Direct Counseling Practice Analyst Paper

Direct Practice Analyst Paper

The African American youth are disproportionately affected by mental health illnesses due to the social, economic, and political challenges pervasive in their community. Black youth are at a higher risk of developing mental health illnesses due to inequalities in society that adversely impact their lives than their white counterparts. More than 9% of the youth reported a major episode of depression in the past year, and only 40% of this population sought treatment (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2021). The 46% of the white counterparts who reported an episode of depression were treated. The CDDC reported that the suicide attempts in the black community for children between 10 to 19 years had increased by 73% from 1991 to 2007 (Klisz-Hulbert, 2021). The low rates of seeking treatment for mental health challenges among African American youth have in part been associated with the stigmatization of individuals who have been diagnosed with mental health illnesses, lack of awareness about the mental health condition, lack of access to mental health facilities, or lack of social support to seek treatment (Lucksted et al., 2012). The interventions that will be reviewed is the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) family program by way of education to equip families with a diagnosed patient with the necessary skills to assist their family member with mental health illness seek the necessary treatment, create a comfortable home environment, and be prepared to deal with a mental health crisis in case it emerges.

Dr. Joyce Burland developed the NAMI family-to-family program in 1991. The program is a 12-week course taught by families who have to live with mental illness and have undergone training. The course involved the development of skills and knowledge that can help the ill family member. The model emphasizes support, self-care, education, and problem-solving (Klisz-Hulbert, 2021). The NAMI program has been adapted to different languages, such as Spanish, in different states in the U.S. that cater for their unique differences in their societies to address the unique cultural challenges that may adversely affect the management of mental health illness within a family and in the society. The program has been used across the country, with more than 300,000 people have taken the course and 3,500 people being certified as trainers (Lucksted et al., 2012). The efficacy of the program lies in equipping the families that have a member who has been diagnosed as well as the patient with the necessary knowledge to identify symptoms, manage social relations with the diagnosed member, maintain family members wellbeing, and understanding of the medication’s impact on the ill family member.

The NAMI program was preceded by the family blame norms where the family was blamed for the lack of seeking the necessary medical care or for the existence of the disorder. This predisposition was caused by misinformation about mental health in the communities. For example, in African American communities’ people who are advised to seek professional help might fail to do so since mental health treatment may end up being labeled “crazy” (Klisz-Hulbert, 2021). The caregivers of diagnosed children might also hesitate to seek mental health treatment since they might be sensitive to social stigma. Further, in some instances, the first encounter with the mental health system is unsuitable or displeasing, or undesired, making it difficult for the families and caregivers to pursue or find the most suitable course of treatment for their child.

The Maryland Family-to-Family (FTF) education program conducted a study to examine the efficacy of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for families with adult or young members living with a mental health condition. The researchers found that the FTF reduced the burden and distress and improved mental health awareness, self-care, empowerment, and resulted in the family being more functional. The study was conducted by recruiting the participants through flyers, the local NAMI Web sites, mental health, and social services in the five boroughs in Maryland and New York City. New York was selected since it has the highest number of people using the program, 15,000 annually, and is a trusted representation of the individuals living with mental health illness at the local and state level (Noonan, Velasco-Mondragon & Wagner, 2016). The New York division of the NIMA has been providing training to families with a member living with mental illness for more than 25 years and has a large history of data. The data used in the study also used secondary data to make it possible to examine the efficacy of the strategies applied in the study.

The strategies applied to examine the measures applied in addressing the challenges associated with mental health knowledge, serious mental illness, and coping strategies were evaluated using the Family Empowerment Scale, McMaster Family Assessment Device general functioning subscale, the Brief COPE Inventory, and the Family Experience Interview Schedule. An inventory of self-care for individuals who have attended the program was conducted using the self-Care Inventory and a knowledge index adopted from the program’s curriculum (Noonan, Velasco-Mondragon & Wagner, 2016). The effects of the study observed in Maryland were reflected in New York. Some of the core milestones that were realized were improving coping, empowerment, family functioning, self-care, and knowledge. Further, the study showed a reduction of the subjective burden experienced by the diagnosed family members that were consistent with the examined qualitative resources.

