When it comes to mental health care, Texas has been ranked among the lowest for decades as mental healthcare admittance, as well as funding, continues to be at an all-time low and issue for the providers. When we focus on the details, Brazoria County has had a stagnated mental health system for the past ten years. Though the mental health budget for the county was increased by a mere $45,000 in the 2016-2017 fiscal year, the county channelled the funds to correctional services. According to the county documents, the last increment in the budget for mental health care was in 2008 (Morrison, 2018). This poor allocation funds saw a rise in mental health cases as per the information provided by the coordinator at the National Alliance of Mental Illness Gulf Coast.
Nonetheless, the funds that the county receives, the state forwards to nonprofit organizations that present the task of handling the poor state of mental health in the region. They operate on not only the county funds but also donations, state and federal funds. Overall, the mental health care state in Brazoria county is deplorable and sufficient action is needed for it to reach national levels as dictated by the federal government (Morrison, 2018).
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An example of a non-profit organization that has the mandate to handle mental health care in the region governed by the body known as NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness). The organization has advocated for in the State with over 85 legislative sessions being taken up by clients providing testimonies of how mental health care is appalling in the county and state (Morrison, 2018). Though the county’s population is steadily growing the funding of mental health care has been slashed by the lawmakers. It is a known fact that the majority of the people with mental health care needs in the county are unable to afford the private care offered especially with institutions which do not accept Medicare or Medicaid. With data from a 2014 study by the American Medical Association of Psychiatry, just of over 55% of office-based psychiatrists take health insurance with marginal 43% accepting Medicaid (Morrison, 2018). Before suggesting solutions, it is important to appreciate the needs of the county.
It should be noted that even with budgetary increment as applied in the past two years more resources are still required. The county is in need of more hospitals as well as beds to support the increased number of people with a mental health condition. The problem facing Brazoria is the poor management and supply of fundings that are needed for the mental health care program. There was an increment of funds in 2008 revealed earlier as stated (Morrison, 2018). This provided a recovery period for the county as it lasted for three years. After which the facility receiving the funds was closed.
The best solution to the mental health crisis in Brazoria County is by understanding the role of mental health care. It should be understood that mental healthcare works by monitoring the mental states of patients who have been admitted into the psychiatric units of hospitals or clinics. The healthcare workers then provide the food, maintenance, clothing and cleanliness that is needed ("Brazoria County Detox Program Treatment Centers," 2018). In the case of Brazoria County, the local officials have been unable to keep such facilities open mainly due to the lack of funds. During the allocation of county funds, the state of Texas barely can keep facilities open thus resulting in the crisis. Funds are a fundamental aspect of mental health care. Among the first steps that have been already implemented by NAMI is the educating of the public on the different forms of mental illness ("Brazoria County Detox Program Treatment Centers", 2018). This non-profit organization adopts the most basic approach of empowering the people with the needed knowledge on mental illness.
Overall, it should be appreciated that people with mental illness as well as their families have different levels of the condition. The governments from both the local to federal level are required to provide a comprehensive care system as per the requirement of the World Health Organization (WHO) (WHO, 2018). People who demonstrate partial recovery are the most common and are regarded as the ones with the most needs as they have to be trained and taken care of as they just about to be reintegrated into society. These services require frequent visits and medication; all of which cost the institution resources that the government is expected to fund. Moreover, specialized personnel is necessary for such patients as their elemental function of monitoring patients is crucial for their recovery (WHO, 2018). In general, with a substantial flow of financial resources as well as proper oversight on mental health care, Brazoria is expected to recover quickly from its current state.
The American system of handling mental health care should be modified to march that of the European G7 countries as well as Canada. This is front the fact that currently few mental health professionals as previously stated accept health insurance making it expensive for the majority of patients in need of mental health care (Spaeth-Rublee, Pincus, Silvestri & Peters, 2014). By applying the indicated approach, it will theoretically make the service affordable to all individuals in need. However, it may require some modifications as currently the high number of patients in the suggested European G7 countries and Canada have caused the system to experience long wait times. This means that patients have to wait for long periods before receiving service (Spaeth-Rublee, Pincus, Silvestri & Peters, 2014).
Conclusion
The public has viewed people in need of mental care as being passive recipients’, without the capability of articulating their personal needs and desires. And this is the leading cause of low funding towards mental health care. By applying the action of the non-profit organizations of educating the public change can be achieved as they understand the essence of mental health care. This would increase the region’s ability to take care of the mentally ill as well as provide support and needed training for those being reintegrated into society.
References
Brazoria County Detox Program Treatment Centers - Detox Program Treatment Centers and Rehab Brazoria County, Texas - Detox Program Treatment Programs Brazoria County. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/treatment-rehab/detox-program/tx/brazoria-county
Morrison, H. (2018). Nonprofits in Brazoria, Galveston counties fill statewide spending gap | Community Impact Newspaper. Retrieved from https://communityimpact.com/houston/pearland-friendswood/city-county/2017/06/20/mental-health-care-funding-flatlines-in-texas/
Spaeth-Rublee, B., Pincus, H., Silvestri, F., & Peters, J. (2014). Measuring Quality of Mental Health Care: An International Comparison. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health , 11 (10), 10384-10389. doi: 10.3390/ijerph111010384
WHO. (2018). Chapter 3: Solving Mental health problems. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/whr/2001/chapter3/en/index1.html
