach 25% of the adult population of Tompkins County across every region of the county and in as many different types of community venues as possible. It is known that nearly half of adults will experience a mental health crisis in their lifetime, so the program is important to ensure that people can access help when they need it. Studies had provided extremely credible and overwhelming evidence that mental health education helps to improve and sustain mental health literacy and reduces the stigma surrounding mental health. There are clear literature evidence that stigma could be decreased with the power of education. The program had educated nearly 500 adults and the feedback from the program is very positive. This has demonstrated how successful the program is in promoting awareness and knowledge of mental health in the community. Such kind of community-based education initiatives are fundamental in mobilizing the local resources to increase the overall societal capacity for mental health. By promoting consultancy and active involvement of community members in managing mental health issues, it helps to shift the paradigm of mental health service provisions. These programs also play a pivotal role in building resilience and promoting positive mental health in the community as a whole.
4.5 Collaborations with Non-Profit Organizations
Mental health education and awareness programs usually require funding, resources, and expertise beyond what a single institution can provide. Collaborations among different entities that have common goals are paramount for successful education and awareness programs. Non-profit organizations can offer valuable expertise and program evaluation services which could be very helpful when designing and delivering mental health education programs. Additionally, a collaborative initiative between an academic institution and a non-profit organization could attract federal grant funding. Non-profit organizations usually have well-established networks at national or state level. Such networks can help to distribute information and to reach the target populations more effectively. Also, those networks provide opportunities for collaborations with other service providers. Moreover, non-profit organizations can offer access to a wide range of demographic groups through their community-based programs. For example, a non-profit organization that is focusing on youth services can help to deliver the education programs within high school settings. This would be beneficial for achieving one of the objectives under Healthy People 2020, which is to increase the percentage of high schools that provide school health services, mental health services, and violence prevention programs. Such collaborations have the potential to engage community stakeholders (e.g. school teachers, parents, and policy makers) in supporting mental health education initiatives. Meanwhile, through these collaborations, the non-profit organizations can raise public awareness and promote understanding of mental health problems and help seeking. It’s a win-win strategy for the academic institutions and the non-profit organizations to collaborate and share resources. The well-being and safety of a community are made possible through effective, efficient and sustainable collaborations. Also, such initiatives will make a greater impact on the local population.
5. Conclusion
In my personal opinion, this type of legislative advocacy will always prevail over other types of mental health advocacy for a number of reasons. The most important reason for this is that legislative advocacy is often seeking to create concrete and lasting change. Legislation set down in law has been debated and voted upon and can often provide wide-ranging and powerful changes to the structures and support available within society. On the other hand, I feel like the strategies put forth in this research are beneficial for short-term goals of legislative advocacy in that they work to create and raise awareness and support in the public that is fundamental for successful legislative advocacy. However, this can also be a criticism of comprehensive advocacy as a whole because it is time and resource-intensive, and it is difficult to corral such a variety of advocacy efforts into one succinct strategy. Yet, this research appears to provide evidence in support of comprehensive advocacy as the most effective strategy in the long term, which has implications for us in our advocacy work going forward.
This research argues that a comprehensive approach to mental health advocacy is the most effective and ethical way of supporting the rights of those with mental illness. In addressing each of the areas of mental health advocacy, the following recurring themes are highlighted: the need for public support and education, the influence of politics, and the importance of tackling stigma. This demonstrates how a comprehensive approach is built upon the interplay between strategies for change in different areas, emphasizing the importance of everyone from individuals to multinational companies getting involved in advocacy work. It is hoped that by adopting a comprehensive approach, we can move closer to a world where mental health is understood, respected, and mental illnesses are fully supported in all aspects of life.
