course materials

1. Assignment: Mental Health Disparities Essay
Assignment: Mental Health Disparities Essay ON Assignment: Mental Health Disparities
EssayComplete Part 1 of your Social Change Project.Address the following items in a 3-4
page paper:Describe a current social problem ( Write on Mental health disparities). How
might this problem be incongruent with social work values/ethics?How/when has this
problem been identified historically, and what were the actions taken to address this
concern?How have the groups affected by this concern changed over time?Describe the
policy area related to this social problem.Is the policy identified by your group dictated by
local, state, or federal statute—or a combination thereof?What are the different aspects of
the policy?How long has the current policy been in place?Who s and who opposes the
policy?What changes/amendments have been made to the policy?Explain how this policy
affects clients you might see in a clinical setting and why, as a clinical social worker, it would
be important to advocate for
change.wk_3_assgn_sample_1a.docxwk3assgn_sample_1.docxweek3assgnsample_2.docxUnf
ormatted Attachment PreviewRunning head: MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES Walden
University SOCW 6361 Assignment week 3 1 MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES 2 Mental
Health Disparities Mental health disparities are complex and challenging problems that
have evolved into many determinants on both the individual and population levels. Policy
programs and state-wide programs have put forth many efforts in mitigating the challenges
that have risen towards the disparities that exist among those who are mentally ill. Such
representations have challenged the government because of the vast definitions that exist
concerning mental health when it pertains to policy and service areas. Generally, such
policies are often resisted as possible solutions being offered because of the individual
approach that mental health care services and policies take on (Miller, Bazzi, Allen, 2017).
However, entities on the federal and state levels have collaborated to address the mental
health disparities despite the varying perspectives, variations in definitions, models of
research, and the approaches thus far that have been taken to mitigate the challenges of
disparities. Mental Health Disparities and Social Work Values/Ethics Throughout the 20th
century, social work has become a widely integrated component of the United States health
care system (McGuire & Miranda, 2008). Assignment: Mental Health Disparities EssaySocial
work has continuously evolved in leadership roles concerning psychosocial aspects that
concern the elements of the healthcare system involving mental health patients. Social
workers are present in all settings today and such presence includes prevention and public
health, primary and acute care, specialty care, and mental health care. An integral element

2. of social workers is making a commitment to the well-being of populations while focusing
on the challenges of health care inequality that exists. Ethical standards and values
articulates the essential knowledge and skills that clinical MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES 3
social workers must possess to be competent. Ethical services in today’s healthcare
provides the benchmarks needed for quality care to be given to those who have mental
disorders. Such standards are intended to guide clinical social workers in their practice so
that applications of methods and systematic planning for deterrence and prevention of
mental illnesses can result in successful outcomes. Those living in poverty and how
minorities are disproportionately unrecognized, it is apparent of the unequal access to
appropriate mental health services that these populations needs (Miller, Bazzi, Allen, 2017).
