Ready, Set, Go: Analysis of Health Organizations and Their Capabilities of Implementing New Initiatives

Ready, Set, Go: Analysis of Health Organizations and Their Capabilities of Implementing New Initiatives 

Sulay Thompson

Capella University

Introduction to Public Health Administrative Systems

Organizational Investigation

May, 2018

Ready, Set, Go: Analysis of Health Organizations and Their Capabilities of Implementing New Initiatives

As one of the founding members of the Command Center at Beeper Medical Services, a health care start-up company in New York City that focuses on providing patients with convenient, effective, and coordinate health care, I can attest to how crucial it is to collectively align the most efficient, effective, diverse, and powerful resources when implementing new concepts in our system. Therefore, in order to successfully plan out, implement, sustain, and scale new action plans within our health care system, it is crucial to reinforce communication and collaboration from stakeholders that are not only able to sustain the action plan through its funding, structure, and strengths, but that is also committed and dedicated to it wholeheartedly. In other words, for successful actions plans to take off, it is required that those organizations behind it not only are able to support, but are always willing to commit and dedicate to it in order to promote longevity, sustainability, and scalability through steady progression and improvement.

           Moreover, considering that suicide is the 10th leading overall cause of death in the United States, the 3rd leading cause of death for ages between 10 to 14, and the 2nd leading cause of death among those aged 15-24, it is evident that as a society, we must collaborate and communicate in order to address this ongoing, and unfortunately spreading, crisis throughout our society (National Alliance of Mental Illness, 2018). My action plan development is focused on the prevention, management, and treatment of mental illness amongst young teens and adults in our society through proactive observation, engagement, and management of mental health. In fact, although addressing mental health illness amongst young teens and young adults sounds like a daunting task, this particular subset of our demographics can be reached more directly and profoundly by infiltrating the action plans through a structure they are already familiar with and abide by, the educational system.

Additionally, my action plan addresses this crisis through the education system by, for example focusing more on mental health classes and even making it a requirement of equipping schools with psychologists, counselors, and social workers that assess and evaluate each and every student in the schools through scheduled quarterly check-ins, ascertains organization and structure within an already familiar organization. Therefore, the two organizations that I have decided possess the category, funding and strengths in order to successfully undertake my action plan include the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) and the American Psychological Association (Association). In fact, NAMI is our nation’s largest mental health organization founded in the year 1979 and is the leading advocate of mental health (NAM, 2018). In the same vein, the APA focuses on adequate care, treatment, and accessibility for those with mental health illness and hopes to advance the field of psychiatry through education and research (APA, 2018).

           NAMI and the APA are two of the leading stakeholders that can support, promote, and enhance my action plan. The success of the implementation of my action plan is strongly tied to how well these two organizations both provide the resources necessary and sync with the intended vision, mission and impact of the action plan. Therefore, in order ascertain success, it is crucial to study the intrinsic of both. For example, the NAMI is non-profit organization which ranked top 10 in charitable organizations in the year 1997. It is led by a total of 16 Board of Directors that are elected by its own members and advised by a total of four boards. The Peer Leadership Council consists of members directly affected with mental health illness and each represent one state, the Executive Directors Council, are the leadership of all the states and affiliates associated with NAMI, NAMI Service Members, Veterans and Families Council, that represent veterans or active duty members that either live with the a mental illness condition of have an affected family member, and finally the States President Council, that the presidents of each state affiliated with NAMI (NAMI, 2018). In the year 2018, The executive committee includes Steve Pitman, J.D., President, Lacey Berumen, Ph.D., M.N.M., C.A.C. III, First Vice President, Victoria “Vickey" Gonzalez, Second Vice President, Sen. Bob Spada, M.B.A., Treasurer and Adrienne Kennedy, M.A., Secretary. The directors themselves include Charma D. Dudley, Ph.D., FPPR, Jim Hayes, M.D, Shirley J. Holloway, Ph.D., Carlos Larrauri, R.N., B.S.N, Amanda Lipp, Jacqueline Martinez, C.P.S, Micah Pearson, Barbara Ricci, Catherine "Carrie" Roach, Dave Stafford, M.S, Gloria M. Walker, M.B.A (NAMI, 2018).