5.1 Homework help – Summary of Key Findings
In addition to likening the commonality of mental health and physical health, the study finding also underlines that mental health services are often considered separate from general healthcare services. This is seen as a key secondary problem within the wider issue of recognition of mental health and is reflected in the fact that funding for mental health services continues to lag behind that for physical health, with a reduction trend in recent years. It can be found that mental health service users face higher levels of experiences of discrimination. There are a great deal of endeavors directed towards reducing mental health stigma. For example, there are some community groups that aim to challenge discrimination by promoting better knowledge about people with mental health issues and their experiences of getting employment. Workshops are being run throughout the country to educate people in ways that will help to reduce stigma and educate about what it is actually like to live with a mental illness. These pieces of evidence all emphasize the effectiveness of anti-stigma programs and show that efforts should be continued to reduce the impact of misunderstanding against people with mental health issues. On top of this, teaching people about mental ill health has been shown to be a very effective way to improve the support people receive and promote the message of understanding mental health and removing stereotypes. It is important to notice that the misconceptions are often due to not being familiar with the widespread mental health illnesses, so basic awareness of the main illnesses is vital. Programs in schools, workplaces, and elsewhere are essential for promoting well-communicated understanding of mental health. Also, involving these outreach programs will help young people to develop cognitive and emotional intelligence and well-being. It is imperative that further studies should be conducted to gain a more detailed and profound insight into types, impacts, measures of stigma, etc. Simultaneously, the progress and success of different approaches to reducing stigma need to be monitored and evaluated. As it is remarkably prevalent in today’s society, raising the public’s awareness of the potential impacts of stigma and the importance of preventing discrimination should be an ongoing mission. Only in this way can the environment for people with mental health problems become more inclusive and they will feel respected and able to get the support they require to live a fulfilling life.
5.2 Recommendations for Future Actions
The second recommendation is to expand and enforce mental health parity. Mental health parity means that insurance plans that offer mental health coverage must give the same level of benefits for mental or substance use treatment as they do for medical or surgical treatment. While the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 – Affordable Custom Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay from Pro Writers and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer have made significant progress in removing the limitations and financial requirements that applied to mental health benefits, there is still a gap between mental health and general medical care. One way to improve enforcement is to utilize big data analytics to monitor and identify possible mental health parity violations. For example, the Office of Personnel Management website provides health plan data that can show local coverage and benefit information. This data can be collected and analyzed in real time to detect over time which areas experience the greatest violations of mental health parity. The government could partner with universities and private sector companies to create software to analyze the information. This approach has the potential to provide transparency in insurance coverage for mental health conditions and help regulators investigate violations and enforce compliance more effectively over time. Third, increase funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (“SAMHSA”). SAMHSA is a federal agency that aims to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on American communities. The agency plays a critical role in advocating for increased levels of mental health awareness, suicide prevention and research. However, resources are limited; President Trump’s proposed budget in 2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online seeks to cut SAMHSA’s funding by $665 million. Legislative and other systemic mechanisms for mental health reform tend to focus on individual action or policy change. However, mental health advocates are in a prime position to use innovative technologies to better engage with legislators and facilitate the political processes. By using geographic information system technology or developing smartphone applications that link individuals more readily to advocacy and action groups, data can be visualized and communicated to policymakers more effectively. For example, mobile polling data from a mental health action app could be analyzed in real-time, potentially becoming an invaluable insight for legislators when attempting to drum up support for a particular bill in Congress. These digital technological solutions present new and highly effective tools for mental health advocacy as it moves forward. By integrating these applications into the strategic efforts to promote better mental health care, the prospects for reform founded upon predictive data, collective engagement and informed decisions by society in general appears to be significantly enhanced. Ergo, the conclusion from the research paper recommends that mental health advocacy should take a comprehensive approach to implementing the foregoing proposals for legislative and policy change. Specifically, the argument is that a holistic strategy that combines reforms and innovations centered around all aspects of mental health, i.e legal standards, public health and the creation and enforcement of meaningful protection for patients, is the most efficacious way of bringing about a workable and long-lasting transformation in the quality and availability of mental health services.

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