Such populations not only suffer from unequal access to mental health care, but also are at
greater risks for chronic illnesses, discrimination, and other social determinants of adverse
health outcomes. Assignment: Mental Health Disparities EssayTherefore, the values that
social workers hold regards increasing equal opportunities for all so that mental illnesses
can become decreased among the populations and those suffering from them achieve great
well-being. Historical Identification and Actions Over the last two decades, there has been
increase attention given to the issues surrounding mental health disparities. Some aspects
of life that researchers and policymakers have focused on concerns demographic variables,
socioeconomic status, and the lack of access to healthcare. According to the Institute of
Medicine and the National Institute of Health, focused has increased on the priorities of
understanding and recognizing disparities in mental health so that eliminations can begin
transforming the mental health system (Safran et al., 2009). In 2006, representatives across
the United States have tried promoting research to obtain results that could possibly help
reduce health disparities among the mentally ill populations. Yet, the understanding of
mental health disparities has not shown promising results given the vast nature of mental
health disorders. A survey conducted in 2008 by the American Psychological Association
had determined that 25% of the populations across the United States lacks MENTAL
HEALTH DISPARITIES 4 appropriate access to mental health care (Miller, Bazzi, Allen,
2017). To help decrease this disparity among working employees, the ‘Mental Health and
Addiction Equity Act of 2008,’ was enacted by Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici, which
required that equal coverage of insurance should be acquired for both mental and non-
mental illnesses and that the plans provided by employers shall include mental health
coverage but exclude employers who had less than 50 employees (Miller, Bazzi, Allen,
2017). In 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services developed and implemented
the ‘HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities,’ and in 2013, the Office
of Minority Health has updated their policy changes to include new standards for cultural
and linguistic services in health recognition (Miller, Bazzi, Allen, 2017). Groups Affected
Over Time Over-time, these groups have been affected by mental health disparities because
of the lack of access to health care needs. When they are not able to get, they help they need,
the mental disorder(s) can increase their risks of behaviors that otherwise could have been
prevented (Miller, Bazzi, Allen, 2017). Those with mental disorders have often committed
crimes and acts of violence towards others because of how severe the illness becomes with
no help. The casual factors for disparities include four main groups. Those groups consist of

3. the systemic and institutional oppression, social determinants of mental health,
interpersonal bias, and cultural group beliefs and practices. Behavioral and mental health
systems must recognize these factors to efficiently acknowledge how disparities of mental
health are affecting their communities. Assignment: Mental Health Disparities EssayThere
are many populations suffering from mental health illnesses and such illnesses are not
discriminative as to who or when. The disparity of populations includes women and those
of MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES 5 minority groups (Bussing & Gary, 2012). When it
concerns the variations of cultural and linguistic groups, disparities among those who are
mentally ill should be required recognition with no limits as to how the measures are
achieved, what is known, as whereas how those groups would be referred to as having
mental disorders. There shall be no discriminative elements towards helping those with
mental challenges. The diagnostic and Eurocentric views towards mental health disparities
have been historically based on distinctive world views that are nonconclusive (Bussing &
Gary, 2012). It is imperative that when research is conducted towards improving disparities
that concern those who are mentally ill, those valid measures are obtained and that they can
be scientifically comparable. State Policies State legislatures in 2017 across 19 different
states have considered 74 different bills in relation to behavioral health disparities
(National Conference of State Legislatures, 2018). The state actions have described the
elements of raising awareness, culturally competent workforce and services, and using data
to target policies, which have been the focus of these policies. The state of Massachusetts for
example, the general court adopted HB 495 and has considered focusing on quality
improvements while also tying the hospital reimbursement rates to help reduce racial and
ethnic disparities in mental health care facilities (National Conference of State Legislatures,
2018). The state of Pennsylvania adopted the HR 141 to focus on mental health issues in the
Africa-American communities and had designated in 2017, the ‘Mental Health Awareness in
the Black Community Month’ to help resolve the gaps among minorities and access to
mental health care (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2018). The changes to some
state policies have begun focusing more on the lower-income communities who receive
MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES 6 less care given that these barriers result in higher rates of
disparities. The states who have enacted policies regarding disparities in the mental health
care setting have all agreed that the social determinants are the causes of disparities, thus,
no state has disagreed with such implementations. Policy Effects on Clients in the Clinical
Setting State policies affect clients in the clinical setting given that the life-expectancy and
wellbeing of the population relate to the outcomes of results concerning disparities among
minorities and low-income families. There are higher individual risks of mental health
illnesses when access to mental health is not efficient or appropriate for them to get help.
The objective indicators of risks consider the situation that persists after the differences in
individual risk behaviors have been assessed (Miller, Bazzi, Allen, 2017, 2017). Assignment:
Mental Health Disparities EssayThis clinical social worker helps to direct such risks by
enforcing policy enactments to ensure vulnerable state populations are developing
approaches that recognize the importance of social the environment, the value of
relationships on social levels, and how essential it is to be value-driven when it pertains to
the enactments of new social policies. Social workers are the allies in public health that put

4. efforts towards eliminating disparities and improving the overall well-being of the
population’s health outcomes. MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES 7 References Bussing, R., &
Gary, F. A. (2012). Eliminating mental health disparities by 2020: Everyone’s actions matter.
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(7), 663-666.
