Politicians Begin to Realize the Importance of Mental Health
Former Representative Patrick Kennedy understands what it means to have mental illness. Addiction and bipolar disorder followed him through his repeated terms in Congress, and his experience has created his interest in shaping policies geared toward individuals with mental health issues. He is promoting and backing specific policies to help those with mental illnesses, both in recognizing and treating these illnesses. In fact, one of his highest achievements was to pass the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.
He chooses to use his famous family name and pull in Washington to bring mental health out of, what he calls, the dark ages. He is the founder of The Kennedy Forum, a coalition geared toward mentally ill patients and policies pertaining to their care. He is also a co-founder of One Mind, a nonprofit research organization.
The mission of One Mind is to help speed up cures and therapies for mental illness. The organization has already set up the largest platform for researching PTSD and traumatic brain injury in the world, pulling other countries into their own research. One Mind also aims to keep research from duplicating, so time isn’t wasted on mental health improvements.
His newest platform is the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2015. He states that the act will give families programs and resources for psychiatric services. His conviction is that the “time is now” to question why we wait for a crisis as a society to react to mental illness instead of recognizing and treating symptoms before an incident.
Kennedy has been quoted as saying the health system is stuck when it comes to mental health. He believes society still assigns mental issues to moral character; that is, we believe it is a choice. He stats that we need to start viewing addiction and mental issues as a biological disease, as we do other physical diseases.
He is also targeting the federal and state level for his proposed changes. He is advocating on many levels to improve how society treats mental illness, and he is using every tool at his disposal. He is the leader in getting mental illness and addict sufferers the help needed in a dignified manner.
If you have any questions about the future of mental health care, contact Vancouver Home Health Care Agency today.
At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.