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Are Mental Health Systems Helping their patients 

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Are Mental Health Systems Helping their patients 

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By: Crystal Alvarez

This cartoon has shown how Mental Health System has been known to fail thousands of patients. Many people who have searched for help, to be treated with disorders have resulted in  being the same condition. The Mental Health system is known to help their patients improve.The bullets in the picture represents how doctors/psychiatrist have been prescribing unnecessary medication , which can influence bad behavior such as crimes , causing harm to others and / or themselves.The banner in the picture illustrates that psychiatrist have failed to help their patients in becoming better.Both the banner and the bullet pill medication relate to each other by demonstrating the causes that can happen when not treating a patient with proper care.The most important aspect of this cartoon is the prescribed medication which contains bullets, because it shows how unreliable the mental health system is in providing care for their patients.The author is trying to contribute the idea that the mental health system is not doing very much to help improve their patients , so the author is trying to set the message out and  help us set ideas on how to improve this situation .

The mental health system has been helping their patients for many years .Psychiatrist are there to listen and help, by prescribing the right medication for their patients need. This Cartoon is demonstrating how in this generation people use technology to speak to each other about one another's problems .It also demonstrates how the phone is being used , which can indicate that an adolescent is using the technology to communicate about their symptoms, the supportiveness of a friend can help the mental health system determine a condition within a person.The author to this cartoon chose to use a phone to demonstrate how people like to talk through the phone rather than looking for the help .In the text message it say "Can it wait?Mental health days is next week , #letstalk" the friend recommending that the best help for a disorder is to see a professional in which a persons can speak face to face ."Letstalk" The "#letstalk" is an appropriate title for this cartoon , because "#letstalk"  has the meaning of , talking to a psychiatrist , which is face to face so that they can help in a more professional way instead of through phone.The friend in the right bubble is helping the friend on the left by giving better advice on what to do in the situation.The author conveys that it is better to see a psychiatrist rather than talking through the phone .It is better to talk about a disorder or problems rather than keeping it to yourself.

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The Mental Health System Moving Forward 

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The Mental Health System Moving Forward 

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By: Kirsten Macias

The Mental Health system is defined as all the activities whose primary purpose is to promote, restore or maintain mental health care. I believe that mental health system has not only given the proper care, but have also has been making great advancements over the last couple years. Also making suggested improvements become a reality.

The need of mental health screening is essential for everyone, especially to routine checkups, screenings, and general awareness can be effective strategies to catching a mental illness early and increasing the chances of recovery. This could help prevent homelessness, suicide, and serious impairment.

According to Tori Utley, a contributor for the Forbes, talks about the improvements in 2016 that were decided by politicians during the year before. In quote, "Arizona passed housing legislation  that created a trust fund offering rental assistance for individuals with serious mental illnesses." which helps many homeless who cannot support themselves or they are not being understood because they are perceived as being "crazy". Around 20 to 25% of the homeless population suffers from mental illness, it is the third cause of homelessness.

The mental health system has also taken part at schools in particular John Burroughs High School in Burbank, California. High school could be stressful at times and teens try to escape all their stress, from not just school but also from life. According to the NIDA, by the time individuals reach their senior year of high school, 70 percent will have tried alcohol, 50 percent will have abused an illicit drug, 40 percent will have smoked a cigarette, and 20 percent will have used a prescription recreational drug, or for non-medical purposes.

In meaning that teens do not get the proper help and guidance to deal with stress. For John Burroughs High School that all changed when they opened their wellness center opened for students. Serving 1,000 students, the wellness center helped 61 students be hospitalized because they were considered a threat to themselves or others, or demonstrated or shared suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Providing this help it prevents tragedies, long term addiction and a brighter future for students.

To continue improving the mental health system, I believe to propose the idea of opening Wellness Centers to every high school in America. To improve the lives of our future leaders.

Also to have possibly free or affordable mental wellness clinics open to the public. Which would be government funded by tax payers. This would help the improvement in lives with better understanding themselves and others also it would help treat unnoticed serious mental illnesses and lessen suicide rates.

But sadly in some cases the mental health care system fails, such as in the Boston Globe article entitled "Mass. mental health system beset by challenges", speaks about how psychological physicians do not do their complete effort for proper care of the people. That inadequate help is sometimes the main causes of substance abuse, suicide, and harming others from mania episode. Then also in the Denver Post it speaks about how a Physician talks about that some patients were not able to get the help they need because of the costs or their insurances is not able to cover their needs to continue the help.

