Mental Illness Through the Policy Glass Research Paper

Mental Illness Through the Policy Glass Research Paper Assignment Paper

Introduction

The Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Health Centers Construction Act, also known as CMHC Act 1963, led to a high number of community health centers across the United States. In particular, persons with mental illnesses who were receiving treatment in hospitals and institutions were required to move back into their communities. Community health centers ensured that mental illness admissions into state hospital systems could be controlled.

Kindly order now for a custom-written, completely unique essay paper that is free of plagiarism! on Mental Illness Through the Policy Glass Research Paper Assignment Paper from Best Nursing Writers

According to Hartley and Lambert (2002), one of the arguments for the CMHC Act relates to the introduction of community-based care viewed as the most appropriate psychotherapy for persons with mental illnesses. The policy assumes that persons with mental illnesses receive better treatment through cost-effective systems.

Besides, a cost-effective system in a community setting would ensure that persons with mental illnesses receive quality care. Traditional psychiatric hospitals could not provide the ideal setting for providing community-based care. The CMHC Act eliminates the institutionalization of health care. In particular, there is a need to guarantee access to quality healthcare as well as costs about the ability of the taxpayer and the private payer. As a result, community-based mental health became necessary through the CMHC Act.Mental Illness Through the Policy Glass Research Paper

Arguments against the CMHC Act relates to the inability to define priority service populations. Several CMHCs failed to take responsibility for the mental health care of patients discharged from state hospitals. The policy could not provide conditions for follow-up care after a patient has been discharged into the community. The most vulnerable persons, majorly the poor, cannot receive quality care through the CMHC Act. As a result, mental illness has been linked to poverty. Policies and practices, therefore, fail to consider the most vulnerable persons in society (Hartley and Lambert, 2002). Mental Illness Through the Policy Glass Research Paper

Policy Impact and Implications

Jung & Aguilar (2015) assert that the CMHC Act led to the construction of community health centers that could provide community-based mental illness intervention measures. However, the CMHC Act did not support staffing. Several community mental health centers lacked professionals who could take care of patients with mental illness. Furthermore, operating funds became a major issue in the policy. Several community health centers constructed under the CMHC Act witnessed severe financial challenges in the short-term.

Financial challenges made several CMHCs market health care services to patients covered by health insurance while neglecting the poor who cannot afford health insurance. As a result, the CMHC Act failed to meet the need of the needy populations. The CMHC Act also failed to serve low-income persons as well as people with serious and persistent mental illness. Due to resource limitations, CMHCs were overwhelmed by large numbers of patients who could not afford care.

In the long-term, “behavioral healthcare” was added to the range of programs provided under the CMHC Act. Treatment of addiction disorders ensured that services rendered at CMHCs became effective and comprehensive. In the modern health care system, the goal of CMHCs is to provide comprehensive mental health services combined with addiction services (Morris, 1995). Furthermore, CMHCs eliminated the need for institutionalization of mentally ill patients. Mental Illness Through the Policy Glass Research Paper

American citizens achieved access to quality healthcare despite their ability to afford health insurance. Furthermore, organizations providing community-based mental health and addiction care have evolved to cover other populations beyond the initial community mental health centers. Government and county-operated CMHCs can offer services. Other institutions in the private nonprofit, as well as for-profit organizations, can provide services such as Medicare, Medicaid, state, county, self-pay, private insurance, and federal program services.

Kindly order now for a custom-written, completely unique essay paper that is free of plagiarism! on Mental Illness Through the Policy Glass Research Paper Assignment Paper from Best Nursing Writers