National Alliance Mental Illness
Colonial Place Three
2107 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22201-3042
To Whom It May Concern:
Hello, my name is Erin. I am a student in my Junior Year at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. Recently, I completed a research project on mental illness and its effects on society. I came across your website when I was looking into different treatment options available.
The Peer-to-Peer Program NAMI has established is a wonderful resource for people dealing with a mental illness. With the limited insurance coverage for mental health services, many people would have no access to an educational, supportive environment comparable to Peer-to-Peer.
By providing people with this wealth of knowledge it is likely that the severity, duration, and frequency of relapses will be decreased. This Peer-to-Peer course gives people an increased sense of preparedness, control, and understanding about what they are experiencing.
After hearing about your program, I looked up the Peer-to-Peer course that is offered in my area. I have already recommended it to a good friend of mine who has been battling depression for quite some time. She was very excited about the prospect of taking this course, and will most likely enroll in the next available session.
I would love to learn more about your organization and this program, and if there is any way I am able to contribute. Thank you very much for all you do. Keep up the great work!
Sincerely,
Erin Mahoney
Friday, May 9, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Letter to SAMHSA
April 30, 2008
PATH Program
P.O. Box 42557
Washington, DC 20015
To Whom It May Concern:
Hello, my name is Erin. I am a student in my Junior Year at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. Recently, I completed a research project on mental illness and its effects on society. I came across your website when I was looking into the connection between mental illness and homelessness.
Numerous statistics and studies have shown that a substantial percentage of homeless people are suffering from a mental illness and/or a substance abuse disorder. Although these people are often those most in need of mental health care, they are frequently the least likely to receive it.
I am highly impressed with the PATH Program your organization runs. It is remarkable how many grants SAMHSA has distributed to participating organizations across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories, and how many lives you have improved through these grants.
I would like to thank you all the efforts you have put in to caring for homeless people with mental illness and substance use disorders. By providing the care that they are in desperate need of, and that they otherwise would not be able to receive, the PATH program is giving these people a true gift: hope. PATH is giving these people an opportunity for a happy, healthy, productive life, which is something that otherwise may have seemed too far out of reach.
I hope that you continue to receive funding and support to help individuals dealing with mental illness and homelessness. I am interested in learning more about your organization and how I can contribute.
Sincerely,
Erin Mahoney
PATH Program
P.O. Box 42557
Washington, DC 20015
To Whom It May Concern:
Hello, my name is Erin. I am a student in my Junior Year at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. Recently, I completed a research project on mental illness and its effects on society. I came across your website when I was looking into the connection between mental illness and homelessness.
Numerous statistics and studies have shown that a substantial percentage of homeless people are suffering from a mental illness and/or a substance abuse disorder. Although these people are often those most in need of mental health care, they are frequently the least likely to receive it.
I am highly impressed with the PATH Program your organization runs. It is remarkable how many grants SAMHSA has distributed to participating organizations across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories, and how many lives you have improved through these grants.
I would like to thank you all the efforts you have put in to caring for homeless people with mental illness and substance use disorders. By providing the care that they are in desperate need of, and that they otherwise would not be able to receive, the PATH program is giving these people a true gift: hope. PATH is giving these people an opportunity for a happy, healthy, productive life, which is something that otherwise may have seemed too far out of reach.
I hope that you continue to receive funding and support to help individuals dealing with mental illness and homelessness. I am interested in learning more about your organization and how I can contribute.
Sincerely,
Erin Mahoney
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Letter to Green Door
Green Door
1221 Taylor Street NW
Washington DC 20011
To Whom It May Concern:
Hello, my name is Erin. I am a student in my Junior Year at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. Recently, I completed a research project on mental illness and its effects on society. I came across your website when I was looking into the connection between mental illness and homelessness.
I would like to congratulate and thank you for all the help you give to homeless people suffering from mental illness. You provide each and every individual you help with an enormous gift by helping them feel better and get their life back on track. The opportunities and resources that are given to them at the Green Door are invaluable.
Society, too, owes you a standing ovation for all the successful effort you devote to caring for homeless individuals suffering from mental illness. I would like to commend Green Door for going out into the community
I am particularly impressed with the Clubhouse Program your organization operates. A large percentage of jobs, especially those who pay more than minimum wage, require a person to have applicable experience. An adult with little job experience commonly has a very difficult time finding a job that will pay them enough to sustain him or her. If they aren’t getting paid enough, they often have to work two jobs or put in a lot of overtime. This most certainly adds to stress, which in the case of a person dealing with a mental illness, is likely to cause or contribute to a relapse.
