The Ghost Network: Mental Healthcare in Crisis

It is tragic that so many people who seek mental health care services are unable to obtain help. If a person is in crisis, days and even minutes matter. Imagine the frustration of desperately needing help and being shunned due to lack of access. That is the last thing a person needs who is reaching out for help. It may well exacerbate his or her depression, anxiety or trauma to be the victim of ghost networks.

I have made it a matter of policy that if someone reaches out to me for mental health care that I speak to the person and see if I can be of help. If not, I have a network of competent therapists to whom I can refer the client. If the person has no insurance, I make a referral to available community mental health services. No one should ever be left out in the cold when seeking mental health support. We as a nation need to do much better. I do my part by working 6 days a week. I would work 7 days a week, but self care is vital to be able to provide high quality care.