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Mental Health reformation is a pressing, loaded topic which must be approached delicately, but with a great deal of vigilance.
In a sense I consider myself an advocate for the mentally ill, as I myself have suffered bouts of severe depression, and have attempted to seek treatment by various recourse over the past 8 years. The means have included involvement in an excellant partial program as well as individual therapy, and one very harrowing stay at a state hospital (self commital).
A very real part of the problem as far as funding in my opinion is that the standard healthcare provider for the average American is sparse in this arena. Part of that I believe is due to the stigma and misunderstanding often associated with varied forms of mental illness.
Often, too often when one approaches an employer with issues regarding a mental crises, the problem
albiet veiled in politically correct sympathies,
thinly veils what borders on disdain: I.E. the person is viewed as a risk at very best. The terminology for various mental illnesses enhance the mystique. The prevailing view seems to be that one can be shuffled off, patched up, pickled in pills, and can hence return unscathed to the daily grind. This is the nature sadly of many programs and it undermines the nature of such ailments as they are often progressive and demand ongoing treatment as would any other illness. This is not to say that one cannot cope with their problems and still maintain a relatively "normal" life, but i earnestly think more programs need to be geared towards awareness as well as relapse prevention. A person suffering from severe depression is often unable to lift themselves out of bed in the morning, let alone gather the reserves to maintain a regimented workday. A more aggresive campaign needs to be initiated as far as providing awareness and funding for these problems. All too often it seems programs are limited to brief "respites" and burdouned with heavy financial constraints. The price of medications is astronimical, and all too often I feel these are dispensed freely in lieu of therapy which i have found to be more effective and indeed cathartic. As a society we cannot afford this sort of dichomy. An example would be a local institution {which was majorly geared towards constructive therapy and intensive personal care as opposed the more classic pharmasutical approach.} was closed down due to lack of funding! Over 50% of the patients were declared indigents and released to simply roam the streets...many having no families or friends as they had been in the system for so long. This occurs in line with and in a sense might lead to the overpopulation of our prisons. {just an opinion}
In summation The only driving point is that one cannot simply bandage a festering wound. If a problem is not adressed and veiled in mystique it only worsens and fosters the stuff of nightmares enabling more misguided fears and taboos. Mental illness needs to be treated as such, for though the signs are not always as visible as they are manifest in other severe illnesses such as Cancer and Aids...the consequences are often just as dire.The great Irony is there often are means to cope and heal...they are just not readilly available...well sufficiently available.
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