The work a person does should be enjoyable and meaningful to them. By providing the opportunity to gain applicable experience, Green Door is increasing the likelihood that its members will find jobs they are enthusiastic about. Having a job they take pleasure in reduces the likelihood of relapse.
I am very interested in volunteering for the Green Door after hearing about what the organization does. It is wonderful to see how much of a difference the Green Door makes in countless lives of individuals by providing them the care and education that they need to establish a happy, healthy, and meaningful life.
Thank you very much for your dedication to homeless individuals suffering from mental illness and to the entire Washington DC community.
Regards,
Erin Mahoney
1221 Taylor Street NW
Washington DC 20011
To Whom It May Concern:
Hello, my name is Erin. I am a student in my Junior Year at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. Recently, I completed a research project on mental illness and its effects on society. I came across your website when I was looking into the connection between mental illness and homelessness.
I would like to congratulate and thank you for all the help you give to homeless people suffering from mental illness. You provide each and every individual you help with an enormous gift by helping them feel better and get their life back on track. The opportunities and resources that are given to them at the Green Door are invaluable.
Society, too, owes you a standing ovation for all the successful effort you devote to caring for homeless individuals suffering from mental illness. I would like to commend Green Door for going out into the community
I am particularly impressed with the Clubhouse Program your organization operates. A large percentage of jobs, especially those who pay more than minimum wage, require a person to have applicable experience. An adult with little job experience commonly has a very difficult time finding a job that will pay them enough to sustain him or her. If they aren’t getting paid enough, they often have to work two jobs or put in a lot of overtime. This most certainly adds to stress, which in the case of a person dealing with a mental illness, is likely to cause or contribute to a relapse.
The work a person does should be enjoyable and meaningful to them. By providing the opportunity to gain applicable experience, Green Door is increasing the likelihood that its members will find jobs they are enthusiastic about. Having a job they take pleasure in reduces the likelihood of relapse.
I am very interested in volunteering for the Green Door after hearing about what the organization does. It is wonderful to see how much of a difference the Green Door makes in countless lives of individuals by providing them the care and education that they need to establish a happy, healthy, and meaningful life.
Thank you very much for your dedication to homeless individuals suffering from mental illness and to the entire Washington DC community.
Regards,
Erin Mahoney
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Annotated Bibliography
http://www.nami.org/
http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=Peer-to-Peer
Summary
Nami's Peer-to-Peer program is a nine week experiential education course on the topic of recovery for any person with serious mental illness who is interested in establishing and maintaining wellness" ("Nami's Peer-to-Peer Education Course"). The course is open to anyone suffering with mental illness, and is free of charge. It provides the students with accurate, reliable information, and prepares them to deal with the illness and symptoms they are suffering from. The environment is supportive and non-judgmental, and it provides the group members a chance to relate to others who are going through similar issues.
Reaction
I think that this course is a wonderful idea to help those suffering from mental illness. The program seems very supportive and educational. It provides a reliable resource for people with mental illness to learn about their illness, how to best care for themselves and deal with their symptoms, and how to prevent relapse. I really like that the course provides a plethora of reliable information and good ways for dealing with symptoms. I feel it is extremely important for people to know how to manage their illnesses and symptoms in order to prevent relapse.
Quotations from http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=Peer-to-Peer
~ "Peer-to-Peer is a unique, experiential learning program for people with any serious mental illness who are interested in establishing and maintaining their wellness and recovery" ("Peer-to-Peer: NAMI's Recovery Curriculum").
~ "Participants come away from the course with a binder of hand-out materials, as well as many other tangible resources: an advance directive; a “relapse prevention plan” to help identify tell-tale feelings, thoughts, behavior, or events that may warn of impending relapse and to organize for intervention; mindfulness exercises to help focus and calm thinking; and survival skills for working with providers and the general public" ("Peer-to-Peer: NAMI's Recovery Curriculum").
~ "The NAMI Peer-to-Peer Education Course is a nine week –two hours per week – experiential education course on the topic of recovery for any person with serious mental illness who is interested in establishing and maintaining wellness" ("Nami's Peer-to-Peer Education Course: Learning to live well with what we've got").
