Workplace Mental Health and safety Crisis in Illinois. Teacher’s feedback: attached below.? The new topic or thesis topic: Barriers limiting access to mental health care for low income people

For this assignment, you will investigate the history of the contemporary issue or program that you identified in your first paper. Your paper will make an argument in response to the following question: “What social, cultural, political, economic, and/or legal phenomena played an important role in giving rise to my issue or program?”

Regardless of your topic, there is not one correct answer to this question. History unfolds in reaction to a variety of forces. You could make an argument about how many different social, political, economic and/or legal phenomena gave rise to your issue or program. But to write a strong, focused paper, you’ll need to pick an angle and make a concise argument. Depth is more important than breadth. In other words, don’t try to cover everything. Instead, tell me a lot about an aspect of history that you think is particularly important in shaping your contemporary issue or program.

In order to pick your angle, you’ll need to do some research!

Required Sources

Your paper must draw on at least four scholarly books or peer-reviewed journal articles that you found in the Brookens Library database. Scholarly books and journal articles are distinct from government documents, websites, book reviews, newspaper, or magazine articles.

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First things first: Before you submit your next paper, I need you to revisit when and how to cite your sources. You were

missing many, many in-text citations in this paper. Remember that you need to cite your sources when you're using

information beyond the common sense. You can get help with your citations from the UIS Learning Hub. If you'd like to

make an appointment with me to chat, I'd also be happy to help you. Since this is a 400-level class, it's really important

that you cite your sources correctly.

As a whole, I had a hard time determining your focus and how it related to our class. On the one hand, it seemed like you

wanted to focus on safety in the workplace. On the other hand, it seems like you wanted to focus on access to mental

health care. It wasn't exactly clear to me how you see either relating to poverty or the social safety net. If you want to

focus on the lack of access to mental healthcare, I suggest you drop the workplace angle and instead focus on the poor's

lack of access to mental healthcare. Health care in the United States is privatized and most people receive insurance

through their workplace. When people receive insurance through work, it's not really considered a social safety net

program. However, lots of people lack good jobs with good benefits. In those cases, people often turn to the government

for help. Those few government programs are considered social safety net programs.

As your contemporary problem, you could focus on the barriers low-income people face in accessing mental healthcare.

For your historical paper, you could focus on efforts to expand mental healthcare to people within their communities

during the 1970s. You could check out the work of Anne Parson, for instance. Alternatively, you could focus on previous

calls to establish universal healthcare, untied to workplaces. For this, you could check out the work of Jennifer Klein. You

could also focus on the history of Medicaid and efforts to expand it.

If you wanted to focus on safety in the workplace, you could example the history of the Occupational Health and Safety

Administration, the government agency that regulates safety at work. Regardless, you'll really need to decide on your

specific contemporary issue before moving forward. Next time, too, make sure you're indenting your paragraphs and

ensuring that your work is largely typo-free. You were also missing one new source.

Workplace Mental Health and Safety Crisis in Illinois

Mental health issues are prevalent in almost all the states in America, and Illinois is among

the most affected states. Interventions by public health are usually directed toward high-risk

populations and environments, one of them being the workplace. Most American adults

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spend 75% of their time in the workplace, and research indicates that it is the top cause of

mental health issues among this population. A Public Health Summit held in 2018 indicate

that “approximately 63% of Americans participate in the labor force and the workplace

represents an often-neglected setting for focused prevention efforts”. Numerously, Illinois has

reported mental healthcare crises that most affected the workforce in the state. The crisis was

high during the COVID-19 pandemic when most workers lost their jobs due to the closure of

businesses. According to Chicago Business News (2022), Illinois is facing an economic

burden and challenges due to an unproductive workforce affected by mental health problems.

Workplace mental health crisis in Illinois has been a standing problem for many years. Since

the year 2009, the state of Illinois has been experiencing high budget cuts due to mental

health services and initiatives. A press release by the State Government of Illinois on Friday,

June 10, 2022, indicates that the problems the state is trying to solve have been a menace for

ten years. Since 2015, cost-cutting plans in the state have always focused on the mental

health sector. Most of this stress are acquired due to the workplace and high demands from

employers. The Increase of workplace mental health problems in the state over the years was

connexted to the lack of enough mental health facilities and mental health professionals.

Lawmakers in Illinois started focusing on laws that promote mental health after the COVID-

19 pandemic hit in 2020. The legislators are now advocating for tax credits for all employees

in the state of Illinois.

A news article published on WTTW News by Hernandez Acacia indicated that workers are

fleeing Illinois due to poor compensation and the pressure experienced because of the

COVID-19 pandemic. Most workers in the state are battling mental health issues, and those

willing to seek mental healthcare lack access to facilities and professionals. A state official

stated that “workers are fleeing because of overwork burnout dealing with COVID. The

opportunities for greater compensation are available elsewhere. Fortunately, due to legislative

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reasons recently, we’re going to see a change with respect to reimbursement and the ability to

pay a fair wage to those workers” (WTTW, News, 2022). The schedules and wait periods for

workers to see mental health professionals are too long, and most individuals have become

unproductive. Workplaces and organizations do not have mental health therapists or social

workers who can handle the mental problems facing workers.

Another report by 25 news in August (2022) indicated a rise in mental health challenges in

Peoria county in Illinois. According to the report, within a week, three suicide attempts are

reported in the county. Reports provided by healthcare centers in the county indicate that

most victims are workers, and their stressors are outside the home. Workers were receiving

salaries that wasn't enough to cater to tough economic times, meet basic needs, and pay

school fees. Most of these people are at work every day and have no time to seek mental

healthcare or counseling. An indication that most employees in the workplace are suffering

from mental problems such as stress and depression and lack ways of expressing their

problems can be assumed.

There is a need for a workplace in Illinois that upholds the mental health of workers, and

ensure they are healthy and safe while working. Employers in Illinois should partner with the

government to ensure there are enough healthcare professionals in the state to provide mental

health services to those in need. There should be laws requiring all workplaces in Illinois to

have mental therapists or social workers who can provide guidance and counseling services

to employees at work.

The issue of the workplace mental health crisis in Illinois relates to this class as it highlights a

potential problem that is affecting productivity in society. It also points out how legislators

and laws come in to solve problems. Workplace health and safety are essential issues that are

outlined under The United States law. When an individual is not protected in the workplace,

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their family is affected, as well as the whole community. Therefore, this topic is an essential

learning point on how the health of workers is neglected in different states and the effects of

workplace mental health crises.

References

25 News (2022). Mental health concerns might be on the rise in Peoria County. Retrieved

from https://www.25newsnow.com/2022/08/15/mental-health-concerns-might-be-

rise-peoria-county/

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Chicago Business News (2022). Illinois lawmakers aim to stem mental health worker

shortage. Retrieved from https://www.chicagobusiness.com/forum-ideas-workplace-

mental-health/illinois-lawmakers-take-aim-mental-health-crisis

Illinois.gov (2022). Governor Pritzker Signs Legislation Increasing Mental Health Workforce

in Illinois. Press Release. Retrieved from https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-

release.25035.html

public Health Summit (2018). Mental Health in the Workplace: A Call to Action Proceedings

From the Mental Health in the Workplace. Retrieved from

https://journals.lww.com/joem/fulltext/2018/04000/mental_health_in_the_workplace_

_a_call_to_action.5.aspx

WTTW News (2022). New Law Meant to Increase Mental Health Care Workforce in Illinois.

Retrieved from https://news.wttw.com/2022/06/14/new-law-meant-increase-mental-

health-care-workforce-illinois