Availability in D.C. of mental health services to minority neighborhoods

[Anonymous]

This is an unseen and unreported catastrophe. Covid has made the problem infinitely worse.


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447841/

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Use of Mental Health Services in Poverty Areas.

Bowser has done well, but she needs to do more here.

[Anonymous]

Are there any POC health care
Workers ?

[Anonymous]

This study was done in NYC, not DC. DC actually has quite good mental health services available to impoverished people, compared to other states (including surrounding ones).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any POC health care
Workers ?

Yes of course there are.

[Anonymous]

The mental health services can't get through to minority neighborhoods because the snow was not shoveled off the sidewalks. This is a travesty

[Anonymous]

Have had hit-or-miss experiences with DC mental health services for the homeless. Back in the fall I called DC mental health services to report two homeless people who were having a knock-down brawl, mental health services seemed completely uninterested - at least until I told them that my next call was going to be to MPD to have them come and arrest them. Only then did they seem to pay attention and start asking more about where it was happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The mental health services can't get through to minority neighborhoods because the snow was not shoveled off the sidewalks. This is a travesty

Snow free streets are more important for minorities.

[Anonymous]

Can we call these neighborhood low-SES? As DC changes demographically, a little othering to non minorities who may live in these underserved neighborhoods as well.

[Anonymous]

Our mental health system overall is absolute sh&t. Our insurance plans don't cover it, so of course there are not enough providers to meet the need. It's hard enough to get mental health care if you are middle class, if you are poor forget about it unless you have Medicaid and then good luck finding a provider especially if you require specialized care.

[Anonymous]

And now we'll have more mental health issues, thanks to covid. https://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/coronavirus/new-study-shows-a-significant-increase-in-the-risk-of-mental-health-disorders-after-covid/article_abfd9080-8434-5253-9dba-ae8d50e1659e.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our mental health system overall is absolute sh&t. Our insurance plans don't cover it, so of course there are not enough providers to meet the need. It's hard enough to get mental health care if you are middle class, if you are poor forget about it unless you have Medicaid and then good luck finding a provider especially if you require specialized care.

It varies. Actually the DC/Baltimore area — as difficult as it is — has more access to mental health services, particularly services for kids, than most areas, particularly for people with Medicaid. Which might give you some idea of the extreme lack of resources in many areas of the country.

[Anonymous]

Can you define for me what is a “minority neighborhood” in DC?

[Anonymous]

Mental health is expensive. Like other industries that cater to the well to do, those services are located where there paying customers are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mental health is expensive. Like other industries that cater to the well to do, those services are located where there paying customers are.

But of all places, surely DC can transcend that?

I mean, there is ample wealth in the region!