Results of Public Input after the 1.9.2015 MHSA Innovation Meeting
| When you hear "reducing disparities" regarding mental health access/outcomes, what does that mean to you? | In Marin, which populations do you think are most in need of “Innovative” efforts to reduce disparities in Mental Health access/outcomes? (i.e., Which populations seem hardest to effectively reach with existing mental health service including: Race/ethnicity and/or Age and/or Geographic and/or Other?) |
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For West Marin, when I hear this term, I think about how we have inequitable services across unincorporated West Marin. There are many residents who cannot easily access services because of transportation and/or lack of services. If there are services available it is decentralized and then there are large gaps between who benefits from services and who is left out. For a more uniform and equitable outcome I would create a mobile clinic situation that would serve geographic areas in a rotation format. Though we have many proactive, engaged residents, the services that exist for these residents are somewhat obscure because they exist within programs that are not out in the community. I would suggest making an effort to write an article for the newspapers( Point Reyes Light, WMCitizen, Stone Soup, the Hearsay News and the Muir Beach Journal), get interviewed on KWMR radio and/or do some outreach to resident populations who would benefit from services that the county of Marin offers. |
Latino men, women and children, socio-economically disadvantaged men, women and children, senior citizens, homeless people and underserved youth and their families. Though we have 3 youth centers in West marin, there is no coordinated programming that is supporting the staff of these center, the members of the youth center program and the families of the children enrolled in the youth center programs. We need to have youth centers in unincorporated West Marin integrated into a system that allows these stakeholder to be in partnership with experts who can help provide services to their target populations. |
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Emotional wellness activies such as yoga, recreation, gym, travel, access to a pool, good nutrition, alternative medical treatments, safety, information to improve competencies, expressive arts, and positive social connections are some of the services/activities needed. Services need to be more integrated and provided by more people of color. |
Isolated, poor, youth and elderly people of color-single parents living in Marin City. People who have not finished high school any age. |
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Reducing Disparities means that people who need services will have access to services that meet their needs. Disparities can result from because of cultural or language differences, economic circumstances, age, geography, special needs or other circumstances that prevent or limit access to services that are available to others or services that address their particular needs. |
Populations in rural areas are most affected by lack of local services. There is not sufficient trained staff in our outlying West Marin to serve the needs of our community. Especially hard hit are middle class families and individuals whose income is too high to qualify for the safety net programs available for the very lowest income groups and not high enough to pay for mental health services available to the more wealthy. A combination of locally placed programs, especially in underserved San Geronimo Valley, training, supervision and funding for paraprofessionals and first responders, and certification programs for substance abuse professionals would go a long way in moving towards reduced disparities in mental health and other health services. |
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I believe that there is a huge disparity between those with public assistance, medical and medicare, and those with private insurance. Those with private insurance, within the county, do not qualify for many of the services.available. I know that the public services are overwhelmed . I also agree that giving mental health services to the private insurance sector is not the responsibility of the Marin county mental health services, however, if more work were put into increasing services available to private insurance people, then it should improve those services available to the public as well. |
We need to improve services available to those on the streets (including those in the hills and on the mountain). We, fortunately, are doing that, with extended mobile care services. |
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Reducing disparities, to me, means giving an outlet to the underprivileged to live to their potential. Knowing self worth and the potential one possesses can drastically reduce disparities.The disparities that many people face can differ from one another but ,from my perspective, the disparities that the low income population face can be altered through living with a purpose which can be attained through broadening their perspectives. |
I believe that the inner city youth (TAY Population) are in most need of innovative efforts. These youth possess the chance to make a difference in the near future and I believe that we need to equip our next generation with the tools necessary to succeed for a brighter future. |