~ "The Course is designed to offer an opportunity for growth to any individual who experiences mental illness"
Annotated Bibliography
http://www.greendoor.org/
http://www.greendoor.org/programs/clubhouse.htm
Summary
The Clubhouse Program run at the Green Door in Washington D.C. is a program "to get people with mental illness back to work and living in the community" It is a supportive, encouraging environment focusing on getting individuals back on their feet and helping them to becoming contributing members of society. The Clubhouse trains these individuals in a variety of work skills that will aide them in getting a job. The Clubhouse then helps place them in transitional jobs until they are fully capable of getting a permanent job, which the Clubhouse also aids them in getting. The Clubhouse then continues to serve as a resource and support for the individuals that have completed the program.
Reaction
This program is a very good idea, and a great way to help getting people who are suffering or have suffered from a serious mental illness. By teaching them work skills and then experience using these work skills, they are giving them the tools they need to succeed in the work force. The supportive, empathetic environment is also a great resource. I love that they are actually teaching these people useful work skills and preparing them for the work force instead of just pushing them out that saying "go on, go out there. you have to do this."
Quotes from http://www.greendoor.org/programs/clubhouse.htm
~ "Green Door is the only program in the District of Columbia that utilizes the Clubhouse model to get people with mental illness back to work and living in the community. Working from the individual's strengths, the Clubhouse provides members with the opportunity to learn employable skills through meaningful work and to participate in a supportive community. Green Door promises life-long support as members become self-sufficient and involved in the wider community. Green Door is based on a model that was designed by people with mental illness for people with mental illness"
~ "In a Clubhouse, everyone is equal. It is a place where members can make friends
and join in social activities, get help with recovery from drugs and alcohol, learn
self-advocacy, and improve basic literacy skills"
~ "Green Door's Clubhouse program helps members get skills they need to become employable"
~ "For example, the Café Unit operates like any other café in the city - providing snacks, coffee, and a trendy atmosphere. It also serves as a teaching tool for members to learn how to provide customer service, how to operate a cash register, and how to price a menu"
~ "After working in the Clubhouse, members are placed in six-month transitional jobs in the community. Transitional placements are low-stress jobs in mailrooms, food service, and maintenance, and provide competitive pay by the employer. Once members complete several transitional jobs, and build up their confidence and résumé, Green Door teaches them how to get a permanent job"
~ "Joining Green Door's Clubhouse means:
Working with staff to set individual recovery goals.
Having a place to go and being part of a diverse community.
Being challenged to grow and take responsibility.
Gaining confidence and self-determination.
Gaining work skills and getting a job.
Being a productive citizen in the community"
~ "At the Clubhouse, members can learn to:
Answer a multi-line phone.
File, copy, and fax.
Develop computer and clerical skills.
Work in a commercial kitchen and café environment, operate a cash register,
and prepare and serve food.
Learn how to navigate the Internet"
Annotated Bibliography
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
http://www.pathprogram.samhsa.gov/
Summary
The PATH program is a program that provides mental health care to homeless individuals or those at risk of becoming homeless. Some of the services PATH offers are outreach services, screening and diagnostic services, community mental health services, habilitation and rehabilitation services, case management, alcohol or drug treatment, supervisory services in residential settings, and a limited set of housing services. The goal of the program is to treat homeless people who have serious mental illnesses, and, in the long run, to reduce the number of people who are homeless as a result of their mental illness. PATH is providing homeless individuals much needed services that they would otherwise be unable to obtain. By doing so, they are helping these people get their lives back together and get to a state that they are able to provide for themselves.
Reaction
This program seems like an effective way to help reduce homelessness and to provide mental health services to individuals who are in great need of them, but who otherwise didn't have any access to them. I think that it is especially good that these mental health services are provided, for many homeless people are there as a result of the untreated, devastating effects of their mental illness.
Quotes
~ "Created under the McKinney Act, The PATH Program, is a formula grant program that funds the 50 States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and four U.S. Territories to support service delivery to individuals with serious mental illnesses, as well as individuals with co-occurring substance use disorders, who are homeless or at risk of becoming home-less" ("PATH: Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness").
