Mental Health System
A comprehensive mental health system should include facilities that receive patients with acute and chronic conditions as well as people of all ages, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds. In the center of the framework, one may place the Maryland state hospital, which provides long-term services to all admitted patients. At this hospital, several units are designed to accommodate a large number of patient and are dedicated to treating individuals in inpatient and outpatient conditions.
Apart from long-term hospitalization, emergency services have to be developed. Some mental health problems cannot be addressed together with other issues, and they require a quick solution. To address these concerns, cities should have crisis intervention and acute hospitalization facilities and specialists. These system elements deal with urgent cases that pose a danger to the wellbeing of the patient and other people. Emergency services may function as a part of a local hospital or a separate facility.
Residential services providing long- and short-term care are the next component of the system. They provide an alternative to hospitalization and focus on improving one’s wellbeing without severing their ties to the community. Similarly, hospitals with units that offer partial hospitalization (day treatment) are incorporated into the mental health framework as well. Finally, clinical services that operate on an outpatient basis complete the segment of local organizations with a less invasive approach.
As opposed to hospitalization and out-of-home care, community-based organizations also provide many benefits to people’s mental health. Therefore, they should be included in the system, connecting organizations and increasing interprofessional collaboration as a result. For example, child-serving agencies will add mental health support services to their program, offering education and medical assistance to children and their guardians.
To address some problems in more detail, these organizations will have consultations on a case-by-case basis. In schools, counseling and treatment services will help children reach out to a professional in a familiar setting. Mental health professionals will work with other facilities where people do not have access to a facility. Such places include juvenile detention sites, residential placements, and receiving homes. To reach out to underserved or remote communities, the system has to utilize mobile units or site-based facilities that provide screening, consultation, and treatment on-site.
The system needs to develop a continuum of care, focusing on a smooth transition of the patient from one setting to another. Therefore, all mentioned above services need to have a unified record base and an information sharing platform. Here, one may also incorporate telehealth services, mHealth, and eHealth that allow patients to continue maintaining their wellbeing at home without direct contact with a clinician. Healthcare organizations can offer telehealth-based consultations, as well as a range of mobile applications for communication, self-reporting, medication adherence, and general wellness.
Lastly, it is vital to ensure that the system includes health promotion, prevention, and early intervention projects. Awareness programs, learning materials, publications, and media should educate communities about major mental health problems and challenge the stigma of seeking medical help. Mental health workers need to collaborate with local organizations, community leaders, faith-based organizations, and other residents to launch campaigns and spread information about mental health.
Overall, the system should contain inpatient, outpatient, community-based, out-of-home, and in-home elements to reach out to as many individuals as possible. Traditional elements of the continuum, such as long-term hospitals and office-based outpatient services, should be combined with modern approaches, including telehealth, community settings, and interprofessional collaboration. It is vital for the mental health system to incorporate prevention and health promotion activities to educate people on the importance of mental health.
Policy Planning
The state of the Tice Bridge will determine policy planners’ next steps. It is crucial to assess the bridge’s problems professionally and see whether it requires repairment or replacement. Therefore, the first step before making a decision would be to hire a team of specialists to inspect the Tice Bridge and develop recommendations about its conditions. Next, policymakers should discuss the budgets for rebuilding and repairing the bridge to compare the cost of these projects. To pay for a new bridge or repairments, the government can use available state funds accumulated from the gas tax – the primary source of funding for similar construction projects.
Jail construction is another state-funded initiative, thus needing support from the state and federal budgets. It is possible for policy planners to arrange a long-term low-interest loan for the jail that will be awarded by a federal Department. If the city where the jail is situated fits the requirements of programs that distribute grants for rural or small communities, these initiatives can become another source of funding for the jail’s roof. Overall, loans and grants are the two main types of funding essential community facilities. It should be noted that if the jail is for-profit, then its contractors bear the responsibility for paying for such repairments.
The first route to accumulate funds for a new helicopter is to appeal to the federal government, showing that Medicaid’s support for air ambulances is lacking. In this case, the information about the necessity of such helicopters should be provided. It can also show the statistics of how air ambulances improve the state of healthcare and lower the costs of long-term care and missed care complications. The second approach is to invite private companies to sponsor the project and contribute to state healthcare. Here, businesses would get an opportunity to enter the healthcare market and receive profit, while the state would acquire a helicopter.
The issue of opposing interests can be damaging to one’s relationships and career. However, the US Constitution allows people to voice differing opinions without the fear of persecution. Therefore, while it would be possible for me to discuss our views on the prison issue with my partner, it would not mean that this talk could bring any change to our respective decisions. A protest could lower the chances of the deal closing, especially if the opposition gains significant support from people in the city. If residents ask for the negotiations to stop, their voices may be more powerful long-term than policy planners’ opinions since voters decide the fate of future state representatives. Thus, since a peaceful protest and critique of any bills and projects is legal, a conversation with my partner can only take a form of a respectful discussion.
The need for a new police headquarters may be covered by federal funding since the US accepts applications for a grant from the Department of Justice. To raise awareness about the current building falling apart, the government can launch a campaign that may inform citizens about the existing problems. This project may change the mind of some residents and help them understand the importance and urgency of building a new headquarters rather than a beach. If the local government succeeds in receiving a grant for the police project, it may spend the rest of the budget on the community beach area initiative. Otherwise, the decision may be brought up in a forum discussion to engage citizens in the current affairs of the local government.
Medicaid Deal
The deal to establish additional services and housing for homeless people presents an opportunity for Baltimore to address a countrywide problem. Homeless people often cannot access medical care due to the lack of money or insurance. A project supported by hospitals and Medicaid offers increased stability in its development since it involves government-funded programs. Medicaid expansion can be even more helpful to address the homeless crisis. The standard program covers only a small part of the homeless population – children, pregnant women, blind people, older individuals, and persons with disabilities.
The expansion, however, includes childless couples and individuals whose income is less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level. This change may help virtually all homeless people in the state and assist them in accessing affordable healthcare and housing. The expansion is necessary for the deal to be successful and prosperous for both the future patients and the participating hospitals.
The presented opportunity can significantly impact the health of entire communities and positively influence the population’s wellbeing. While it is certain to attract more homeless people to relocate to Baltimore, it will provide them with healthcare necessary for a higher quality of life. The project may also show how such interventions can change the health of individuals and inspire other cities’ governments to introduce similar initiatives and lower the inflow of homeless people to Baltimore. Some concerns may be raised on the first stages of the project’s implementation since it will attract new people to the city which may affect its infrastructure.
However, the services proposed in the program will help homeless people to integrate better into the city life and receive the help that they may urgently need. Acting as a third party between the insurer and a homeless person, hospitals can also reach persons who were previously unable to get professional help. The lack of support for homeless people and their low rate of insurance coverage lead to more health-related problems that, in turn, damage the economy and the prosperity of the region.
The arranged deal will also help the hospitals that choose to engage with the program. As these facilities will work with Medicaid and its expansion, they will receive more patients and reach out to populations which were previously unavailable to them. This change will help hospitals to increase the overall quality of life in the area and address some problems that affect underserved communities. New programs for homeless people may further increase funding, lending additional support to organizations. There exists a potential for the hospitals of receiving benefits from the state depending on the scope of procedures they will offer to the new clients.
As a result, the discussed project may help hospitals to increase their budget and open new opportunities for innovation and expansion. The growing number of patients, whose care is partially funded by the government presents an opportunity for secure financial inflow. Additional resources and the new program will bring in communities whose health maintenance can benefit other factors of the state’s economy. All in all, the deal offers many benefits to hospitals, homeless people, and the local and federal government.