Mental Health Act Commission

The Post-War World II era saw the start of a transformation in the attitudes toward and the treatment of mental illness in the United States that was most significantly marked by the passing of the Community Mental Health Act of 1963 (CMHA: Public Law 88-164). The Community Mental Health Act––passed under President John F. Kennedy’s administration and notable innitiative––was revolutionary in proposing the implementation of two novel concepts that largely contributed to the deinstitutionalization of those with mental illnesses. First, the act called for federal investment and spending in funding of mental health services; prior to its passing, mental health funding had been the domain of the states and local governments almost entirely. Additionally,…

Before the 1960s, there was no specific definition for mental health in insurance policies (Lindstrom, 2014). Mental health and overall health care were not distinguished by employee-sponsored insurance. The benefits of overall health care rarely included mental health. Consequently, plans began leaving out mental health coverage completely. In the 1970s and 1980s, plans that still implemented mental health began including more restrictions. Many people suffering with mental illness were left…

Social inclusion is all important in the recovery of patient with mental disorders. However, as they are considered as the excluded group in a society, they may encounter some barriers in the recovery pathway. The demeanour and thinking ability of a person with a mental disorder may differ from a healthy person. According to the latest study carried on by the Ministry of health, New Zealand, it is evident that mental disorder is not rare in adult but higher when compared to other age groups.…

encompass a clinical governance framework for this project, all pillars extenuating the significance of accountability for improving consumer safety, quality and effectiveness within a health service will be discussed with relevance to the implications of an art-based therapy intervention (ACSQHC 2010; ANMC 2016). Effective clinical performance and evaluation will be demonstrated through the implementation, documentation, monitoring and review of best evidence-based art therapy practices in a…

The majority of violent crimes in the United States are committed by men (Gun Control, 2013). The fact that a gun or guns were used in the commission of these crimes does not, in itself, warrant the removal of weapons from society. If this were the case we would need to remove all alcohol which causes more deaths annually than all firearms-related deaths. The one commonality in all of these occurrences is the state of mind and mental health of the shooters. In all of the examples presented so…

Abstract This literature review focuses on the correlation of mental disorders and criminal behavior. The main question that will be discussed is whether people with mental illnesses are more likely to commit crimes than those who do not suffer from mental illness. This paper will evaluate society’s unfamiliarity of mental illness and how this created a stigma on mental disorder. The literature reviewed provides argument that people with mental disorders are no more prone to commit crimes than…

there was a shift toward privatization of health care as corporations began not only to integrate the hospital system, but also entered many other health-care related businesses and consolidate control (Evashwick, 2005). In 1981, the first assisted living opened in Portland, Oregon as an alternative living options for older adults who were unhappy with nursing homes. It provided a type of elderly care that offered a level of attention and independence less than a nursing homes, but more than an…

empowered to gain confidence to make independent and balanced-risk choices, consistent with their fundamental rights. Subsequently, Personal Budgets specify and allocate costings for an array of available options to meet specific needs, from respite to home care (Care Act, 2014:C23:P1:S8). Likewise, for those deemed capable of managing, requested ‘Direct Payments’ enable service users to arrange and secure support that is right for them (Care Act,…

The number of incarcerated inmates who suffer from some form of mental illness is at a rise. There is a wide range of questions about the treatment of the mentally ill in the justice system and wether prisons are a suitable place for the mentally ill. When a person commits a crime or breaks the law, they are usually taken into custody and sent to jail or prison without being evaluated properly. Instead of being sent to a hospital or a mental health facility to receive the proper treatments,…

One in four adults in the United States (61.5 million) is affected by a mental illness (McEnaney). Of the 61.5 million adults suffering from a mental illness, only 40% (24.6 million) are getting the proper treatment for it (Nieves). Additionally, 1/3 (250,000) of homeless people in the U.S. suffer from serious mental illness, and that number increases every day (Nieves). While health care for mentally challenged individuals in the United States has improved since colonial times, their care today…