~ "The program -- known as Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH)
-- funds community-based outreach, mental health, substance abuse, case management and
other support services, as well as a limited set of housing services"
~ "PATH clients have some of the most disabling mental disorders. Among clients for whom a diagnosis was reported, 27 percent had schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders and 44 percent had affective disorders such as depression"
~ "Local PATH-supported organizations provide a wide range of services to people who are
homeless. Among the services eligible for funding under PATH are:
* outreach services,
* screening and diagnostic services,
* habilitation and rehabilitation services,
* community mental health services,
* alcohol or drug treatment services (for people with mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders),
* case management services,
* supervisory services in residential settings and
* a limited set of housing services and services to help clients access housing resources.
http://www.nami.org/
http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=Peer-to-Peer
Summary
Nami's Peer-to-Peer program is a nine week experiential education course on the topic of recovery for any person with serious mental illness who is interested in establishing and maintaining wellness" ("Nami's Peer-to-Peer Education Course"). The course is open to anyone suffering with mental illness, and is free of charge. It provides the students with accurate, reliable information, and prepares them to deal with the illness and symptoms they are suffering from. The environment is supportive and non-judgmental, and it provides the group members a chance to relate to others who are going through similar issues.
Reaction
I think that this course is a wonderful idea to help those suffering from mental illness. The program seems very supportive and educational. It provides a reliable resource for people with mental illness to learn about their illness, how to best care for themselves and deal with their symptoms, and how to prevent relapse. I really like that the course provides a plethora of reliable information and good ways for dealing with symptoms. I feel it is extremely important for people to know how to manage their illnesses and symptoms in order to prevent relapse.
Quotations from http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=Peer-to-Peer
~ "Peer-to-Peer is a unique, experiential learning program for people with any serious mental illness who are interested in establishing and maintaining their wellness and recovery" ("Peer-to-Peer: NAMI's Recovery Curriculum").
~ "Participants come away from the course with a binder of hand-out materials, as well as many other tangible resources: an advance directive; a “relapse prevention plan” to help identify tell-tale feelings, thoughts, behavior, or events that may warn of impending relapse and to organize for intervention; mindfulness exercises to help focus and calm thinking; and survival skills for working with providers and the general public" ("Peer-to-Peer: NAMI's Recovery Curriculum").
~ "The NAMI Peer-to-Peer Education Course is a nine week –two hours per week – experiential education course on the topic of recovery for any person with serious mental illness who is interested in establishing and maintaining wellness" ("Nami's Peer-to-Peer Education Course: Learning to live well with what we've got").
~ "The Course is designed to offer an opportunity for growth to any individual who experiences mental illness"
Annotated Bibliography
http://www.greendoor.org/
http://www.greendoor.org/programs/clubhouse.htm
Summary
The Clubhouse Program run at the Green Door in Washington D.C. is a program "to get people with mental illness back to work and living in the community" It is a supportive, encouraging environment focusing on getting individuals back on their feet and helping them to becoming contributing members of society. The Clubhouse trains these individuals in a variety of work skills that will aide them in getting a job. The Clubhouse then helps place them in transitional jobs until they are fully capable of getting a permanent job, which the Clubhouse also aids them in getting. The Clubhouse then continues to serve as a resource and support for the individuals that have completed the program.
Reaction
This program is a very good idea, and a great way to help getting people who are suffering or have suffered from a serious mental illness. By teaching them work skills and then experience using these work skills, they are giving them the tools they need to succeed in the work force. The supportive, empathetic environment is also a great resource. I love that they are actually teaching these people useful work skills and preparing them for the work force instead of just pushing them out that saying "go on, go out there. you have to do this."
Quotes from http://www.greendoor.org/programs/clubhouse.htm
~ "Green Door is the only program in the District of Columbia that utilizes the Clubhouse model to get people with mental illness back to work and living in the community. Working from the individual's strengths, the Clubhouse provides members with the opportunity to learn employable skills through meaningful work and to participate in a supportive community. Green Door promises life-long support as members become self-sufficient and involved in the wider community. Green Door is based on a model that was designed by people with mental illness for people with mental illness"
~ "In a Clubhouse, everyone is equal. It is a place where members can make friends
and join in social activities, get help with recovery from drugs and alcohol, learn
self-advocacy, and improve basic literacy skills"
~ "Green Door's Clubhouse program helps members get skills they need to become employable"
~ "For example, the Café Unit operates like any other café in the city - providing snacks, coffee, and a trendy atmosphere. It also serves as a teaching tool for members to learn how to provide customer service, how to operate a cash register, and how to price a menu"
~ "After working in the Clubhouse, members are placed in six-month transitional jobs in the community. Transitional placements are low-stress jobs in mailrooms, food service, and maintenance, and provide competitive pay by the employer. Once members complete several transitional jobs, and build up their confidence and résumé, Green Door teaches them how to get a permanent job"
~ "Joining Green Door's Clubhouse means:
Working with staff to set individual recovery goals.
Having a place to go and being part of a diverse community.
Being challenged to grow and take responsibility.
Gaining confidence and self-determination.
