Posted: September 4th, 2022

Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health NURS 6050

Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health

NURS 6050

Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid
Identify the Population Health concern you selected.
Mental health
Describe the Population Health concern you selected and the factors that contribute to it. National Institute of Mental Health indicate that at least one out of five American adults live with mental health problems. However, the average period between onset of symptom and treatment is 11 years (NAMI,2021). Mental health and suicide issues started to climb in 1990s. United Nation’s guidelines encouraged nations to develop strategies to address mental health (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, 2012). Congressional resolutions a national problem and its prevention a national priority. Since then, national reforms have been made to counter mental health.
Administration (President Name) President Biden President Trump President Obama
Describe the administrative agenda focus related to this issue for the current and two previous presidents.
President Biden gave an executive order to eliminate the constraints placed by the former administration on ACA and Medicaid (Department of Health and Human Services, 2021).
President Trump made attempts to alter and repeal the ACA, an act that would affect healthcare delivery to millions of low-income communities. Although the act was not completed, its alteration affected delivery of mental healthcare to low-income communities. In 2021, Trump presented a 24 percent increase in funding for the behavior workforce programs. Trump gave an executive order indicating mental health need is a national priority (Yan et al., 2021).
In 2012, Obama placed the Affordable Care Act into action to cater for health issues such as mental health. In 2016, Obama signed 21st Century Cures act to ensure mental healthcare workers were receiving appropriate funding, training, and recruitment. Obama administration encouraged reforms to enhance mental healthcare delivery (Levin, 2016).
Identify the allocations of financial and other resources that the current and two previous presidents dedicated to this issue.
The administration through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) gave an extra $10.7 million to expand pediatric mental health access. ARPA gave $2.5 billion to counter mental health issues and addiction. The amount was subdivided into $20 million towards mental health and $20 million towards Youth Suicide Prevention Programs and $100 million for education grants on mental health issues (Department of Health and Human Services, 2021).
President Trump allocated $15 million for a new Assertive Community Treatment. $425 million in emergency funds and $175 billion grant program and other healthcare entities (Yan et al., 2021).
President Obama allocated $500 for mental health. Obama increased National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) budget by $56 from $1.434 billion to $1.489 billion to facilitate mental health research. $482.5 million for the Mental Health Services Block Grant and $7.5 billion for mental health care for veteran affairs (Levin, 2016).
Explain how each of the presidential administrations approached the issue.
President Biden approached the issue proactively increasing funding, eliminating barriers, and promoting wider coverage (Department of Health and Human Services, 2021).

President Trump made an attempt to repeal ACA, an issue which created barriers to access to mental healthcare (Yan et al., 2021).
President Obama was effective in handling the issue by increasing coverage among low-income communities (Levin, 2016).

Part 2: Agenda Comparison Grid Analysis
Using the information you recorded in Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid, complete the following to document information about the population health/healthcare issue your selected
Administration (President Name) President Trump President Obama President Bush
Which administrative agency would most likely be responsible for helping you address the healthcare issue you selected?

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institute of Health are the best placed to address the problem. National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and CDC.
Department of Health and Human Services, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
How do you think your selected healthcare issue might get on the agenda for the current and two previous presidents? How does it stay there?
The mental health issue can get into the agenda of the current president since it has been declared Congress as a national problem that require national priority. Post-Covid-19 era presents diverse health issues relating to mental problems.
The Trump administrative gave an executive order to counter the rising cases of mental health issues in 2021 during the pandemic.
Mental health issue was a priority for the Obama administrative since he was concerned about the mental health issues affecting the low-income communities.
Who would you choose to be the entrepreneur/ champion/sponsor of the healthcare issue you selected for the current and two previous presidents?
I would choose the Bill Clinton Foundation and NBC’s Dr. John Torres
I would choose the Bill Clinton Foundation and NBC’s Dr. John Torres
I would choose the Bill Clinton Foundation and NBC’s Dr. John Torres

Fact Sheet
Mental health is an essential social and economic problem affecting the society today. The American nation is falling victim of increasing number of people who report different types of mental illness. During the pandemic, the rates have gone up due to the economic and social-related stress. Appropriate and early interventions are needed since statistics indicate that the average period between onset of symptom and treatment is 11 years (NAMI,2021). Mental health issue has been a subject of debate in the United Nations, showing the severity of the problem both at local, national, and global scale. United Nation’s guidelines encourage nations to develop strategies to address mental health (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, 2012). The Congress needs to do more in terms of legislation to address mental health problem.
President Obama, Trump, and Biden have given various financial allocations with strategic actions to counter the problem with minimal success. The mental health issue should be part of the legislation to address the problem and other related issues. For instance, the recent cases of mass shootings reveal that the suspects were mentally disturbed. Children in school continue to suffer mental problems due to financial challenges at home, the risk of a shooter at school, and their future. Social issues such as marriages and interactions have been affected by depression and stress. Veterans continue to suffer mental health issues due to their experience in war. The government should consider including the mental health issue in the legislation since the problem affects different sphere of millions of Americans. The inclusion will provide a national debate and implementation of strategies to counter the problem across American states.

References
Department of Health and Human Services. (2021, August 27). Biden-Harris Administration invests $10.7 million in American rescue plan funds to expand Pediatric Mental Health Care Access. HHS.gov. https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/08/27/biden-harris-admin-invests-nearly-11-million-for-pediatric-mental-health-access.html
Yan, B. W., Hsia, R. Y., Yeung, V., & Sloan, F. A. (2021). Changes in mental health following the 2016 presidential election. Journal of general internal medicine, 36(1), 170-177.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). The Policy Process [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Levin, A. (2016). Obama signs landmark legislation with major mental health provisions. Psychiatric News, 52(1), 1-1. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2017.1a10
NAMI Applauds President Biden’s Efforts to Strengthen Access to Quality, Affordable Health Care [Press release]. https://www.nami.org/Press-Media/Press-Releases/2021/NAMI-Applauds-President-Biden-s-Efforts-to-Quality-Affordable-Health-CareNational
Institute of Mental Health (n.d.). Mental Illness
National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.

References

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