Abstract
Our society experiences different challenges and we must strive to develop solutions and ensure that the masses’ livelihoods are enhanced. One of the issues that have become a big concern to many community members in the recent past is mental health challenges rooted in societies with high poverty levels. All society members from children, teenagers, and adults are feeling the effects either directly or indirectly, especially because the affected individuals need the assistance and support of every person to overcome their condition. There exist numerous reasons and factors for the increase in cases of mental health challenges including harsh economic times and increased drug and substance abuse. The Covid-19 pandemic saw an increase in the number of mental health conditions within the population as individuals were forced to change their lifestyles abruptly while others struggled to overcome some of its devastating effects like the loss of lives of loved ones. This has increased the need for individuals to develop mitigation measures like creating more counseling facilities and increasing the number of mental health professionals within communities. This has necessitated our desire to develop an agency design proposal for Winston County Mental Health Centre (WCMHC) IN Winston County, Mississippi. We will discuss and analyze the structure and desired mode of operation of our agency in this paper.
Keywords: Mental Health, Agency Design, Structure, Mode of Operation
Agency Need – Mental Health Disorders in Winston County: The Need for Community Intervention
Mental health is becoming a vital aspect for public health administrators because statistics show that there is a significant increase in the number of people suffering in our societies. Stress, depression, and anxiety cases are becoming common in our society and this requires urgent attention (Patel et al., 2007, pp.1302-1305). Winston County is one of the most affected places in the U.S. and we have decided to base our agency there and ensure that people can access assistance more easily. The latest statistics from the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) show that more than 15% of the state’s adult residents have reported experiencing difficulties and challenges with their mental health (Liew, 2016, pp.620-637). One of the most significant effects of mental health disorders is that it leads to suicide when the victims are overwhelmed by their conditions. Despite the government and local authority’s efforts to help address the issue, Winston County has lagged because of the unavailability of professionals because it is located in a rural area. Again, the County suffers from poorly developed infrastructure like the road network which makes it difficult for the residents to access the available services.
Another factor leading to the increased cases of mental health disorders in the County is drug and substance abuse, especially by the youth and young adults. Some drugs like marijuana and cocaine have been found to affect individuals’ mental health and the community lacks the resources to fight this menace. Again, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to the loss of lives and jobs which has led to an increase in people’s stress levels (Pearman et al., 2020, p.2065). People are finding it difficult to adjust to the disease’s restrictions like the demand to avoid social spaces. Winston County is an excellent place to station our agency because the residents have limited access to mental health services. Again, the County has a high number of African Americans who have been discriminated against for an extended period and this has worsened the situation.
Services Offered
To address the mental health disorders in the County, our agency will develop and implement numerous strategies. Key among the services to be availed to the community members is therapy sessions (Gutman, 2011, pp.235-238). The therapy services will be administered individually or in groups when a large number of people are found to be suffering from similar mental health services. We are committed to ensuring all people in need of therapy services are attended to. Psychotherapists and mental health specialists will form the biggest part of our agency team. This is because mental health conditions can be addressed by assisting the victims to have positive thoughts and face life with more determination and courage. Therapy services will be available in the agency throughout the day. Again, a mental health professional will be on standby to attend to emergency cases reported via our agency’s emergency telephone number.
In addition, we will offer medication and counseling services to patients reporting to our agency for assistance. Numerous medical interventions have been developed to help stressed and depressed individuals get relief. We will have physicians attending to the victims reporting in our agency whose condition cannot be addressed by therapy and counseling (Burgess et al., 2008, pp.42-47). Another essential service to be provided in our agency is campaigns to enhance public awareness of the importance of people seeking support and assistance whenever they have mental health conditions. Stigma is a huge challenge that makes mental health victims hesitant and not wants to get the available services. There is a need for society members to understand that every person can fall victim to mental health disorders and there is a need to support our suffering colleagues and help them overcome their conditions. As already stated, mental health conditions lead to actions like job losses, drug and substance abuse, and in the worst situations death. These effects spill to other society members who must bear the burden of attending to their colleagues and this shows why we must collaborate and provide services to the suffering people.
Geographical area to be served
As already stated, the agency will be located in Winston County, Mississippi State. This is mainly because the state has statistically shown that it has a high number of individuals in need of mental health services (Liew, 2016, pp.620-637). Winston County has an estimated population of more than 15,000 people based on the 2019 National Census data. The county is located in a rural place which makes its residents to be relatively poor and unable to access vital medical services like mental health ones. The county’s median household income is $31,500. This is a low amount compared with the national median household income of $70,784 as submitted in the 2021 numbers. Again, the county has 49.7% of its residents are of white ethnicity while 47.2% are of black ethnicity. The prospect of having white and black ethnicities balancing implies that there is a high chance of some individuals being neglected and discriminated against.
Collaborative Partnerships
Winston County has a high number of institutions and facilities that will play a vital role in ensuring that more people access the agency’s services through the partnerships to be forged. The county boasts approximately ten schools which will provide a good space for training and teaching community members about the various aspects of mental health and the need to seek medical services. We note that collaborating with the school administrations to have some of our employees give talks to the students will help enhance public awareness because the students are a significant part of society (Vigo et al., 2019, pp.350-356). It is vital to ensure that some skills and information are provided to individuals at a young age because this ensures that people grow up knowing what is required of them and how to address life challenges.
In addition, social services agencies and healthcare providers will be some of our key partners. These individuals already understand the challenges facing the society members in Winston County and their input will help us understand the areas we should invest in. Faith-based organizations like churches and mosques within the County will be essential partners who will help us spread the word about our services and encourage their members to visit our agency when in need.