Gaining work skills and getting a job.
Being a productive citizen in the community"
~ "At the Clubhouse, members can learn to:
Answer a multi-line phone.
File, copy, and fax.
Develop computer and clerical skills.
Work in a commercial kitchen and café environment, operate a cash register,
and prepare and serve food.
Learn how to navigate the Internet"
Annotated Bibliography
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
http://www.pathprogram.samhsa.gov/
Summary
The PATH program is a program that provides mental health care to homeless individuals or those at risk of becoming homeless. Some of the services PATH offers are outreach services, screening and diagnostic services, community mental health services, habilitation and rehabilitation services, case management, alcohol or drug treatment, supervisory services in residential settings, and a limited set of housing services. The goal of the program is to treat homeless people who have serious mental illnesses, and, in the long run, to reduce the number of people who are homeless as a result of their mental illness. PATH is providing homeless individuals much needed services that they would otherwise be unable to obtain. By doing so, they are helping these people get their lives back together and get to a state that they are able to provide for themselves.
Reaction
This program seems like an effective way to help reduce homelessness and to provide mental health services to individuals who are in great need of them, but who otherwise didn't have any access to them. I think that it is especially good that these mental health services are provided, for many homeless people are there as a result of the untreated, devastating effects of their mental illness.
Quotes
~ "Created under the McKinney Act, The PATH Program, is a formula grant program that funds the 50 States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and four U.S. Territories to support service delivery to individuals with serious mental illnesses, as well as individuals with co-occurring substance use disorders, who are homeless or at risk of becoming home-less" ("PATH: Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness").
~ "The program -- known as Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH)
-- funds community-based outreach, mental health, substance abuse, case management and
other support services, as well as a limited set of housing services"
~ "PATH clients have some of the most disabling mental disorders. Among clients for whom a diagnosis was reported, 27 percent had schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders and 44 percent had affective disorders such as depression"
~ "Local PATH-supported organizations provide a wide range of services to people who are
homeless. Among the services eligible for funding under PATH are:
* outreach services,
* screening and diagnostic services,
* habilitation and rehabilitation services,
* community mental health services,
* alcohol or drug treatment services (for people with mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders),
* case management services,
* supervisory services in residential settings and
* a limited set of housing services and services to help clients access housing resources.
Issues For my Three Organizations
Green Door - http://www.greendoor.org/
http://www.greendoor.org/programs/clubhouse.htm
Clubhouse - A model used by Green Door to help people with mental illness that teaches them valuable work skills, gives them an opportunity to practice these work skills in actual work situations, and assists them in getting a job in the community. It also provides a supportive community in which members can receive services to help their recovery and to improve their well-being.
United States Department of Health and Human Services -
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
http://www.pathprogram.samhsa.gov/
PATH - A program that provides mental health care to homeless individuals or those at risk of becoming homeless.
National Alliance on Mental Illness - http://www.nami.org/
http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=Peer-to-Peer
Peer-to-Peer - An experiential education course for people with a mental illness that provides them with accurate, reliable information and prepares them to deal with the illness and symptoms that they are experiencing. The environment is supportive and non-judgmental, and it provides the group members a chance to relate to others who are going through similar issues.
http://www.greendoor.org/programs/clubhouse.htm
Clubhouse - A model used by Green Door to help people with mental illness that teaches them valuable work skills, gives them an opportunity to practice these work skills in actual work situations, and assists them in getting a job in the community. It also provides a supportive community in which members can receive services to help their recovery and to improve their well-being.
United States Department of Health and Human Services -
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
http://www.pathprogram.samhsa.gov/
PATH - A program that provides mental health care to homeless individuals or those at risk of becoming homeless.