           In fact, the skills, knowledge, and resources that encompass the leadership of the NAMI has led to the formation of an impressive, unique, successful, and outstanding structure of the organization itself, proving it to be one of the most influential and powerful institutions in the field of mental health. The organizational structure of NAMI is divided into areas of specialization that work in collaboration through effective communication and unity. These areas include the division of Senior Leadership, Information Support and Education, Advocacy and Public Policy, Marketing and Communications, Field Advancement, Strategic Alliances and Development, Internal Strategy and Support, and Finances and Human Resources. Furthermore, aside from areas of specialization, NAMI is partnered with corporate and foundation supporters that help spread its’ mission, values, and accomplish its’ goals. Among its impressive supporters include Aetna, Anthem and Beacon which are directly associated with insurance companies responsible for financing care and services to its patients. Also, AOL, Yahoo and Comcast NBC Universal are amongst brand partners that help reduce the stigma attached to mental illness. Scientists, authors, and even actresses such as Mayim Bialik are extremely powerful ambassadors that benefit from their personalities and direct access to the public to help advocate the mental health movement. Nevertheless, greatly influential national organizations partnered with NAMI such as the National Institute of Mental Health help both raise mental health awareness and raise funds to continue supporting the advocacy for mental health (NAMI, 2018).

           Therefore, taking into consideration NAMI’s outstanding leadership, its sound and structured organizational systems, and the amount of support it receives from various sources, it is evident that NAMI is a strong organizational with a solid foundation and framework capable of supporting new initiatives, both locally and nationally. The impressive support of NAMI is apparent through analysis of its latest financial report available for the year 2016. According to financial analysis, NAMI had a revenue of 13 million dollars owing 77 percent of it to direct contributions; investments, and events contributing 3 percent each, while member dues and others contributed 2 percent each, the walks contributing to 8 percent, and the government contributing a total of 5 percent. Additionally, it is stated that the NAMI’s expenses consisted of 12.8 million dollars; 28 percent of it allowing for program and membership support, 23 percent allowing capacity building, 14 percent spent in advocacy and development each, while 16 percent was spent on education and 6 percent in administration. The fact that NAMI’s revenue is greater than its expenses, resulting in a profit, and that 14 percent of its expenses is put towards advocacy and development further supports the idea that the organization possess the structure and financial capabilities of supporting new initiatives (NAMI, 2018).

           Although analysis of NAMI proves that its framework is steady, solid, and set up for further success and development, it is important to also further inspect its strengths and limitations. NAMI’s greatest strengths are found in its stable and specialized organizational system with a financial constitution that proves to be profitable, in its ability to raise awareness of the mental health movement through impactful and powerful partners that are resourceful in disseminating advocacy and movement, and its programs. A close look at the most recent list of accomplishments of NAMI available points out that it has been successful in allowing mental health reform to be signed into laws, in building the mental health movement, and promoting participation from the public. For example, in the year 2016, NAMI was able to allow 230 thousand petitions to senate leaders, it recruited approximately 60 thousand new fan across new platforms, and 300 countries signed an initiative called Stepping Up, which is aimed at maintaining those with mental health illness away from jails (NAMI, 2018). These statistics support the fact that NAMI could possibly be the most influential and powerful stakeholder in my intended plan of action. Regardless of its power, public health management principles, specifically legislation and the current state of our government, signing new and local initiatives such as my proposed action plan into national and state laws could prove to be more difficult.

           An organization that also possess its strengths and limitations, and is very focused on providing the public with professionals that are competent, willing, and ready to address mental health issue is the APA. The APA is also a non-profit organization founded in 1892 and is currently the largest organization representing the field of psychiatry in the United States. The APA is currently chartered in the District of Columbia and initiated a Good Governance Project in order to improve and strengthen their governing system. The president of this organization is elected by the entire membership and is the leader of the Council of Representatives and Board of Directors. In fact, the current president of the APA is named Jessica Henderson Daniel, PhD, ABPP and is the head of the Board of Directors which compromises of a total of 12 leadership member including 6 members at large and 6 officers. In the current 2018 year, the 6 members at large include Helen L. Coons, PhD, ABPP, Stewart E. Cooper, ABPP, Le Ondra Clark Harvey, PhD, Mitchell J. Prinstein, PhD, ABPP, Peter L. Sheras, PhD, and Frank C. Worrell, PhD. The 6 officers include the president of the APA herself and President-elect Rosie Phillips Davis, PhD, Past President Antonio Puente, PhD, Recording Secretary Jennifer Kelly, PhD, ABPP, Treasurer Jean Carter, PhD, and Chief Executive Officer, Arthur Evans. Additionally, the APA’s governance also consists of the Council of Representatives, which is the legislative body and is responsible for policies and income, and of volunteers compromising the Boards and Committees (APA, 2018).

           An organization focused on equipping professionals with the utmost psychological knowledge, the APA is structured with 115,700 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students as its members. Its staff includes psychologists with doctorate level degrees that work in settings such as academic research, private psychology practice, K-12 schools, hospitals, the armed forces, court systems, prisons, business and industry and the VA. These staff members have a variety of responsibilities including the creation of content for public health education, advocacy for federal policies and legislations, and the provision of benefits and outstanding customer services. Although not specified by name, the APA also participates in strategic partnership similarly to NAMI which help with advertising display panel charging stations, aisle banner danglers, shuttle bus branding, print advertising, print advertising in the APA Daily promotional inserts in Doctors Bag, and APA Daily/Psychiatric News distribution bin. Adding further to its dynamic structure, the APA consists of 54 different divisions that consist of interest groups organized by members. These specialized divisions allow for advocacy and focus on many diverse public health issues including two that are of particular interest to my action plan; child, youth, and family services, and the children’s division. Furthermore, due to its’ solid financial state, the APA allow for 600 scholarships, grants, and awards which it sponsors along with other organizations (APA, 2018). 

