While celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Hope Network wants to initiate new dialogue surrounding mental health issues and how the community can provide better treatment.
To kick off the conversation, they are sponsoring keynote appearances by former U.S. congressman Patrick Kennedy in March. The son of the late Senator Ted Kennedy has personally struggled with depression and bipolar disorder, and since leaving office in 2011, he has been devoting his time to raising awareness about the issues surrounding mental health.
As the co-founder of One Mind for Research, Kennedy travels the nation advocating for removing the stigma about mental health and transforming policies relating to it. During his 16 years representing Rhode Island in the U.S. House of Representatives, he wrote and acted as the lead sponsor of the Mental Health Parity & Addiction Equity Act of 2008, which ensures access to mental health treatment to tens of millions of Americans who previously went without.
Kennedy is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Economic Club of Grand Rapids on March 25 and at the Lansing Regional Chamber Economic Club on March 26. Both events are open to the public and sponsored by Hope Network.
Since 1963, Hope Network has been helping individuals gain more independence through its statewide specialty health and community services. With a holistic approach of caring for the whole person, they treat brain and spinal cord injuries, mental illness, and developmental disabilities as well as assist with transportation, residential services, and job training and placement. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, they operate with 2,700 staff members in 240 locations throughout Michigan and provide services to more than 20,000 people each year.
How best to approach mental health is a complex issue and that's why Hope Network wants to initiate new conversations surrounding it in our state. Michigan is already one of the leading states in physical healthcare and now, with the proper focus and attention, it’s possible for our state to also be a leader in mental healthcare.
“We have a window of opportunity for Michigan to lead in this area,” says Executive VP Development & External Relations Ron Schutt.
Schutt is a former Hope Network executive now acting as an independent consultant leading select mission-based initiatives for the nonprofit organization. He believes there should be an increase in public access to mental healthcare and treatment works best if integrated with physical healthcare.
Right now, these two types of care often operate separately, but Schutt cites a study where the cost of treating a person's chronic physical disease -- diabetes, for example -- can be nearly 125 percent more when that person also suffers from a severe mental illness. He says this points to the need for a combined system so patients receive better care that costs less.
After the public Economic Club talks, Kennedy and Hope Network executives will meet to discuss specific ways for Michigan to better integrate mental and physical healthcare.
The stigma surrounding mental health is a common reason why many people don't seek treatment. In addition, people often don't know where to turn when they are facing mental health issues, especially if they are uninsured. And to make matters even worse, the State of Michigan has cut non-Medicaid mental health care funding by $44 million since 2007.
"This isn't necessarily about throwing more money at the issue," Schutt says.
He suggests we need to find more innovative solutions to the problem, including educating the public and reducing the stigma, while also integrating mental healthcare with physical healthcare.
When it comes to mental health issues, Schutt says it's important to diagnose the problem early and provide support before it becomes more severe. Early identification and prevention allow for much more cost-effective treatment as well.
If you want to know more about Hope Network’s mental health initiative or find out more about the March 25 and 26 events, here is some information:
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Donate to support Hope Network's Michigan Mental Health initiative.
- Download this
PDF file to learn more about Patrick Kennedy.
Source: Ron Schutt, Executive VP Development & External Relations (Schutt is a former Hope Network executive who is now an independent consultant leading select mission-based initiatives for the state-wide nonprofit.); and Craig Clark of Clark Communications.
Writer: Heidi Stukkie, Do Good Editor
Images provided by Hope Network and the Harry Walker Agency.
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