I was working with a mental health counselor recently who was feeling extremely frustrated that some mental health services are shrinking, reducing the help available on Whidbey Island.
Recently a drug alcohol agency and a large mental health provider’s two offices on the island were closed. The counselor regarded this restructuring as a tremendous loss. She believes that clients with high needs would not or could not navigate the ferry and bus to get to necessary appointments.
I agreed that this makes things more difficult for people with high needs. I remembered how great of a benefit these places were when they opened their doors.
These organizations expanded their services in the past decade because they were aware of the difficulty in getting services to people with high needs who live in rural areas.
However, I did not feel the same despondency as my colleague. I asked myself why, in the face of shrinking services, did I not feel the despair that she felt?
I realized that the difference between us is 25 years in the field. I was thinking about the mental health/therapy field as it’s been for the past 20 years.
TV personalities such as Dr. Phil, Oprah and Larry King have all been doing their parts to raise awareness and lower the stigma surrounding emotional and behavioral issues. But I remember when these issues were not even discussed on television.
I’m not saying the stigma is gone, but it’s less severe than it was two decades ago, and the media coverage has helped.
It’s been a long climb for advocacy efforts for mental health services, decades and decades up a steep hill. And the effort to get more of those services on Whidbey Island was successful. Even as services shrink, I still need to recognize that accomplishment.
The amount of money, however, required to pay for those services has not been met. This is our current reality. There is not enough money for everything.
In the face of this, I do not feel hopeless. I look at the gains that have been made over two decades. Mental health services are finally included in health care coverage.
I can remember a time when this was not the case. There were times when I was paid with chickens, rabbit cages and tables.
One of the biggest gains in the 20 years has been information about the brain. Brain research has enhanced our ability to address complicated mental health issues.
Research concerning the effectiveness of therapy has shown that many counseling strategies are completely able to alleviate symptoms and address underlying issues.
New medications have come on the market in the past 20 years to help people struggling with mental health issues, and when these medications work people don’t have to suffer they way they used to.
I shared with my colleague that I cannot feel hopeless in the face of economic issues affecting services. We have made such tremendous advancements in the field of psychotherapy.
I’m not being a Pollyanna or only looking at the glass half full. I am just saying that as we face cutbacks, we must try to keep things in perspective. We must recognize that some things will never be cut: our research results, our improved understanding and treatment abilities, and the increased access to health insurance.
It seems that if we could move to a country that ensures health coverage for all, access for mental health services for the neediest populations would be greatly improved.
We must continue to advocate for people with complex mental health issues to get the services they need as changes are made to health care.
No, I do not feel hopeless, but I know we must continue to climb the steep hill.
Sarri Gilman is a freelance writer on Whidbey Island and director of Leadership Snohomish County. Her column on living with meaning and purpose runs every other Tuesday in The Herald. E-mail her at features@heraldnet.com.
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