public policy advocacy

Mental Health Statement

Introduction

Untreated mental health issues are associated with unemployment, homelessness, crime and incarceration, alcohol and drug problems related to self-medication, increased utilization of expensive emergency room services and hospitalization, and other social problems. These conditions often overlap and exacerbate one another.

Even people with jobs and health insurance report problems in accessing mental health services because their insurance doesn’t cover these services, or they have to wait too long for appointments. Of still greater concern is the inadequacy of mental health services for low-income and uninsured people, particularly those who don’t quality for public assistance and services. Meeting the mental health needs of low-income people is a social, economic and political issue, not to mention a matter of social justice.

YWCA programs and staff encounter mental health issues on a regular basis. Examples include:

• The co-occurrence and negative interaction of mental health problems with other issues such as domestic violence and sexual assault, which makes it more difficult for victims to address their situation and poses challenges for those who are trying to support and empower them.
• Potential volunteers who come to the YWCA with the best of intentions, but who are not suitable for service because of their mental health status.
• People who contact the Sexual Assault Program for free counseling, but who don’t qualify according to funding criteria because their primary issue is something other than sexual assault.
• The occasional need for YWCA staff to obtain a restraining order against persons with mental health problems who demonstrate threatening behavior.

 Public Policy Statement on Mental Health

YWCA Clark County supports improved funding and reforms in the mental health care delivery system in order to provide quality, accessible and affordable mental health services for people who need them.