8A – Solving The Problem

·       My organization will be involved in providing services to mental health patients. These services will not be limited to adults, but will be available to pediatric patients as well with or without insurance.

·       There are various institutions that offer mental health services, but unfortunately, there is not enough. Some of these institutions are National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Florida Health Council for Community Mental Health, and more behavioral health institutions. The issues associated with some of the institutions, is that they are limited to the services they can offer to their patients. For instance, patients can see psychiatrist, but have no access to treatment.

·       As we know, mental health illness is at an all-time high, along with opioid addiction. My goal is to open a non-profit mental facility that also provides in-house rehabilitation services for patients suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. The problem most patients face is that they must wait more than five months for behavioral health services, and then are forced to wait several more weeks for detox or rehabilitation centers. When you sit and think about it, some of these individuals are waiting for over half a year, and unfortunately, most don’t have the luxury of time. My institution will employ Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and Rehabilitation specialists to ensure patients have access to all three, if necessary. In addition, by partnering up with pharmacies, I can find local or family owned pharmacies that are willing to provide medication programs at a discounted rate for low-income families or those without insurance. 

·       In an effort to expand my services, my plan is to partner up with medical institutions, schools, pharmacies, and shelters to ensure that my services reach the adults and children in my community.