Various acts that were signed into law during the previous administration took great strides for providing mental health care. As there is a shift in party and perspectives on health insurance, health care, and mental illness, we face a time of change which will either hurt or help our loved ones in need of support. Avalon By The Sea continues to provide excellent and affordable care to clients with substance use disorders and primary mental health disorders. We believe that all people are deserving of the quality care and treatment they need to live happy and successful lives, clean of harmful drugs and with the tools the y need to cope with mental illness. Here are some of the action we support for the ongoing fight for mental health care. Many of these suggestions are taken from The Boston Globe.
Bring More Awareness
Shame and stigma still precede mental health issues despite a growing awareness among the masses. Advocates, family members, and those who are recovering need to continue to speak out about mental illness, how treatment helped them, and what worked. Policy makers and the general public alike need to be educated in order to dispel the falsehoods that mental illnesses make people bad. Years of research and treatment have proven that mental illness is a sickness from which people need to learn to get well, not a moral failing for which they need to be punished.
Mental Health Crisis Training
Due to this lack of awareness and education, people are uninformed as to how they should approach and support someone experiencing a mental health crisis. All too often, people experiencing the symptoms of their mental illness are treated as “insane” or “dangerous” without the empathy, care, and compassion they deserve. Worsening their symptoms and providing no care, the mentally ill struggle and suffer. Various training programs exist to provide law enforcement, government officials, school officials, and others in leadership positions with the tools they need to help rather than harm someone in a mental health crisis.
Ongoing Research
There is no “cure” for addiction, alcoholism, or other mental illnesses. Research continues to provide insight as to how the brain works, how mental illness impacts the brain, and what kinds of treatment are the most helpful. Continuing to fund research can bring us closer to finding efficient and effectives solutions.
If you or a loved one are in need of treatment, call us today. We provide care for substance use disorders and primary mental health disorders on a primary level. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call 1 888-958-7511.
