Improve access to mental health services

Pillar: Treat
Goal: Improve access to care and improve treatment for 75% of PWH by 2025.
Strategy: Improve access to mental health services.
Target: Everyone

Key Activities:

High Priority and Disruptively Innovative

  1. Create small group sessions led by mental health professionals, possibly available online.
  2. Build network of mental health providers, including those who can provide free care.
  3. Identify barriers to linkage to mental health services.
  4. Create awareness of mental health needs on social media (possible topics: stress reduction methods, self-care).
  5. Use local champions to advocate for getting help with mental health.
  6. Create a survey (randomly administered) to assess patients’ need to seek mental health assistance. The survey will ask questions about recent experience with a range of emotions and unusual behavior, for instance.
  7. Provide mental health services at existing testing facilities with trained, experienced HIV professionals.
  8. Increase number of providers (public and private) able to utilize Ryan White funding for mental health services.
  9. Engage individuals who have been providing mental health care to PWH to get their input and help to streamline the process of providing mental health services.

Key Partners

Elected officials, Mental health professionals, Nonprofits, University training programs for mental health professionals

Potential Funding Sources

  • Grants, In-kind hours

Estimated Funding Allocation

  • $2000 social media ads
  • Therapist/Licensed Counselors
    Fee- $50,000

    Total: $52,000

Outcomes

(Reported annually, locally monitored more frequently)

  • # of PWH participating in mental health groups
  • # of mental health providers who accept Ryan White

Monitoring Data Source

  • Mental Health America