Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has exponentially exacerbated the need for mental health services. Access to mental health providers has been limited to physicians, especially psychiatrist, and many people have been deterred from seeking mental health services due various difficulties and challenges. These include the scarcity of psychiatrist, the wait time or scheduling challenges and the stigma associated with mental health. This paper examines the prospects of embedding mental health providers in urgent/immediate care facilities. This provides seamless transitions from physical health to mental health and provide a place where all health needs can be met simultaneously. This proposal will also increase accessibility to mental health care through psychotherapy and psychopharmacology, decreasing the prevalence of mental health issues in a community.

Presenters

James (Todd) Mc Gahey
Professor, Professional Counseling and Leadership, Jacksonville State University, Alabama, United States

Melanie Wallace
Department Head & Professor of Counseling, College of Education , Jacksonville State University, Alabama, United States

Details

Presentation Type

Focused Discussion

Theme

Public Health Policies and Practices

KEYWORDS

MENTAL HEALTH, IMMEDIATE/URGENT HEALTH CARE, ACCESSIBILITY

Digital Media

Downloads