APN Advocacy

APN Advocacy

Health advocacy seeks to improve the healthcare system environment by supporting and promoting patients’ rights, aiding in capacity building in community health,, and enhancing health policy initiatives. Such initiatives as those targeted at safe and quality care are critically important in preserving patient’s health. APNs, being significant components of health service delivery, are better poised to advocate for pertinent solutions for the health issues prevailing in contemporary society. Therefore, APNs must possess advocacy skills that will enable them to execute this mandate. This paper discusses a system-level advocacy strategy to address health issues in California.

Mental healthcare has remained an issue affecting many California residents, with approximately 1.6 million people requiring mental health services in 2018. With an increasing case fatality rate, it is becoming necessary for mental health issues to be addressed not only by the individuals affected but also by the state government through an integrative approach that draws all stakeholders in health (Kleinman et al., 2016). California state government has made significant strides in this regard. By creating regulations and policies that guide the handling and treatment of mental health cases, this government aims to ensure that mental health patients are handled in a manner that preserves their interests, rights, and quality of life.

The mental health services division is a subset under the California Department of Healthcare Services’ behavioral health services division, which overlooks all mental health cases in California. Formulating policies and regulations on mental health handling and treatment is mandated. It also monitors and oversights quality and network adequacy when handling and managing these patients. This division has successfully ensured the administration of mental health services for children, youths, and even adults. Other than the mental health individuals targeted by this division, the behavioral service division also targets susceptible individuals andug users that may fall victim to a mental health disorder (Barry et al., 2020). Providing a toll-free line that enables quick response to a mental health crisis has significantly enhanced care and reduced the fatalities that would have been otherwise attributed to a mental disorder cause.

Healthcare advocacy remains to be an essential tool in solving various health concerns. Issues such as mental health are becoming more prevalent, not only in California state but in the entirety of America. Strategies to handle and manage these issues through policy framework, private groups, or state involvement are critical in solving these issues. Mental illness, for instance, has received much attention in California, as evident in the state’s participation in policy formulation and the creating a state department to handle and manage these cases.

 References

Barry, M., Clarke, A., Petersen, I., & Jenkins, R. (2020). Implementing Mental Health Promotion. Springer.

Kleinman, A., Estrin, G., Usmani, S., Chisholm, D., Marquez, P., Evans, T., & Saxena, S. (2016). It’s time for mental health to come out of the shadows.

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Advocacy is a critical skill for APNs to promote solutions to health concerns within a community. Identify a health issue in your community or state. (CALIFORNIA) Discuss a systems-level advocacy strategy to address the problem. In the process, students should identify specific groups or individuals they would target and how they would target these individuals. For example, a student may choose to contact a legislator with a letter-writing campaign and describe strategies for implementing that campaign.