Leo Agbulos

Current Mental Health Care Systems

Health care is need around the world from the rich to the poor ranging from emergency services, general care, to vision, and even mental health. Mental health comes in many forms to accommodate a wide variety of mental health issue. Services are rendered in inpatient and outpatient setting, focusing on the patients needs and encouraging patients that can function in society. A care team of health care professionals are available to the patient along with the client’s families to reflect a fundamental change in the client’s attitude and behavior. Some Clients may not be able to afford to pay for these services so how can they receive treatment? Further developed countries offer mental health care coverage the some sort of insurance program private or as free to the community. Mental health is delivered in an outpatient and an inpatient care setting. People are admitted to an inpatient psychiatric care facility based upon need. The decision is based on the client’s severity of the problem, the level of dysfunction, willingness to cooperate, and ability to pay for treatment. Clients admitted will remain institutionalized for 24 hours a day focusing on therapeutic assistance providing safe and stable surroundings. The most important advantage is that inpatient care is it offers a place to focus in a safe and secure environment. Outpatient care is providing in the home environment. Here clients are more responsible for themselves and supervision is limited. Allot of the time mentally ill patients end up in the emergency room with a mental problem which they let accumulate and there for getting a" band-aid" approach treating only the presenting complaint. Professionals in the mental health care field form a care team to provide the client with the best care possible. Multidisciplinary mental health care teams exist in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Involvement of both the care team and the client’s families results in a total understanding of the patient and could determine success or failure. Psychiatric clinical nurse specialist and a case management system ease the transition for the client from the hospital to home. The psychosocial rehabilitation model encourages decision making thus empowering patients. People high at risk are those living in rural areas do to the lack of resources and access to treatment. Being homeless and HIV positive client and even everyday families are presented with a challenge to get to a place to receive treatment. The impact of mental illness affects everybody even if you are not the one who has a problem. You might know the person, or that person may be a family member or close friend it affects you somehow. Understanding that many factors play a role in mental illness, like economical issues not being able to afford treatment or afford medication. Social issues like losing your job, family problems, losing loved ones, even drug abuse can be factors of developing a mental health issue. Many countries offer nationwide insurance to their nation. Norway offers coverage to all their people as does Canada. Australia offers a mix of public and private care. The U.S. offer federal (Medicare) and state (Medicaid), private insurance, as well as direct patient payments. Most of these countries include mental health coverage to their people thus allowing the less fortunate and people who really need treatment receive care with low cost or even at no cost. Mental health care system plays a crucial part of the health care system referring back to Maslow's hierarchy of needs and a sees of well being to the individual. Having a holistic approach to these problems and giving an empathetic determination to help the patient gain confidence in decision making and in life would not be possible without this whole system. Though technology and research are filling gaps in diagnosis mental health problems are manageable and client- patient contact will remain the core psychiatric treatment.

Morrison-Volfair ch 2
National institute for mental health web site