Kallie McKinney

Reflection
Mr. Robert Brown
UWRT-1103-007 Spring 2015
5/4/15
Mental illness is a problem, in most circumstances, in its own being but when you bring
in the factor of health coverage and treatment for that problem it becomes an even bigger
problem. A double problem seems like a reason to investigate.
This issue appeals to me because I have close acquaintances and family members who
have mental illness and have not received treatment. This topic is powerful because it affects
many people and money is involved. In my definition, power means control and having the
means to make a significant change; but in the American and first world definition I think power
includes money and status. Before even researching this topic, I had heard that treatment for
certain cases of mental illness are extremely expensive, hence the money involvement which
leads to power which leads to importance of such topic and in most cases controversy.
My research for this topic was fairly easy. Finding sources that had quality information
did not take long. Some sources I encountered did not showcase the full source. Only an abstract
would be available. In those cases, I returned to the previous page and continued my searching.
Other than that occasional run in with an abstract, my researching was a smooth ride. I was able
to easily tell if a source was credible or not because there were an abundance of sources which
had the essentially the same information. For example, many sources talked about the Affordable
Care Act.
From my research I learned that mental illness is now being covered more than it was
under certain health insurance plans via the Affordable Care Act and other legal actions. This

was a positive aspect of the topic showing progress, but there were other sources that showed the
progress isnt enough and more needs to be done. Not all insurance plans cover mental illness
and not all mental illnesses are covered. How many employees a company has can determine
whether that companys health insurance plan will cover mental illness.
My perspective did change in the manner of realizing that there is something being done
about the problem but then I sink back closer to my former view when I see that there are so
many restrictions and catches. Overall, I understand that the change is just beginning and
eventually the health care system will move in the right direction with dealing with this problem.
The article that was most helpful to my work was the pdf file titled Frequently Asked
Questions. It was most helpful because it showcased quality information pertaining to my topic
and was short and sweet and to the point. From this piece, I have learned how to tell if a source is
of decent quality by using the codices test. Also, the process of researching for this project has
taught me that there are so many places to find information; all you have to do is look and if that
fails there is always another place to look.

Annotated Bibliography

Kallie McKinney

"I Believe in Equality for the Mentally Ill." Tricia. 16 June 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
http://thisibelieve.org/essay/101624/
This source is an essay written by Tricia from New Hampshire published on the website
thisibelieve.org. In this essay, Tricia talks about how she believes in equality for the mentally ill.
Her main focus was to say that mental illness should be treated the same as physical illness. She
mentions the stigma associated with mental illness but also touches base on the interaction at
doctors offices and thats why this source is important to me. There is a problem within the
healthcare system when it comes to mental illness and something needs to be done about it.
Wellstone, Paul, and Pete Domenici. "Frequently Asked Questions." Anthem Blue Cross.
Web. 30 Apr. 2015.
https://ga.beerepurves.com/news/carriernews/anthem/MentalHealthParityFAQBrok
erABCCA052109.pdf
This source is a pdf file that includes information about the 2008 Mental Health Parity
Act, its conditions and most frequently asked questions about the Act. Revealed in this file is the
progression that actually is taking place but is still not enough in my opinion. The Act covers
only some conditions and does not even require mandating of benefits for a mental health plan. It
also only covers businesses with 51 or more employees.
"Getting Treatment During a Crisis." NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Web. 30 Apr. 2015.
http://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Treatment/Getting-Treatment-During-a-Crisis
This website discusses the different ways the healthcare system responds to a crisis
involving mental illness. Those types range from residential service, stabilization units, extended
observation units, hospitalization and types of hospitalization, and emergency rooms. The reason
this I liked this source was because it talked about the hospitalization and the details included
which was the part that I considered a problem with the response to the mental illness situation.
Hospitalizations stays arent long enough in my opinion and there arent near as many beds
available as there needs to be.
"Mental Health 60 Min." YouTube. YouTube, 26 Jan. 2014. Web. 1 May 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCfL9fW4bEg
This video is a special done by 60 Minutes on the topic of mental illness. In the video, a
senator talks about his experience with his son who suffered from mental illness and also how
they both suffered the consequences of his mental illness and the lack of quality care from the
health care system. A group of parents who have children with mental illness are featured in the
special as well and they talk about their trials and tribulations dealing with the healthcare system
and their children.
McKinney, Kallie. Practicum Blog (2015).
http://kmckinneyportfolio.weebly.com/journal.html.
During my last visit with my human experience guide, Kevin, we talked about the
problems with the way mental illness is handled in the healthcare system and my view was
broadened because most of my sources that I had researched through were evidence, at least to

me, that gave off a negative vibe. In Kevins view, the system and the government has gotten
somewhat better in recognizing that mental illness is an actual problem that the US is facing.
"Knowledge of Mental Health Benefits and Preferences for Type of Mental Health
Providers Among the General Public." : Psychiatric Services: Vol 51, No 2. Web. 2
May 2015. http://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps.51.2.199
I find this source to be valuable because it discusses what the public actually knows about
mental illness in the health care system including if insurance plans people have include mental
illness coverage. Sadly, it is extremely outdated but that shouldnt take away the value it held at
that time. The means of discussing what the public actually knew was through a survey that was
conducted that revealed most people knew about their insurance plan but there was still a
percentage who knew almost nothing, which is a problem. To fix this, we must educate
ourselves!
Koyanagi, Chris. "How Will Health Reform Help People With Mental Illnesses?" Web. 3
May 2015. http://www.bazelon.org/LinkClick.aspx?
fileticket=HJ7Q6AM8AHM=&tabid=218
This piece is an analysis of the 2010 Affordable Care Act and its affect on those with
mental illness. I value this source because it discusses the reality of people not having access to
health insurance in the first place but also how the Act plans on fixing that problem as well.
Anything involved in this topic is discusses in this article, most importantly whether or not it will
be affordable.
"New Insurance Policies Must Cover Mental Illness." Kaiser Health News New Insurance
Policies Must Cover Mental Illness Comments. 9 Jan. 2014. Web. 3 May 2015.
http://kaiserhealthnews.org/news/mental-illness-an-essential-benefit-sidebar/
Showcased is a positive short summary of the federal act and the parity law that changes
the game for those with mental illness. This source emphasized the change of not allowing denial
of coverage because of pre-existing conditions which sets the mood for the positivity of progress.
By reading about all of the positives at once, it makes all the negatives seem much smaller at the
time.