McGuire, T. G., & Miranda, J. (2008). New evidence regarding racial and ethnic disparities in
mental health: policy implications. Health affairs (Project Hope), 27(2), 393–403.
doi:10.1377/hlthaff.27.2.393. Miller, D. P., Bazzi, A. R., Allen, H. L., Martinson, M. L., Salas-
Wright, C. P., Jantz, K., Rosenbloom, D. L. (2017). A Social Work Approach to Policy:
Implications for Population Health. American journal of public health, 107(S3), S243–S249.
doi:10.2105/AJPH.2017.304003. National Conference of State Legislatures (2018). The
Costs and Consequences of Disparities in Behavioral Health Care. Retrieved from
http://www.ncsl.org/Portals/1/HTML_LargeReports/DisparitiesBehHealth_Final.htm
Safran, M. A., Mays, R. A., Jr, Huang, L. N., McCuan, R., Pham, P. K., Fisher, S. K. …
Trachtenberg, A. (2009). Mental health disparities. American journal of public health,
99(11), 1962–1966. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2009.16734. Child Abuse and Neglect Walden
University Abstract This week we will identify a current social problem and how this
problem is incongruent with our social work values/ethics, secondly, we will discuss
ow/when has this problem been identified historically, and what were the actions taken to
address this problem. Next, we will discuss how various groups are affected by this
overtime, Identify and describe a policy related to this social problem, Describe the policy
area related to this social problem. In relation to child abuse and neglect what groups have
been identified by your group dictated by local, state, or federal statute. What are the
different aspects of child abuse policy, how long has the current policy related to child
abuse been in place. Who has been in to child abuse and neglect policy and those who have
opposed it. What are some changes that have been made to child abuse policy. Assignment:
Mental Health Disparities EssayLastly, explain how this policy affects clients you might see
in a clinical setting and why, as a clinical social worker, it would be important to advocate
for change. Child Abuse and Neglect Describe a current social problem. How might this
problem be incongruent with social work values/ethics? The current problem at hand is
child abuse and neglect relating to the harmful effects it has on children and the trauma
caused. Under child abuse there are various forms children are neglected and abused some
being; physical, sexual, psychological, and emotional abuse. Many children face these
different types and forms of abuse due to living environment, mental health issues, or drug
abuse. Social Workers have been in a battle with advocating for the rights of children who
experience child abuse and neglect for a long time. For a long time, social workers have
been advocating for the rights of children and have been battling child maltreatment for
more than 100 years (National Association of Social Workers 2005). This problem aligns
well with social workers ethics and values because social workers work to prevent child
maltreatment and to help s parents and children. Social workers are on the front lines
protecting children and assisting them in finding safe living situations (National Association
of Social Workers 2005). How/when has this problem been identified historically, and what
were the actions taken to address this concern? Child abuse has had a long history within
the united states. Child abuse issues has been in exist since the 1870s when an orphan was

5. severely beaten in a foster home. There were no laws or organizations during that era or
time to protect children from abuse and neglect. It was argued that children shouldn’t have
less rights than animals and there should be specific laws in place to protect children from
abuse and neglect. An organization called Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
was enacted and put into place. For continuous centuries different cases of abuse and
neglect were being presented in court in 1974, federal law enacted, the Child Abuse
Prevention & Treatment Act (CAPTA), (family.findlaw.com). As history developed and more
getting the countries attention, every state has laws that if you were a professional such as a
teacher, doctor, social worker, of have any contact in a professional capacity relating to
children you were known as a mandated reporter and was required to report any form of
child abuse and neglect. How have groups affected by this concern changed over time? Over
time people have been able to discuss and identify different aspects of child abuse and
neglect. Different groups of people have rallied and fought for children to be protected from
those who abuse and neglect them. Overtime it has changed because there have been
different activists groups and laws put in place to fight for those children’s voices who are
not heard and for those oppressed populations. Describe the policy area related to Child
Abuse and Neglect and Is the policy identified by your group dictated by local, state, or
federal statute—or a combination thereof? The social policy related to child abuse and
neglect is, “Under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (“CAPTA”), states must
provide otherwise confidential child abuse and neglect information to “any Federal, State,
or local government entity, or any agent of such entity, that has a need for such information
in order to carry out its responsibilities under law to protect children from abuse and
neglect” and to child abuse citizen review panels” (https://www.firststar.org/learn-
more/policy-legislation). Assignment: Mental Health Disparities EssayThe federal law
provides a guideline and standard each state needs to follow. What are the different aspects
of the policy? And How long has the current policy been in place? The different aspects of
this policy is that each state has their own guidelines referring to policies of child abuse and
neglect cases. The current policy has been in place since the 1974, many different. What
changes/amendments have been made to the policy? Due to an incident on a Penn State
Campus there were some changes made to the policies under the CAPTA ACT. In bill S.1877-
CAPTA would be amended or added if a report or acts were committed by parents or
caretakers they are mandated to report. S.1887 charged and penalized those for being non
compliant in reporting, S.1889-would require a report from any person who learned of facts
to suspect a child was a victim of abuse on federal lands (American Bar). S.1879-added
(with a one-year imprisonment minimum penalty) for failure to report child abuse. H.R.