           A further analysis on the APA’s 2015 financial states shows that it receives support from the American Psychiatric Organization, which generated a total revenue of approximately 60 million dollars during the year 2015 with a profit of over 90 million dollars (APA, 2018). Therefore, from a financial stance, together with the variety of divisions available which allow for specialization make APA also a strong, stable, and solid structure capable of expanding divisions to accommodate growing public health concerns. In addition to its investment in education and research, the organization also positions itself as a pioneering organization that invests its resources in the development of mental health professionals capable of undertaking even the most complex and profound mental health illnesses. However, in terms of limitations in relations to mental health illness amongst teens and young adults, the APA seems to possess a few limitations. For example, the research conducted greatly reinforces the idea that APA mostly focuses towards the professionals involved in mental illness and their particular advancement. When researching for a division specifically focused on mental health illness affecting teens and young adults, there were no results that turned up on their website. Additionally, public health management principles such as effectiveness and accuracy the targeted population in my action plan, teens and young adults, as well as focus primarily on health rather than health care some limitations that are present in the APA as a possible stakeholder.

           Finally, after thorough research, comparison, and contraction, the organization chosen to carry out my action plan is NAMI. The factors that formed part of this decision were its preparedness, financial stance, and advocacy and commitment to reform. NAMI is a highly structured and specialized organization, and amongst its branches is Advocacy and Public Policy which proves to have the resources, knowledge, and skills to undertake a new initiative Also, financially, the analysis of NAMI’s financial report proves that the organization itself is profitable and able to engage in new undertakings without sacrificing its resources available. While the APA’s financial analysis has proven to be stable, most of it seems to be more dedicated to professionals and the specialization of psychiatry. In terms of advocacy and reform, NAMI has proven to be so influential that it has reached from the public, to professionals, to individuals in the entertainment business, to legislation in the Senate. The fact that NAMI supports my targeted population which is mental illness in teens and young adults through a program called NAMI Ending the Silence for Students makes it the organization with more influential power towards implementing my action plan. NAMI Ending the Silence for Students features a presentation for middle and high school students informing them of facts, statistics, and warning signs while educating them on how to seek help in crisis (NAMI, 2018).

           In conclusion, it is important to acknowledge that new initiatives that foster change and progression in our health care systems must focus on not only the health of the individuals within our society but equally as important is how their health is delivered, the professional it is delivered by, and with what intentions, commitment, and dedication. A veteran of the healthcare system, one of the truths that I can attest to is that patients pay close attention to how invested those involved managing their care are, including their dedication and commitment. Time after time again, I have witnessed how patients shut down and isolated themselves because they have felt that the professionals around them simply do not care and/or try enough. Therefore, moving forward in advocacy, in implementation of new policies, it is important to remember that the focus remains on those that we serve and how we serve them in particular. It is crucial to keep in mind that promotion of new initiatives can only be sustainable if those it serves are helped and they feel appreciated, acknowledged, and involved in the decision making. NAMI’s main focus is the population it serves and through educational classes, special programs, hotlines, and even walks NAMI makes the public feel, know, and understand that at all times, throughout all stages, they are the number one priority.

References

American Psychological Association. (2018). About APA. Retrieved from

https://www.apa.org/about/index.aspx.

American Psychiatric Association. (2018). Annual and Financial Reports. Retrieved from

https://www.psychiatry.org/about-apa/read-apa-organization-documents-and-

policies/annual-and-financial-reports.

American Psychological Association. (2018). Divisions. Retrieved from

https://www.apa.org/about/division/index.aspx.

American Psychological Association. (2018). Governance. Retrieved from

https://www.apa.org/about/governance/index.aspx.

National Alliance of Mental Illness. (2018). Meet The Staff. Retrieved from

https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI/Our-Structure/Meet-the-Team.

National Alliance of Mental Illness. (2018). NAMI: Ending the Silence. Retrieved from

           https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/NAMI-Programs/NAMI-Ending-the-Silence.

 National Alliance of Mental Illness. (2018). Our Finances. Retrieved from

https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI/Financial-Information.

 National Alliance of Mental Illness. (2018). Our Partners. Retrieved from

https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI/Our-Partners.

National Alliance of Mental Illness. (2018). Our Structure. Retrieved from

https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI/Our-Structure.