Mental Health Reporting
During my sophomore year at ASU I took JMC 301: Intermediate News Reporting & Writing; a class based on writing around a beat with tight deadlines. I chose to focus on mental health in the greater Phoenix area.
The Power of Empathy on Mental Health
Despite mental health’s new popularity among the general public, the conversation surrounding the topic has not made the necessary advancements to dismantle the stigma that has affected perception for years. While more people across the world have come face-to-face with their own mental health, stereotypes still litter discussion. Discussion that hasn’t breached the surface of mental health in an efficient way.
“People get very uncomfortable, and they don’t know what to say, especially if they have not experienced it,” said Ericka Irvin, Mental Health America of Arizona’s Executive Director.
Irvin related the topic of “mental health” to that of “death,” in the way that it can affect the quality of a conversation when people are presented with unfamiliar concepts or have negative opinions on them. When looking at entertainment media, Irvin said that there are plenty of people who genuinely believe that “crazy people got to psychiatric hospitals with padded walls and straitjackets,” when in reality, television shows and movies have created an exaggerated and false stereotype around psychiatric care facilities.
Arizona Does Not Deliver for Its Student Population
The state of Arizona is failing its student population by leaving schools understaffed for mental health support according to recent mental health reports. For every 100,000 teens in Arizona, there are 14 suicides, which is roughly 1.4 times the numbers for the United States. If Arizona spent more time prioritizing the prevalence of behavioral and emotional wellness in schools, this number could drastically drop.
According to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Arizona has the worst student-to-counselor ratio in the country. While ASCA recommends schools maintain a 250-to-1 ratio, Arizona is standing at a 716-to-1 ratio as of 2021. This means that school counselors are now required to support more than 3 times the recommended number of students, and they can feel the stress.
The Solution to Arizona’s Youth Mental Health Crisis
The mental health conversation has boomed in the last few years as people across the globe have felt the mental toll of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, one voice that has been missing from that conversation is the voice of the youth, and in Arizona, students are facing the consequences of their voices being ignored.
“I think a lot of adults don't think teens can struggle with mental health. I've been told a hundred times, ‘you're seventeen, what do you have to be stressed about?’” said Riana Alexander, a high school senior in the Chandler Unified School District (CUSD). “I definitely feel like it's overlooked.”
AZ Town Hall Takes Action to Meet Their Community in the Middle
On Friday, Sept. 17, Arizona Town Hall hosted a public meeting and workshop for Arizona residents interested in learning more about plans to tackle the issues surrounding the intersection of homelessness, mental health, and substance use.
According to the AZ Town Hall website, they are “a non-partisan, non-profit organization that brings diverse people together to solve critical and often divisive policy issues.” Their mission statement was clear during the town hall meeting. While the attendance was small, there was plenty of diversity in age and background that created a solid foundation for helpful discussion and community-building. Unlike a traditional town hall where audience members are simply absorbing information, AZ Town Hall engaged its attendees and made genuine efforts to know what they had to say.
AHCCCS Builds Support Behind Bars
Less than half of the people incarcerated in Arizona are serving their first prison term. In order to address this issue amid other pressures on Arizona’s legal system, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) is implementing rehabilitation programs for recently released prisoners.
The AHCCCS Behavioral Health Planning Council met virtually on Sept. 16 to discuss new plans to reinforce its mental and behavioral health efforts in Arizona. Dan Haley, CEO of Hope Incorporated, opened discussion with a presentation on his organization’s approach to behavioral health care.
“We don’t dictate recovery, it’s not our place to tell someone how to stay clean and sober it is our place to work with folks who are working their recovery program,” Haley said as he presented on how networks like Hope Inc. and AHCCCS help to guide people into healthier lives.
The City of Phoenix Focuses on Strengthening Mental Health Care
It is apparent that the long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Arizonan’s mental health has been relegated as life returns back to normal. This is exactly why the City of Phoenix is working on a program that strives to provide people with accessible behavioral health support.
In March 2022, the Phoenix City Council approved $9 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from the federal government to help assist uninsured and underinsured Phoenix residents. The city chose to partner with the local nonprofit Mercy Care to help delegate services and support for Arizonans.
How 988 is Reimagining Crisis Help
In the United States alone, suicide rates have increased by roughly 4% in the last year and according to the CDC, there are no indications that numbers will start to decline. However, the implementation of 988 as the new national crisis hotline number provides an advance in suicide prevention.
On July 16, 2022, the 988 number went live replacing the original nine digit hotline in hopes of making it easier for people experiencing a mental health crisis to receive adequate and proper assistance. According to an article from the New York Times, the new system allows for states to “raise money for 988 the same way they do for 911” and in turn will allow for the continuous advancement of mental health support across the country.
So where does Arizona fit in all of this? Currently, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), is working with other state and federal partners to ensure that the transition to the new number is not only seamless but also that new measures are put into place to strengthen crisis response time and resources.