Analyzing Evidence for Recent Health Policy Proposals- A Focus on Evidence-Based Approaches

Healthcare policies are established to enhance the quality of healthcare and enhance patient outcomes. The policies are implemented with the intent to increase access to healthcare services and facilitate intervention programs. The Community Health Center Mental Health Screening Act was recently proposed to guarantee community health centres have the resources they need to provide high-quality mental health services as mental health demands continue to rise (Barnett et al., 2018). Its goal was to propose that the Secretary of Health and Human Services allocate funds to federally qualified health facilities for mental and behavioural health screenings and other purposes, such as behaviour therapy, to improve the quality of life for people with mental illnesses.

The measure allocates $50 million each financial year towards funding a proposed grant program that allows federally recognized health facilities to employ and educate staff to perform mental and behavioural healthcare assessments and administer mental health therapies. It furthers the CMHA’s goal of establishing community-based mental health facilities as an alternative to institutionalization. Patients might be rehabilitated by attending outpatient centres while practising and residing at home instead of using standard facility treatment choices. Patients must successfully finish a program before being diagnosed for professional practice. The screening is a physical examination of a patient’s emotional well-being to determine whether or not the patient has a mental condition. Mental illnesses are ubiquitous in contemporary medicine and continue to afflict a considerable percentage of the population, with adolescents being the most affected (Naslundet al., 2020). The policy increases individuals’ access to affordable professional counselling, thus enhancing their quality of life and health outcomes.

References

Barnett, M. L., Gonzalez, A., Miranda, J., Chavira, D. A., & Lau, A. S. (2018). Mobilizing community health workers to address mental health disparities for underserved populations: a systematic review. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 45(2), 195-211.

Naslund, J. A., Bondre, A., Torous, J., & Aschbrenner, K. A. (2020). Social media and mental health: benefits, risks, and opportunities for research and practice. Journal of technology in behavioural science, 5(3), 245-257.