National Alliance on Mental Illness - http://www.nami.org/
http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=Peer-to-Peer
Peer-to-Peer - An experiential education course for people with a mental illness that provides them with accurate, reliable information and prepares them to deal with the illness and symptoms that they are experiencing. The environment is supportive and non-judgmental, and it provides the group members a chance to relate to others who are going through similar issues.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Final Three Organizations
Green Door
http://www.greendoor.org/
United States Department of Health and Human Services -
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
National Alliance on Mental Illness
http://www.nami.org/
http://www.greendoor.org/
United States Department of Health and Human Services -
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
National Alliance on Mental Illness
http://www.nami.org/
Five Organizations
5 Organizations
Green Door
http://www.greendoor.org/
United States Department of Health and Human Services -
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
PsychCentral
http://psychcentral.com/
National Alliance on Mental Illness
http://www.nami.org/Hometemplate.cfm
National Institute of Mental Health
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
Green Door
http://www.greendoor.org/
United States Department of Health and Human Services -
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
PsychCentral
http://psychcentral.com/
National Alliance on Mental Illness
http://www.nami.org/Hometemplate.cfm
National Institute of Mental Health
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
Project 2 Paper
Lack of Mental Health Care
Coverage and Its Effects
Mental illness is a prominent issue in current American society, and the affects mental illness has on both the individual and society as a whole are staggering. "One in four adults – approximately 57.7 million Americans – experience a mental health disorder in a given year" ("Mental Illness: Facts and Numbers"). The high prevalence of mental illness is compounded by limited access to insurance coverage for mental health care, despite the proven efficacy of proper treatment. "Fewer than one third of adults and half of children with a diagnosable disorder receive any mental health services in a given year" ("Mental Illness: Facts and Number). Additionally, the segregated treatment of the body and the mind complicates matters, for there is "substantial evidence for an interaction between illnesses of the body and the mind" (Kathol and Gatteau xv). In order to reduce the pervasiveness and ill effects of mental illness, health insurance companies must provide increased coverage for mental health services and more collective care of the body and mind.
"Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning" ("Mental Illness"). They are "medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life" ("Mental Illness"), just as somatic illnesses like diabetes and fibromyalgia do. The body and mind work in tandem. Somatic illnesses are worsened by mental illnesses just as mental illnesses are worsened by somatic illnesses. For both somatic and mental illnesses, it is vital that the care of the body be coordinated with the care of the mind. Several reliable studies have found that separating treatment of body and mind can cause "pitfalls of separation in terms of persistent distress from ineffective disease treatment, high costs, illness complications, and lost productivity" (Kathol and Gatteau xv)
Commonly, people are unable to receive treatment because of strict limitations on the coverage of mental-health services or the lack of coverage all together. Even if a person does have coverage, he or she is typically responsible for paying an additional and often expensive co-pay. Typically, "health insurance companies, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and other health insurers limit the number of (therapy) sessions that they will underwrite to six or less" (Srebalus 302). In order to not exceed the session limit, briefer forms of therapy are employed, which commonly lowers the efficacy and value of the therapy. If a person is uninsured, or the benefits covered by insurance are exceeded, that person must pay for treatment out of pocket. Paying out of pocket can prove to be extremely expensive, and for many, is not an option whatsoever. Needless to say, the expense also discourages many people from seeking treatment.
A pharmacological approach is often used as a treatment option in addition to psychotherapy. When insurance will not cover therapy and the person is unable to afford it, many doctors use only a pharmacological approach. Doctors often due this out of desperation when a person cannot afford or is unwilling to go to therapy, using the rationale that some treatment is better than no treatment. However, treatment with only medicine is certainly not n ideal approach, especially considering the fact that "some psychiatrists estimate that nearly one-third of all people who are treated with drugs are not greatly helped by them" (Srebalus and Brown 303). Additionally, many insurance plans have coverage restrictions on certain types, brands, or quantities of medications, which can often deter a person from taking a medicine even if it is the most effective. Consequently, "millions of Americans are affected by mental illness, yet remain untreated or under treated for their conditions" ("Mental Illness: Facts and Numbers").
When individuals suffering from mental illness are unable to get treatment, they often turn to unhealthy methods in an attempt to feel better. Many people try to self medicate with drugs and alcohol. Some develop extremely poor and ineffective coping mechanisms, such as eating disorders or self-mutilation. Other individuals begin to act inappropriately either out of desperation, because of the emotional pain they are experiencing, or under the influence of their psychosis. For example, a mother may suffocate her children because ‘the voice of God’ told her too, a sexual predator may rape his victim because the traumatic sexual abuse he suffered from as a child, a paranoid schizophrenic may kill his neighbor because he was certain the neighbor was an alien trying to take over his mind, or a person will severe bipolar disorder may become homeless because the severity of his symptoms left him unable to hold a job. It is evident that these inappropriate actions affect all of society, not just the person executing them. "Without treatment the consequences of mental illness for the individual and society are staggering: unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and wasted lives" ("Mental Illness").
