Respond to at least two colleagues by offering strategies for how the challenges your colleagues described should be addressed to ensure better mental health care.
Support your response with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.
Madea Post
According to the reading sources this week most people will encounter problems with mild depression, anxiety, stress and other forms of mental illness. Fortunately, those are not considered the “chronic mental illness”. However, they can grow into more severe mental illnesses and also those mental illnesses to an individual can be life changing. With chronic mental illness the comments from the world can be challenging in itself. Unfortunately, that is not all that individuals with mental difficulties face. “Difficulty planning for and funding mental health services is that, many insurers and employers characterize mental illness as undefinable, untreatable, unpredictable, and unmanageable.” (The Policy based Profession) This puts challenges on individuals recieving jobs and qualifying for adequate insurance. People view mental illness individuals as liabilities. They can not be covered because there are no certainties with mental illness. Another challenge is that calculating the number of diagnosed mental illness people. This also hinders insurance companies from covering all medical treatment options for those individuals that need it. Another challenge is the cost of mental care. “The cost of mental problems for individuals, families, and employers are high.” (The Policy based Profession) The annual cost for untreated mental problems in loses alone exceed $193.2 Billion and the cost for both indirect and direct cost is over $300 Billion. It is extremely expensive to treat mental illness patients. The need for emergency care increases, crime, domestic violence and property damage increases cost to society if the cause is associated with mental illness. The rate for rehospitalization among those with chronic mental illness is also high and often treatment for mental health takes longer than other health problems. All this challenges can lead also be determined as stress contributors. These individuals are in need of specific services that they have a hard time obtaining due to a multiple of reasons. In Sara and Stephanie’s case they are both suffering from mental illness. They started off not being able to live apart because of Stephanie’s failed relationship from 10 years ago and Sarah being a widowed. Stephanie being diagnosed with mental illness, hospitalized for suicide attempts and previous substance abuse it seemed as though she could not be independent. Even though she disliked the clutter from her mother and they seemed to fight a lot. However, they had many strengths. Sara had the empowerment from both Jane and Stephanie to get rid of the clutter, Stephanie had a part time job and still could live independently. It is very important to remember that mentally disabled individuals still deserve to live the fullest life possible. With treatment and independence they have the chance to experience how to be self reliant, self motivated and acknowledged as human beings.
Popple, P. R., & Leighninger, L. (2015). The policy-based profession: An introduction to social welfare policy analysis for social workers. (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
- Chapter 8, “Mental Health and Substance Abuse (pp. 164-193)
Plummer, S. -B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (Eds.). (2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore: MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
- Part 1, “The Parker Family” (pp. 6–8)
Jeanie Truesdale Post
In the case of the Parker family, it is apparent that both Stephanie and her mother Sara suffer from mental illness (Plummer, Makris, & Brocksen, 2014). Stephanie was diagnosed bipolar and had her first episode at the age of 16 (Plummer, et al., 2014). Stephanie’s social worker noted that Stephanie had been hospitalized 4 times (Laureate Education, 2014). Stephanie reports back to her social worker that she actually had only been hospitalized 3 times (Laureate Education, 2014). When questioned by her social worker, Stephanie reports she was “kicked out” of the hospital the third time she was there as she was accused of coming to the hospital to get away from her mom (Laureate Education, 2014). Stephanie reports a month later she was back at the same hospital, for the same issue and her sister, Jane, could back her up (Laureate Education, 2014). According to Stephanie, Jane had taken pictures of how cluttered and dirty the house was indicating that Stephanie should not return to the home, because her mom was crazy (Laureate Education, 2014).
The gaps in the mental health care system for the care of the individuals in the Parker case are apparent. It would seem the hospital was treating Stephanie as if she did not have a mental illness. A mental health assessment could have been performed in order to indicate what Stephanie was truly at the hospital for. Stephanie was clearly prescribed medications that indicate she has a mental illness (Plummer, et al., 2014). There seems to be a disconnect between the hospital medical staff and the hospital social worker, as they are not responding as a unit to Stephanie’s problems.
When Jane presented the pictures of the home Stephanie was living in, her environment should have also been considered. Intervening in the stresses of living environment is known to prevent or diminish mental illness (Mental Health America, n.d.). Because Stephanie and her mom are not living on a large income, it may be difficult to seek the help they need, as the programs are limited (Mental Health America, n.d.).
Laureate Education (Producer). (2013). Sessions: Parker family (Episode 5 of 42) [Video file].
Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Plummer, S. -B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (Eds.). (2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore:
MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
Mental Health America (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2013 from www.mentalhealthamerica.net
Response to teacher
Hi Bonita,
Thanks for sharing. I think you raise an important point in regards to a lack of inpatient and outpatient resources that impacted the client’s situation. Going a step further, I think it is important to note that inpatient/outpatient programs are provided within a policy, for example the Olmstead Act. In this way, upon brief review of this policy, is the information relevant to Stephanie, why or why not?