3617-criminal penalty for failure to report. H.R. 3486-criminal penalties against those who
have witnessed child abuse from someone else and did not report it. H. R. 3650-would
suspend and stop all federal funds received by institutions, their employees, or any other
entities where sexual abuse of children was not immediately reported. It would cover
nonprofits, state and local organizations, and other programs. (American Bar). The changes
that were proposed were mandated reporters are anyone who works with children or
supervises them, added to the list were coaches and camp counselors. (American bar).
Failure to make such reports the offense has been raised from misdemeanor to felony level

6. (American bar). protect the reporter’s identity from disclosure; and categorize reports
based on level of risk of harm to the child. Explain how this policy affects clients you might
see in a clinical setting and why, as a clinical social worker, it would be important to
advocate for change. Often times, children who have experienced child abuse and neglect
often experience different mental health issues and falls into substance abuse and
alcoholism to suppress pass trauma. PTSD is also another common form of children who
have been abused and neglected. As a social worker treating children with different
traumatic situations works through a traumainformed lens. With the trauma informed lens
social workers are able to approach the situation through behavioral and cognitive
functioning that are expressed through their trauma. social workers should advocate for
change because we are defending their rights, and considering their decisions, especially
those who have become vulnerable and are struggling in various life circumstances. As we
continue to follow the NASW Code of Ethics we are there to provide advocacy and social
justice for those who are not able to. Reference: 1. National Association of Social Workers.
(2005). NASW Standards for Social Work Practice in Child Welfare. Washington, DC: NASW
Press. 2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK195993/) 3.
https://www.firststar.org/learn-more/policy-legislation). 4.
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_interest/child_law/resources/child_law_pra
ct
iceonline/child_law_practice/vol_31/january_2012/changes_in_childabusereportinglawsa
retheyforthcoming/ Week 3 Assignment 1 Walden University Week 3 Assignment Week 3
Assignment 2 Social Problem Serious child and adolescent maltreatment, neglect, and
endangerment often times result in the removal of these individuals from the home.
Subsequently, these individuals are often placed in residential treatment facilities or foster
care placement. This paper will focus on those whom have been placed in residential
treatment facilities. The aim of such facilities are to provide the children and adolescents
with “a secure, safe, therapeutic milieu and a rehabilitative experience” (Attar-
Schwartz,2011). Some research indicate that this is not always the case. Children and
adolescents in residential facilities experience physical, emotional, sexual, and institutional
maltreatment at the hands of peers and staff (Attar-Schwartz,2011). There is believed to be
an underreporting of behaviors such as pinching, kicking, slapping, verbal ridicule, bullying,
and being cursed at by staff or peers (Attae-Schwartz,2011).Studies reveal that “incidents
are more likely to occur during the hours of 5:00 PM and 9AM”(Blatt, 1992). Further studies
indicate that incidents were “reported more quickly if they occurred during 9 am and 5pm
on weekdays” (Blatt,1992). It can be inferred from these statistics that there are a number
of incidents that are not reported. The underreporting of these instances indicate that such
needs to be further investigated to reveal an accurate portray