Although untreated mental illness cannot be blamed for all societal ills, it clearly plays a significant contributing role. For example, "Twenty four percent of state prisoners and twenty one percent of local jail prisoners have a recent history of a mental health disorder" ("Mental Illness: Facts and Numbers"). Up to seventy five percent of criminals can be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. Teenagers with mental health issues are far more likely to drop out of high school than their healthy peers. Additionally, "some people who either do not respond to treatment or fail to get adequate care end up as homeless individuals."(Srebalus and Brown 303). In all these cases, both the people suffering from mental illness and any innocent people they prey on may become victims. Society then must put money into caring for these victims and criminals.
"The economic cost of untreated mental illness is more than 100 billion dollars each year in the United States" ("Mental Illness"). Included in this figure, for example, is funding for jails, homeless shelters, unemployment, and disability. Funding is not only lost on people who are clearly struggling to function and survive, but also on individuals suffering from the difficulties of mental illness while still maintaining a base level of functioning. "It costs employers billions in lost workdays and productivity (The U.S. surgeon general's report on mental health some years ago indicated that the indirect costs of untreated mental-health disorders resulted in a $79 billion annual loss to businesses due to loss of productivity and absenteeism alone)" (Pfeiffer, "Equal Coverage for Mental Illness").
Why then, with all the ill effects proven to be connected to untreated and under treated mental illness, is Congress so hesitant to pass legislation mandating increased coverage of mental health services? Coverage for mental illness should be the same as coverage for somatic illness, or, in other words, there should be parity. The main reason that Congress continues to veto this is because they wrongly assume that parity would increase health care cost. "In actuality analysis indicate(s) that putting mental-health coverage on an equal footing with physical-health coverage would cost employers just 1 percent, or $1.32 per enrollee per month" (Pfeiffer, "Equal Coverage for Mental Illness"). Additional studies "have shown that costs actually declined after parity was introduced" (Pfeiffer, "Equal Coverage for Mental Illness") provided that some form of managed care, or coordination of care, was simultaneously introduced. The costs were lowered even though the number of users increased because the users’ average expenditures lower. These results most likely indicate that people were staying healthier, and therefore did not need costly and extensive emergency treatment. If untreated illnesses deteriorated into a more serious condition, they required greater treatment expenses. Also, by receiving care shortly after the onset of their symptoms, fewer individuals needed to go on disability because their illnesses never reached such an acute stage.
Clearly there are many advantages to individuals and to society if mental health care coverage was increased. The individual would also be able to receive more coordinated, comprehensive care of both the body and the mind, which would greatly increase the efficacy of treatment. Despite the slightly elevated cost of health care, overall expenditures would be reduced because of decreased expenses resulting from the ill-effects of mental illness.
Coverage and Its Effects
Mental illness is a prominent issue in current American society, and the affects mental illness has on both the individual and society as a whole are staggering. "One in four adults – approximately 57.7 million Americans – experience a mental health disorder in a given year" ("Mental Illness: Facts and Numbers"). The high prevalence of mental illness is compounded by limited access to insurance coverage for mental health care, despite the proven efficacy of proper treatment. "Fewer than one third of adults and half of children with a diagnosable disorder receive any mental health services in a given year" ("Mental Illness: Facts and Number). Additionally, the segregated treatment of the body and the mind complicates matters, for there is "substantial evidence for an interaction between illnesses of the body and the mind" (Kathol and Gatteau xv). In order to reduce the pervasiveness and ill effects of mental illness, health insurance companies must provide increased coverage for mental health services and more collective care of the body and mind.
"Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning" ("Mental Illness"). They are "medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life" ("Mental Illness"), just as somatic illnesses like diabetes and fibromyalgia do. The body and mind work in tandem. Somatic illnesses are worsened by mental illnesses just as mental illnesses are worsened by somatic illnesses. For both somatic and mental illnesses, it is vital that the care of the body be coordinated with the care of the mind. Several reliable studies have found that separating treatment of body and mind can cause "pitfalls of separation in terms of persistent distress from ineffective disease treatment, high costs, illness complications, and lost productivity" (Kathol and Gatteau xv)
Commonly, people are unable to receive treatment because of strict limitations on the coverage of mental-health services or the lack of coverage all together. Even if a person does have coverage, he or she is typically responsible for paying an additional and often expensive co-pay. Typically, "health insurance companies, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and other health insurers limit the number of (therapy) sessions that they will underwrite to six or less" (Srebalus 302). In order to not exceed the session limit, briefer forms of therapy are employed, which commonly lowers the efficacy and value of the therapy. If a person is uninsured, or the benefits covered by insurance are exceeded, that person must pay for treatment out of pocket. Paying out of pocket can prove to be extremely expensive, and for many, is not an option whatsoever. Needless to say, the expense also discourages many people from seeking treatment.