Other identified benefits accrued to the participation in the NAMI program were positive reframing and emotional support. The applied score cards verified that, indeed, the NAMI program assisted the participant in improving their self-care habits. The identified benefactors of the program are not only the diagnosed family members but also their immediate family. The program helped these families avoid overlooking their welfare and their perception of what they must do and created the perception that their wellness was just as important (Olin et al., 2013). The promotion of social support for the ill family members was found to create the functionality of the family members as a testament to the program’s efficacy by the participants (Zarit & Femia, 2008). Notably, the program alleviates all the ethnic boundaries that may limit the willingness of affected families to participate.

The NAMI FTF renders the participants with emotionally focused benefits that facilitate the acceptance of the mental health condition as an illness that needs treatment like any other disease. The acceptance of the mental health condition renders an array of benefits in seeking medical help whenever the symptoms begin emerging (Zauszniewski, Bekhet & Suresky, 2010). Further, the families are equipped with critical skills, such as communication, to resolve internal family affairs more amicably (Turkington & Spencer, 2018). After attending the course, families are also equipped accordingly to deal with emotional difficulties. Further, individuals who did not attend the program in its entirety found that it reduced the depressive symptoms significantly and the general distress (Olin et al., 2013). The program also informs the affected families of other support groups that are available in their vicinity. Such mutual interventions create a continuous measure for managing an individual’s social interactions and keeping them aware of their mental health state. For example, people living with mental health illnesses that might have drug abuse problems might be directed into support groups that help addicts stay from abusing the respective drug and practice behaviors that prevent the use of drugs.

The NAMI program’s advantage is that it makes it a suitable intervention to address the disproportionate effects of mental health illness among African American youth. It is financed partially or fully by the National Institute of Health. The children living in disenfranchised communities may lack mental health due to a lack of resources or facilities to cater to their needs (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2021). The program’s implementation does not require a lot of resources that do it an easily integrable service in the community healthcare system by the municipal. Locale is encouraged to donate to the program to allocate the municipal health funds (Dixon et al., 2011). The acknowledgment of mental health crises among the black youth has made it possible to develop policies to address these crises. Notably, the program’s efficacy in dealing with mental health conditions has led to its acknowledgment as a suitable measure for families to develop skills and the necessary knowledge to overcome the challenges of handling a family member diagnosed with a mental health disorder.

Integrating a spiritual component in the course of counseling in the NAMI program also equips families and the diagnosed family member to be more optimistic in life. Integration of a Christian view of the world complements the strategies thought in psychotherapy. Developing a spiritually integrated approach to psychotherapy with the treatment of a patient could facilitate the acquisition of skills that are otherwise difficult to practice in another social setting other than a spiritual setting (Rodriguez, 2020; Estrada et al., 2019). For example, attending church groups and masses creates a point of interaction and an easy way for the patient to avoid the recline to isolation. For example, among Christians, the teaching about the sanctity of life and the need to preserve and take of one’s health makes it possible for patients to overcome suicidal tendencies and focus on a positive approach to life, eradicating any suicidal thoughts.

The challenges in the implementation of the NAMI program lie in the creation of awareness of the service. Since the issues of mental health illness are still perceived as a taboo topic. The administrators need to employ different marketing strategies for the program to meet the needs of families experiencing the mental illness of their family members for the first time (Serene Olin et al., 2013). For example, flyers in regions where the myths about mental health illness as demonic possessions might be destroyed, denying the people who need this service. More so in such a community, access to critically needed care (Estrada et al., 2019). Therefore, to make the services accessible in such communities, more innovative measures should be taken in the firm’s marketing strategies. For example, the use of online advertisements on Facebook and Instagram targeted for the pick use times in a specific region might increase the awareness among the residents of this region about the availability of the program to seek help.

While the program is integrated into the local community health centers, its use or recommendation by the health care professionals and follow-up is not proactive. Consequently, there should be proactive e measures to recommend the program to families with a member living with a mental health condition and follow up on the progress in the program. Management of these challenges will increase the efficacy of the NIMA program among African communities and lower the prevalence of untreated mental health illness among African American youth. Developing a positive attitude towards treatment and education of not only the family but also the community is critical to eradicating the social stigmatization of mentally ill youth.