City of East Orange’s Post

Learn about these important policy discussions in Virginia!

🌟 July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month! 🌟 At Astrya Global Medical Staffing, we are proud to support BIPOC Mental Health Month. This year's theme, "Be the Source for Better Health: Improving Health Outcomes Through Our Cultures, Communities, and Connections," resonates deeply with our mission. We believe that embracing diversity in healthcare leads to better health outcomes for all. Join us in raising awareness, reducing stigma, and promoting mental well-being for all 🧠 Check out our blog on Breaking the Stigma Surrounding Behavioral Health Issues: https://lnkd.in/gd8edR24

As May comes to a close and Mental Health Awareness Month wraps for another year I want to encourage providers to be their best advocate for themselves. Real Self-Care lies in advocacy. Challenge your employers to create sustainable workloads and safe environments for you. Use your voice to hold state regulating bodies accountable to practices that serve not only our clients but their most valuable asset YOU. You are the tool. You are the one on the front lines holding space for true healing to take place. Without you, this work doesn’t happen. You need to be well-maintained and that work rests not only on your shoulders but your supervisors, your agencies, and state regulating bodies that create policies that dictate how this work is done. We’ve come a long way but don’t stop now.

April is National Humor Month! 😆 Laughter truly is the best medicine. It has the power to lift our spirits and brighten our days. Did you know that maintaining a positive attitude and enjoying a good laugh can also have physical and mental health benefits? Humor can reduce stress and even improve cognitive function in older adults. Learn more at Benefits of Humor: https://bit.ly/3TDPgZ5

I just submitted two projects to this year's Information is Beautiful Awards! Just in case I don't make the cut, I am sharing links to both projects here. Thin Ice: Exploring the Human Dimension of Mental Health and the City https://lnkd.in/gPT9yBjg Redlining Makes Us Sick: How the legacy of redlining contributes to poor health conditions today https://lnkd.in/ggTNnzww #IIBAwards #dataviz

🇨🇭 Rethinking mental health care 🇨🇭 Regrettably, I missed the opportunity to attend such a crucial discussion event during these uncertain times, especially considering the widespread #mentalhealth challenges people around the world are facing. I sincerely hope that the discussions during the event yielded insightful perspectives and proposed new directions for evaluating our approach to mental health. It is essential that we emphasise the importance of integrating available #technologies into the treatment and prevention of #mentalillness, ensuring that individuals receive the most comprehensive care possible. By leveraging #innovative technologies and reevaluating our methods, we can strive to provide more effective, accessible mental health support. It is only through a collective effort that we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by mental health challenges. https://lnkd.in/g2JWynW5

In this final video, Chair David T. Woodward (District 1) concludes the Annual Report video series by sharing how the Board has helped make mental health resources and programs available to Oakland County residents over the past 12 months.    To learn more about the accomplishments of the Board of Commissioners last year, read the complete Annual Report at https://lnkd.in/eNjbCd9E.

I make it a point to prioritize my own mental health and wellbeing and believe that Mental Health Awareness Month can be a time to do 3 simple things: 1. ACKNOWLEDGE how we are doing, how we are feeling, and what we need to find peace, balance, and mental wellbeing. Pranayama breathing has worked well for me. Feel free to try it for yourself. https://lnkd.in/e77ESCr5 2. LEARN more about mental health conditions and offer support to the people in our lives that are struggling with acute or ongoing mental health challenges. https://lnkd.in/e5tXeZq7 3. RECOGNIZE those that have committed their lives, either through vocation or caregiving, to those in need of mental health support. THANK YOU! The work may not be easy but it is absolutely necessary and appreciated. #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #wellbeing #mindfulness

Pleased to share this piece I wrote with the World Economic Forum and Prof Finkelor for World Mental Health Day, highlighting the importance of safeguarding children’s mental wellbeing in the digital era and spheres. We note: * The power of technology offers many opportunities in the digital age, but also poses challenges – particularly for the mental health of young people. * With more than 5 billion people using the internet, it is vital to have a collective understanding on potential online risks to children and adolescents. * On World Mental Health Day, all stakeholders must work together to empower children to navigate the digital world, while prioritizing mental wellbeing.  * And we point to two important new resources:  What Works to Prevent Online Violence against Children published by the World Health Organization, which outlines strategies and actions to protect children online  And the Typology of Online Harms — aimed at categorizing and unifying perceptions of online threats impacting mental health, published by The World Economic Forum's Global Coalition for Digital Safety  By fostering digital citizenship and collaboration with a focus on mental wellbeing, we can equip our children with the mental resilience and knowledge they need to thrive in the digital age while safeguarding their mental health and ensuring a brighter future for all.    Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/ervgv9Yg 

From personal experience and as an investor into mental health care my awareness is heightened on this disparity. ✴️ Let me put this as straightforward as I can: it is a matter of life and death. Period. ☝🏼 While patients can’t financially afford out of network, they can’t afford to wait in long waiting lines for in network either, their life depends on timely treatment. ☝🏼 While providers want to help, their hands are tied so to speak, as they feel the impact of sustaining a living with this type of health insurance disparity. “The report, which covers commercial insurance data for over 22 million Americans between 2019 and 2021, found: 👉🏼People are forced to seek care from higher cost, out-of-network providers for mental health and substance use treatment – at far higher rates than for other medical and surgical care. Out-of-network network use was 3.5 times higher for mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) treatment compared to medical/surgical (M/S) treatment, meaning people with mental illness have to pay more for their care. 👉🏼Mental health providers are routinely paid less than other M/S providers. Average in-network office visit reimbursement was 22 percent higher for M/S clinicians than for MH/SUD clinicians, disincentivizing MH/SUD providers from joining insurance networks and making it harder for people to access mental health care within their network. “ The struggle is real. But we cannot give up. Read on…