Final Project Milestone One

Problem Identification:
Northwest Center for Behavioral Health requested a grant in the amount of $200,000to
contribute to the creation of an adolescent-only mental health program within the facility. As an
all-inclusive mental health center, there are plans to set aside a unit for adolescents only that will
focus on preventing, diagnosing, treating and helping in the recovery of teens affected by
depression and depressive disorders. Northwest Health Behavioral Health center provides
services to patients with the aim of helping them stay healthy, understand their mental status and
lead better lives by identifying problems and addressing them.
Prevalence:
The center provides mental and emotional health services to all regardless of gender, age,
and even the ability to pay. However, due to budgetary cuts in Oklahoma, the center’s ability to
provide psychotherapy services to its patients was affected. Budgetary cut appropriations
impacted 73,000 patients seeking psychotherapy services in Oklahoma (The Oklahoma
Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, 2021). The center too was affected,
forcing it to also cut on the provision of these services. Patients lost services while others
experienced significantly reduced services.
Suicide rates among adolescents have been on the rise in Oklahoma. Since 2006, there
has been a 41% increase in suicide rates among young people aged between 10 and 24 (Banzet-
Ellis, 2012). According to data by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is
the second leading cause of death in Oklahoma for people ages 15-34 (American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention, 2021). Suicidal thoughts affect an adolescent’s life in many ways, including

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their interpersonal interactions and ability to succeed in school. Depression and mental illness
have been established to be the leading contributing factors to suicide. Depression affects
adolescents, and the effects could be felt for as long as the individual lives if no proper
intervention and treatment is received. More than 80% of people with depression can be treated
successfully with psychotherapy, medications or both (American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention, 2021). The adolescents in Oklahoma deserve a better chance of prevention,
diagnosis, interventions, and even treatment. This can only be possible if the centers are well
equipped, and there are adequate professionals to provide care to this category of the population.
A program is needed at the Northwest Center for Behavioral Health center that will
provide care specifically to adolescents. If resources are availed for this population, it will be
possible to implement preventive strategies so that adolescents receive the necessary help before
they fall into depression. If the problem is not addressed early enough, then the program will
allow for early diagnosis. The program requires funds to run, hence the reason the grant will help
make a difference in the lives of the young people in Oklahoma.
b. Assessment of Resources:
Northwest Center for Behavioral Health center provides mental health services regardless
of the patients’ ability to pay. However, the center’s ability to provide psychotherapy services to
patients in need of outpatient services has been reducing due to a decline in available funds. The
center provides care to all ages and genders. However, it lacks a program and unit set aside
specifically to provide care to adolescents in Oklahoma. The center requires $500,000 to set up a
unit and run a program specifically for adolescents. The program will include one on one
services, telehealth and other online services. At the moment, the center can establish the

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program, but it lacks the required finances to keep it running. At the moment, about $300,000 is
available to put in place the program and start providing services.
In this Covid-19 era, there is a need for the provision of online services, especially to
patients whose cases are not severe. If the center has a running online program dedicated to
adolescents, it will help the professionals address the needs of the adolescents. Also, the center
will require additional staff; this will allow the program to run independently and uninterrupted
since there will be professionals whose role will be specifically to handle the needs of the
adolescents either vising the center or seeking services online.
c. Impact of the Problem:
Issue: in Oklahoma, 10.3 percent, which is equivalent to 32,000 adolescents between the age of
twelve and seventeen, had at least one major depressive episode. The percentage has not changed
significantly in the last decade. The annual average of treatment for adolescents suffering from
MDE is at 44.6%. Thus, 55.4 % of adolescents suffering from depression do not receive any
form of intervention or treatment (County, 2019). Young people aged 11 to 17years have been
found to be more likely to experience symptoms of depression during the pandemic compared to
any other age group. The lack of adequate resources to provide services related to mental health
services to young people in Oklahoma has contributed to a crisis. Suicide rates and suicidal
thoughts among adolescents in Oklahoma has been on the rise in the recent past. This can be
attributed to the low intervention, prevention and treatment rates. Since resources are scarce,
only serious cases are attended to, and the rest are left suffering from their mental issues. If they
are not resilient, they end up committing suicide.

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What has been done: health centers such as the Northwest Center for Behavioral Health center
have been providing mental health services to patients regardless of their inability to pay.
However, reductions in budgetary allocations in the recent past has led to a decline in the
facilities’ ability to provide adequate care to all deserving patients. Some receive reduced
services, and others do not receive any services at all. Health centers continue to do what they
can, but financial constraints have been limiting their abilities.
Impact: lack of a program for adolescents at Northwest Center for Behavioral Health limits the
attention, resources and services provided to this population. The impact has been felt within the
community considering the high suicide rates among adolescents within Oklahoma. Lack of
resources has rendered the Northwest Center for Behavioral Health center unable to take care of
all the needs of all its patients. The effect is being felt within the community. Over 50 % of the
young people in Oklahoma do have receive treatment for their mental illnesses and depression.

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References

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (2021). State Fact Sheets. Retrieved 13th March
2021, from https://afsp.org/state-fact-sheets
Banzet-Ellis, G. (2021). Why is adolescent suicide on the rise in Oklahoma? – Family &
Children’s Services. Retrieved 13th March 2021, from https://www.fcsok.org/why-is-
adolescent-suicide-on-the-rise-in-oklahoma/
County, C. (2019). Oklahoma State Department of Health State of the County’s Health Report.
The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. (2021). The
Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Retrieved 13th
March 2021, from
https://oksenate.gov/sites/default/files/agencies_documents/FY18_ODMHSAS_BPR.pdf