Prof. Name

Date

 Preliminary Care Coordination Plan

Care coordination is essential to delivering high-quality care to patients within the healthcare system. It becomes more crucial when the hospital confronts budget constraints, and the limited staff has to be managed for various roles. As a staff nurse, I have been assigned this new care coordinator role, and my responsibility is to craft a preliminary care coordination plan for residents of the Northwest Washington community facing mental health disorders.

For this purpose, I will delve into physical, psychosocial, and cultural considerations while creating a care coordination plan for managing mental health disorders. Moreover, I will make specific and realistic goals for these community residents that can enable them to cope with their mental health ailments. Lastly, I will identify community resources that the affected community can utilize to improve their mental health.

Analysis of Mental Health Disorders and Associated Best Practices

Mental illness is a global health issue that has been impacting people of all ages, from children, teenagers, adolescents, and adults to older people. A mental health issue is relevant to the disturbance in an individual’s thinking, emotional dysregulation, and behavioral issues. A vast range of mental health disorders prevails in society, including mild anxiety, trauma, sleep problems, panic attacks, and depression, with a prevalence of 28 million people worldwide, whereas psychosis, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and bipolar disorders are impacting 40 million people. Schizophrenia is affecting 24 million people globally (World Health Organization, 2022).

While mental health issues are exponentially growing within societies, the gap between the need for treatment and its provision is widening due to stigma, shame, and other factors. While the physical consideration of mental health disorders includes the onset of various medical conditions such as fatigue, hormonal imbalance, digestive disorders, and headaches, patients may experience psychosocial needs such as social isolation, emotional dysregulation, and limited physical activity. Additionally, there are some cultural considerations, such as cultural beliefs and stigmas hindering patients from seeking mental health professionally, which must be considered while making care coordination plans.

Best Practices for Improving Mental Health

The best practices for improving mental health among community residents include seeking professional help to obtain an accurate diagnosis for mental health disorders and prevent other medical disorders. This includes consulting with mental health therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists for thorough assessment and diagnosis (Reardon et al., 2019). Other practices include engaging in psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy, to manage the mental health illness associated with anxiety and depression. This will improve the psychosocial needs of mental health disorders and overcome social isolation.

The CBT also improves emotional well-being and mental health (Stefan et al., 2019).  Physical activity and exercises promote mental well-being by improving patients’ ability to endure negative thoughts and improve behavior change, such as setting goals, planning activities, and self-monitoring. All these changes lead to a better mental state, improve overall mental well-being, and prevent social isolation (Smith & Merwin, 2021). Educating people about the existence of mental health disorders and running anti-stigma campaigns on these topics can reduce the stigma and shame associated with mental health disorders. This will encourage patients and their families to seek professional help to alleviate their suffering (Walsh & Foster, 2021).

Underlying Assumptions and Points of Uncertainty 

The assumptions on which this analysis is based include mental health services and timely diagnosis, which can prevent the long-term effects of these health issues. Additionally, improved mental health can lead to better academic performance, improved relationships, and an overall healthy community. This analysis has some particular points of uncertainty, such as the availability of mental health support within the community that can alleviate the suffering of mental disorders in affected people. Moreover, the literacy level and acceptance of change among the community dwellers on the subject of mental health issues is another uncertain point. 

Specific Goals to be Established to Address Mental Health Disorders

To address mental health disorders, specific and realistic goals should be established. The goals should be