A pharmacological approach is often used as a treatment option in addition to psychotherapy. When insurance will not cover therapy and the person is unable to afford it, many doctors use only a pharmacological approach. Doctors often due this out of desperation when a person cannot afford or is unwilling to go to therapy, using the rationale that some treatment is better than no treatment. However, treatment with only medicine is certainly not n ideal approach, especially considering the fact that "some psychiatrists estimate that nearly one-third of all people who are treated with drugs are not greatly helped by them" (Srebalus and Brown 303). Additionally, many insurance plans have coverage restrictions on certain types, brands, or quantities of medications, which can often deter a person from taking a medicine even if it is the most effective. Consequently, "millions of Americans are affected by mental illness, yet remain untreated or under treated for their conditions" ("Mental Illness: Facts and Numbers").
When individuals suffering from mental illness are unable to get treatment, they often turn to unhealthy methods in an attempt to feel better. Many people try to self medicate with drugs and alcohol. Some develop extremely poor and ineffective coping mechanisms, such as eating disorders or self-mutilation. Other individuals begin to act inappropriately either out of desperation, because of the emotional pain they are experiencing, or under the influence of their psychosis. For example, a mother may suffocate her children because ‘the voice of God’ told her too, a sexual predator may rape his victim because the traumatic sexual abuse he suffered from as a child, a paranoid schizophrenic may kill his neighbor because he was certain the neighbor was an alien trying to take over his mind, or a person will severe bipolar disorder may become homeless because the severity of his symptoms left him unable to hold a job. It is evident that these inappropriate actions affect all of society, not just the person executing them. "Without treatment the consequences of mental illness for the individual and society are staggering: unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and wasted lives" ("Mental Illness").
Although untreated mental illness cannot be blamed for all societal ills, it clearly plays a significant contributing role. For example, "Twenty four percent of state prisoners and twenty one percent of local jail prisoners have a recent history of a mental health disorder" ("Mental Illness: Facts and Numbers"). Up to seventy five percent of criminals can be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. Teenagers with mental health issues are far more likely to drop out of high school than their healthy peers. Additionally, "some people who either do not respond to treatment or fail to get adequate care end up as homeless individuals."(Srebalus and Brown 303). In all these cases, both the people suffering from mental illness and any innocent people they prey on may become victims. Society then must put money into caring for these victims and criminals.
"The economic cost of untreated mental illness is more than 100 billion dollars each year in the United States" ("Mental Illness"). Included in this figure, for example, is funding for jails, homeless shelters, unemployment, and disability. Funding is not only lost on people who are clearly struggling to function and survive, but also on individuals suffering from the difficulties of mental illness while still maintaining a base level of functioning. "It costs employers billions in lost workdays and productivity (The U.S. surgeon general's report on mental health some years ago indicated that the indirect costs of untreated mental-health disorders resulted in a $79 billion annual loss to businesses due to loss of productivity and absenteeism alone)" (Pfeiffer, "Equal Coverage for Mental Illness").
Why then, with all the ill effects proven to be connected to untreated and under treated mental illness, is Congress so hesitant to pass legislation mandating increased coverage of mental health services? Coverage for mental illness should be the same as coverage for somatic illness, or, in other words, there should be parity. The main reason that Congress continues to veto this is because they wrongly assume that parity would increase health care cost. "In actuality analysis indicate(s) that putting mental-health coverage on an equal footing with physical-health coverage would cost employers just 1 percent, or $1.32 per enrollee per month" (Pfeiffer, "Equal Coverage for Mental Illness"). Additional studies "have shown that costs actually declined after parity was introduced" (Pfeiffer, "Equal Coverage for Mental Illness") provided that some form of managed care, or coordination of care, was simultaneously introduced. The costs were lowered even though the number of users increased because the users’ average expenditures lower. These results most likely indicate that people were staying healthier, and therefore did not need costly and extensive emergency treatment. If untreated illnesses deteriorated into a more serious condition, they required greater treatment expenses. Also, by receiving care shortly after the onset of their symptoms, fewer individuals needed to go on disability because their illnesses never reached such an acute stage.
Clearly there are many advantages to individuals and to society if mental health care coverage was increased. The individual would also be able to receive more coordinated, comprehensive care of both the body and the mind, which would greatly increase the efficacy of treatment. Despite the slightly elevated cost of health care, overall expenditures would be reduced because of decreased expenses resulting from the ill-effects of mental illness.
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