One thing I wish I could write about in social inequality is access to healthcare services, especially mental health care. There are many groups that are discriminated against, oppressed, under resourced, and underprivileged to the point where their health and mental health is not in the forefront of their mind. I believe that all groups should have equal access to health care, health resources, and mental health services.
I think a really effective strategy would be implementing school-based health centers for children grades k-12. There are already some across Michigan, and there results are promising for improving the health and well-being of their students. Additionally, they are fully free services and available to students 24/7 throughout the school day. I believe this would also reduce the barriers to accessing healthcare for low income families and dual-working parents. Also, this is especially important in rural areas, where the closest practitioner or physician can potentially be over an hour away. Additionally, this would improve education around and awareness of health care and mental health care from a young age, possibly reducing health inequities among marginalized and minoritized communities as children age into adulthood.
Something this would not address are racial disparities in health care access. Because of the ways physicians and health care professionals are trained and the demographics of physician populations, this would do little to the lack of effectiveness in medical and mental health treatment for individuals of color, in this case children. Traditional medical and mental health systems were not designed for people of color, therefore this would need to be addressed in the training of anyone who were to work at the school-based health centers. These training programs could be comprehensive and focus on cultural sensitivity, anti-racism, and understanding the unique healthcare needs and barriers of diverse populations.
Additionally, I think there needs to be a focus on diversifying healthcare workforces and increasing representation of minority groups in health care and mental health careers, which would be a large step towards addressing the racial disparities we often see in healthcare access and outcomes. I believe this would also increase the partnerships with schools and communities, which would be beneficial for promoting collaboration and equality. Additionally, this could improve academic performance of students if there health needs are met quickly and properly, in turn, contributing to a more equitable society.