Agency Structure
The agency will be named the Winston County Mental Health Centre (WCMHC). The agency’s name seeks to ensure that the local people own it and strive to ensure that it succeeds because it will help enhance their welfare. Again, the name elaborately states that the agency provides mental health services which are good to avoid confusion some people might think that we are an all-around agency attending to all healthcare needs. Our vision is to create high-quality mental health services which ensure that all people live fulfilling lives. The agency’s mission is “To comprehensively address mental health challenges in our society and provide the best services according to the recommended standards.” Our agency is focused on ensuring that all society members have their needs attended to effectively and efficiently. Again, our purpose is to eradicate the stigma already rooted in society and ensure that every person realizes the importance of checking on their mental health to ensure that they perform, optimally (Taylor et al., 2000, p.73-80). We will help individuals already suffering from mental health conditions by ensuring that we offer high-quality therapy and counseling services. Our agency is patient-focused and our delight is in seeing all individuals get assistance to live free from mental health conditions.
Organizational Chart
Staffing Needs
The agency will have to employ individuals with different professional skills and knowledge which will ensure that the patients are attended to comprehensively. Mental health is a phenomenon that is composed of different aspects and it is important to ensure that all patients are correctly diagnosed and services are provided based on one’s specific needs. The multidisciplinary team assembled will compose of a chief officer who will be in charge of the agency’s activities. The chief officer will be the overall head and all other people will report to him. For efficiency in administration, we will adopt a hierarchical leadership structure that shows to who every individual reports. The chief officer will be assisted by the chief clinical officer. This individual will be in charge of all medical operations in the agency. The chief clinical officer will assign tasks and duties to the other medical professional. Counselors, psychologists, social workers, and physicians will report to the chief clinical officer and ensure that all patients are attended to.
Social workers will be vital, especially when providing public awareness services to the masses and helping identify vulnerable society members (Hoffman & Miller, 2020, p.300-310). The physicians will carry out examinations and provide a prescription to the patients while counselors and psychologists will be involved in providing therapy sessions to those in need. The human resource manager will keep the employees’ data and process their payments. Again, the human resource manager will help ensure that the workplace provides a conducive environment for the employees to perform their assigned roles effectively. The office receptionist will receive the individuals visiting the agency and guide them to where their needs can be attended to. Junior staff members will assist the other staff members to perform their duties efficiently by providing cleaning and other hospitality services.
Physical Location
Our agency will rent building space from the county’s main healthcare facility. The facility is centrally located and provides enough space for the construction of our agency’s building which will house our offices and different departments involved in our activities. Again, our location will ensure that patients can receive different medical services within one compound which reduces the struggle of traveling to different places for different services. The location has a well-developed road network which makes it easy for people to their homes easily. A good network will assist our officers in providing field services for they will quickly get to the people and provide services to the people in need easily.
Funding
Our agency will rely on the available government grants to set up the primary infrastructure. The Federal Government has prioritized mental health in its budget and we will submit our proposal which will help get funds. Again, we intend to engage our colleagues and other mental health organizations and convince them to donate funds to set up the agency (Vasiliadis et al., 2021, p.16). We are confident that given the rising cases of mental health problems in our society especially in Mississippi, people will be willing to finance us and have our dream actualized.
Once we start our operations, we will partner with different private and public medical insurance companies to ensure that our patients can receive services covered by the different schemes. Patients without medical coverage will pay a subsidized fee to be attended to and the money will be used to finance our operations.
Evaluation and Assessment
We will compare and contrast data about the impact of our services on society. Existing statistics show that more than 15% of adults in Mississippi experience mental health challenges. We intend to work toward bringing the numbers below 10% within one year after starting our operations. We will conduct surveys and interviews to hear how the masses are responding to our services (Johnson et al., 2021, pp.25-37). Surveys and interviews will help us establish the areas which require more attention for efficiency in our operations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we are confident that WCMHA will provide essential services missing in society to people. We are determined to ensure that society benefits from the affordable and high-quality services we intend to provide. Mental health is a vital aspect of people’s lives and our efforts will go a long way in ensuring that people’s welfare is enhanced.
References
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Gutman, S. A. (2011). Effectiveness of occupational therapy services in mental health practice. AJOT: American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65(3), 235-238.
Hoffman, J. A., & Miller, E. A. (2020). Addressing the consequences of school closure due to COVID‐19 on children’s physical and mental well‐being. World Medical & health policy, 12(3), 300-310.
Johnson, S., Dalton-Locke, C., Vera San Juan, N., Foye, U., Oram, S., Papamichail, A., … & Simpson, A. (2021). Impact on mental health care and mental health service users of the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods survey of UK mental health care staff. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 56, 25-37.
Liew, H. (2016). Challenges to sustainable development in Mississippi. Community Development, 47(5), 620-637.
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Pearman, A., Hughes, M. L., Smith, E. L., & Neupert, S. D. (2020). Mental health challenges of United States healthcare professionals during COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2065.
Taylor, R. J., Ellison, C. G., Chatters, L. M., Levin, J. S., & Lincoln, K. D. (2000). Mental health services in faith communities: The role of clergy in black churches. Social work, 45(1), 73-87.
Vasiliadis, H. M., Spagnolo, J., & Lesage, A. (2021). Public funding of evidence-based psychotherapy for common mental disorders: increasing calls for action in Canadian provinces. Healthcare Policy, 16(3), 16.
Vigo, D. V., Patel, V., Becker, A., Bloom, D., Yip, W., Raviola, G., … & Kleinman, A. (2019). A partnership for transforming mental health globally. The Lancet Psychiatry, 6(4), 350-356.
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