This diary is sort of a follow-up to my earlier diary "Uninsured? No Doctor nearby? Where you gonna go..." that provided practical information and referral for where you can get low cost or free primary and specialty health care services, in the context of America's current health care safety net and the need for universal health care coverage preferably via a single-payer system such as "Medicare for All."
This diary provides similar information for how to locate mental health and behavioral health services including psychiatry, psychology, counseling, etc. for chronic conditions, new problems or crisis.
There is also an explicit current political context for this, insofar as mental health services are often not included in other health insurance coverage. Just today a bipartisan bill to promote parity in mental health insurance coverage compared to other chronic diseases, advanced in congress.
The Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 cleared the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and now goes to the full Senate for a vote.
"The bill requires health insurance plans that offer mental health coverage to provide that coverage on par with financial and treatment coverage offered for other physical illnesses like heart disease, diabetes or asthma," Republican New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici's office said in a statement.
"The 1996 Mental Health Parity law only provided parity for annual and lifetime limits between mental health coverage and medical surgical coverage. The new bill expands parity by including deductibles, co-payments, out-of-pocket expenses, coinsurance, covered hospital days, and covered out-patient visits."
Needless to say, the bill is severe compromise, insofar that numerous groups including the private for profit health insurance industry and many business groups have opposed providing such parity in coverage.
One reason that this bill is moving forward, in addition to being an industry approved compromise, is that several prominant congressman from both parties have relatives with mental health problems. Sadly, as if often the case, it takes personal experience with the need for government intervention for otherwise anti-government anti-regulation such as New Mexico's Republican Senator Pete Domenici to see the light in a specific case. Their inability to generalize and get it if there is not such personal involvement suggest the power of ideology (and money) over critical thinking and true caring.
There is a social context for this, insofar as there remains a special stigma still with regard to mental health and illness compared to other physical health problems.
Federal Government Resources:
Somewhat in parallel role of the Health Resources & Services Administration in providing health care services for the otherwise under-served that I noted in the prior diary, the Subtance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, or SAMHSA is the federal agency that provides helps provie safety net services for, well, mental health and subtance abuse problems. The very linkage of those two, and their separation from other chronic diseases, says something about how we view them in our society.
Just as you can look up by State, City or Zip Code where low cost or free community health centers are at the HRSA website (see prior diary), so you can find those local "Community Mental Health Centers" and other services that SAMHSA helps support, using their Mental Health Services Locator.
- The search starts by state and can drill down from there
- also the type of facility you might be looking for such as "outpatient " and "multiservice."
In addition to being able to look up mental health services providers at the SAMHSA site, SAMHSA also helps support a division in state health departments. So, for example in New Yotk State you can look-up clinics and clinical providers that are licensed by the state.
- choose location,
- then select the right kind of site for you need
- for example: those that say "outpatient clinic" and "adult".
Private Non-Governmental Organizations:
There are of course non-governmental national organizations that can help including:
The National Mental Health Association, also known as "Mental Health America", which maintains a referral and information center and can help you locate local chapters. These local groups have information about community services and engage in national and State level advocacy. Also, as they say:
- If you, a friend or a loved one think that you might have a mental health disorder or if you are just going through a tough time in your life and you need someone to help you work through the issues, good news: Help is available at this link
- or by free phone call at: 1-800-273-TALK
As noted, Mental Health America also has a system of state and local chpater; for example: in New York State. And in New York City the Mental Health Association of New York City is a private, not-for-profit organization that works to change attitudes about mental illnesses, improve services for children and adults with psychiatric disabilities, and promote mental health in the community through its direct service programs.
Another national organization is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, which maintains a helpline for information on mental illnesses and referrals to local groups. The local self-help groups have support and advocacy components and offer education and information about community services for families and individuals. So for example, there is specific information about the Alliance's affiliates and activities in New York State and from there down to the county level.
Perhaps it is just my local knowledge, or perhaps New Yorkers are more caring, or perhaps we just have greater mental health needs... but there is also in New York City the Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies which is an umbrella advocacy organization of New York's behavioral health community, representing over 100 non-profit community based mental health agencies that serve more than 300,000 clients in the five boroughs of New York City and its environs. Founded in 1972, The Coalition is membership supported along with foundation and government funding for special purpose advocacy and assistance projects.
As for treating George W. Bush's Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or Cheney's delusional homicidal sociopathy... we need all the help we can get.