World Health Organization, "...there is no health without mental health."

(Direct link to Fact sheet N°220, September 2010, written for the W.H.O. is below.)

"Strategies and interventions

Mental health promotion involves actions to create living conditions and environments that support mental health and allow people to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. These include a range of actions to increase the chances of more people experiencing better mental health.

A climate that respects and protects basic civil, political, socio-economic and cultural rights is fundamental to mental health promotion. Without the security and freedom provided by these rights, it is very difficult to maintain a high level of mental health.

National mental health policies should not be solely concerned with mental disorders, but should also recognize and address the broader issues which promote mental health. This includes mainstreaming mental health promotion into policies and programmes in government and business sectors including education, labour, justice, transport, environment, housing, and welfare, as well as the health sector.

Promoting mental health depends largely on intersectoral strategies. Specific ways to promote mental health include:"  (Please click link for remainder of Fact Sheet.)

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs220/en/

(original post 1.17.13, repost 2.20.13)

"Managed care has not caused a shift in the pattern of care but an overall reduction of care." *

*1999 Psychiatry Online, American Journal of Psychiatry, full article found here:  http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid+173643

This certainly has proved true over the last 14 years.  The reduction in care by insurance companies and the availability of cost effective private services has dwindled to an unacceptable low.  The financial burden is passed along to caregiving family members who have little or no say over their loved ones care. Most care in the Northeast is private pay;  Therapy, DBT, CBT, etc...

I urge you to read the World Health Organizations report on the burdens and costs of Mental Health Issues that was published in 2001:  http://who.int/whr/2001/chapter2/en/index3.html

Studies show that providing proper insured care for our mentally ill loved ones lowers health care costs for all.  It doesn't raise them.  It also lowers the costs to society by not placing the burden of continued crisis hospitalization costs on the very hospitals that care for our uninsured loved ones.  Effective Social Services are in place but funding has been drastically cut.   

On December 8, 1990 the State of Connecticut closed two facilities with the promise that the money would go to local level mental health support services and to the New Department of Behavioral Health.  In fact, even during the economic boom of the 1990's these services continued to see cuts.  As insurance companies profits rose, Mental Health Services were cut.  Since the recession we've seen more and more of our loved ones in shelters, on the streets, unemployed and left without insurance and services.  This is unacceptable.

Remember 1:4 Americans are diagnosed each year with a Mental Illness and 1:4 Americans are caregivers of someone with a Mental Illness.  

We need to be at the table. Our voices need to be heard.