The problem with the way occupational therapists address mental health issues

This report also states that mental health expenditures may not be keeping pace with the growth of health care spending in general, and that proportionally there has been a shift over time where more money is being spent on pharmaceuticals and less is being spent on inpatient care.  As a final point,"Three out of every ten dollars spent on MH treatment are expected to go for retail purchases of prescription drugs in 2014, up from 23 percent in 2003. Specialty and general hospitals are forecasted to account for 22 percent of total MH expenditures (down from 28 percent in 2003), physicians and other professionals for 16 percent (up from 14 percent in 2003), and MSMHOs for 10 percent (down from 13 percent in 2003)." I try to understand this in terms of Daniel, because statistics are kind of meaningless when they are out of context of what they are supposed to represent.  By my understanding, there is plenty of money for mental health services in some places, and a lot of it is going toward medications.  Daniel has gynecomastia, probably from his meds, but the service providers in his school don't think that he has any needs for services.  He is destroying everything in the house, but there are no real services for the family to access except for 911.  The parents are grasping at straws, and that is why they show up in my office praying for a sensory processing disorder miracle cure.That is about as blunt as I can put it.  I hope...
Source: ABC Therapeutics Occupational Therapy Weblog - Category: Occupational Therapists Tags: OT Education OT practice school-based practice Source Type: blogs