In conclusion, I believe that mental health system have not only given the proper care, but have also been improving over the last couple years. By introducing improvements to the mental health system, proposing the idea of opening Wellness Centers to every high school in America. To help all students through anything in a better way with them knowing they have value also making Wellness centers available to communities everywhere. The importance of considering these ideas will benefit everyone with improving their lives and also help preventing tragedies from happening such as suicides, and the harming of others. The better choices to help the future.

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The Mental Health System Needs to Make a Change 

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The Mental Health System Needs to Make a Change 

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By: Michelle Solis

The mental health system has been known to fail thousands, even millions due to inadequate professionalism. Mental health patients all over the nation have not received the necessary treatment nor attention that must be provided. Most of these patients still struggle with the most basic kind of care. Instead of being given proper care, these patients go to the point to where they are unstable and become not only a harm to themselves but to others as well. Clearly, it's time for us to make a change and fix this issue as soon as possible by providing these mentally challenged patients with the necessary care and treatment.

Making a change can save many lives. Patients with severe mental issues won't have much of a chance to hurt themselves nor commit a crime in which puts someone else's life in danger. Innocent people are being sent to prison for actions that the majority of them don't even know it's considered wrong in any way.

According to a journalist from the Boston Globe, Neil Glickman, on March 30, 2017 he stated that many psychiatrists failed people by not providing sufficient care for everyone, they decide not to treat people who had committed crimes even though the “criminals” don’t even know what they’re doing wrong. These professionals become apathetic and push them to the side. They also send them to prisons instead of implementing the time to help save them from prosecution. Glickman states, "It's easy to argue that people with severe mental illness who commit crimes should be treated, not prosecuted, but this makes mental health service providers into agents of social control, like police, probation, and courts, and not clinicians trying to lessen human suffering", which supports and adds even more of a reason to improve the mental health system.

Also,  according to an assistant professor of psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine, Damon Tweedy, on April 13, 2017 he speaks about his life as a medical student in training at a state psychiatric hospital. He reads and learns off of a nonfiction book about people who had suffered or are still suffering serious mental issues. However, these mental issues aren’t given the treatment necessary nor the fair price. He specifically states, "This human aspect of mental illness can't be overstated. Early in medical school, I saw those with serious psychiatric problems as people best avoided", which refers to how patients are treated within the mental hospitals.

In order to secure that the mental health system will be successfully improved, we need to integrate mental health services into primary health care. Doing this will help not only doctors, but psychiatrists determine whether or not someone needs mental health care. People will be given the proper attention and service.

Also, building community mental health services can help people become a lot more comfortable with getting tested for any unknown problem which can be dealt with before the condition causes a person to become unstable. This can also reduce the cost of paying for expensive care.

Although I may argue continuously about how the mental health care system needs to change in improving itself, others may differ. According to Kelly Corrigan, a contact reporter from the LA Times, on April 1, 2017 she talked about John Burroughs High School in Burbank, California has had the mental health system involved within the school system. Not only is it this particular school, but other high schools as well. However, after testing any students with signs of mental health, statistics show that, "Since school began in August, 61 students have been hospitalized because they were considered a threat to themselves or others, or demonstrated or shared suicidal thoughts or behaviors". This proves that although people believe the mental health system seems just about at a good position, there are many that still are in need. Even the most unexpected people can be seen as critical to a mental condition.

Also, according to the El Paso Times on April 11, 2017, the mental health system is moving forward because of taxes paying for mental checks and assistance to people in need. "The pervasiveness of mental health challenges swamps the available resources in the states, a reality that's all the more tragic given that these illnesses are almost always treatable". Giving statistics of the improvement how available the help people could get. Although this may be true in Texas, nationwide, statistics state that in the United States 56% of American adults with a mental illness have not received any treatment whatsoever and even in Vermont, which is the has the most successful mental health system, 43% of adults with a mental illness also did not receive treatment.

In conclusion, the mental health system has been known to fail thousands, even millions due to inadequate professionalism. These patients cannot go any longer without the proper care. The more we wait onto making a change, the more problems we will be making for ourselves. We must provide treatment by not only integrating mental health services into primary health care but also building community mental health services that could help people become a lot more comfortable with getting tested for any unknown problem.