I’ve been across this great country we call America. I’ve been from San Diego to New York city. And it’s a beautiful country. But the mental health system is broken. There are just not enough beds. Too many afflicted with SMI are in prisons and jails or homeless. That’s not right. Our people here in America should be in good treatment. They should be taking the right meds and have a house to go home to and live safely. Come on politicians and free enterprise people lets get this together and find a way to help these individuals. I’m a Peer Support Specialist working to do everything I can do. Lets do this!
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I’m not American but this was well said.
It’s not just with the United States
The Mental Health System is broken everywhere all over the world.
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Mental health still has stigma that physical health does not. It’s not a big deal when an employee calls in sick with a sore back, but it is a big deal when an employee calls in sick because they are depressed.
Even though insurance companies are required to have parity for mental health and physical health, insurance companies require blanket pre-authorizations only for mental health. This puts an undue burden on employees to access mental health care.
There are about 700,000 people (and that number is underreported) in the US who are homeless at any given time. These people have a combination of SMI, substance abuse, and other reasons. We can also add people who have become homeless due to exponentially-rising housing costs. And, yes, the LA County Jail is the largest de facto psychiatric hospital in the US.
It’s going to require outreach to facilitate services for the homeless. We have to go to them. However, what do we do when homeless people refuse treatment? Do we force them into treatment? Or do we believe that the homeless have a right to be homeless?
Fixing the broken mental health system in America will take a multi-pronged approach between government, employers, insurance companies, housing developers, and many others. And it will also take an end to the stigma surrounding mental health.
At the end of the day, nothing will change until a significant percentage of the US population truly cares about mental health. People say they care, but they don’t care enough.
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As usual, well said @Catman
You are so spot on!
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Yes.
No. Letting people who can’t care for themselves live in dangerous conditions is a special kind of cruelty.
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