D025: Essentials of Advanced Nursing Roles and Interprofessional Practice

This assignment is a policy brief. I’m not sure how many references is required, I entered (5). I’m not sure of how how pages, but I entered (5). I’m guessing from the pre-filled forms that was shown by WGU, which I will also forward to the writer. My SMART Goal was based on advocacy by addressing the society connected to substance abuse related to an increase in opioid overdose deaths in Orleans Parish in Louisiana, challenges and educating the community, financial resources for mental health/substance abuse services in Orleans Parish, age group starting at age 36, income level <50,000/year, accessibility to care, canvasing the community to assist with life saving drugs for those at risk for overdose of opioids in the Orleans Parish community.

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Solution

 

 

 

  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Education Policy

 

(Student Name)

Western Governors University

D025: Essentials of Advanced Nursing Roles and Interprofessional Practice

(Course Instructor Name)

Date

 

 

 

 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Education Policy

 

Executive Summary

Summary of the Context and Scope of the SDOH in My Community

The community in Orleans Parish is made of a predominantly African-American population. In many instances across the US, most communities with a high number of people of color have been relegated to segregated and isolated communities. This perpetuates cycles of hardship through different avenues, such as limited employment opportunities, lack of access to capital, and limited housing. Such challenges result in the emergence of substance abuse and mental health issues as some people in the community try to cope with the social and economic hardships they encounter. According to the DEA, drug-related deaths in Orleans Parish nearly doubled from 2015 to 2016, with nearly 78% of overdose deaths being opioid-related.

Summary of How the Proposed Policy will Address the SDOH in My Community

The adoption of substance abuse and mental health education policy in Orleans Parish would help to reduce cases of substance abuse and drug overdose deaths in the community. Therefore, the policy would help educate members of the community on how to avoid abusing substances and provide social support and health resources for individuals struggling with addiction and mental health issues.

Proposal of Persuasive Course of Action for Policy Makers

Policymakers in Orleans Parish need to adopt the substance abuse and mental health education policy to address the issue of substance abuse and increasing drug overdose deaths in the region.

 

 

Context and Scope

Social Determinant of Health (SDOH) in My Community

Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born in grow, live, work, and age (Gumà et al., 2019). Therefore, social determinants of health include different factors such as education, neighborhood socioeconomic status, employment, the physical environment, and social support networks, and access to healthcare services (Islam, 2019). In Orleans Parish, the main SDOH’s include socioeconomic status, education, physical environment, neighborhood, and unemployment, contributing significantly to the increasing cases of substance abuse and drug overdose deaths.

Data to Support the SDOH

Orleans Parish is located in Southeastern Louisiana.   It is the county in which the city of New Orleans is located. By 2019 the population of Orleans parish was estimated to be 390,845 people. Of this population, 61.2 percent of the people are black, 29.8% were white, 4.7 % Hispanic, 3% Asian, and 1.2% others (Census Bureau, 2021). As a result of racial segregation associated with a history of Louisiana, racial and ethnic groups are concentrated differently across Orleans Parish. The index of dissimilarity that shows the rate of segregation in an area highlighted that the rate of the dissimilarity between white and black populations of Orleans parish was 65.5% compared to 56.2% across the whole state of Louisiana (Gobetz, 2021). This shows a high level of segregation in Orleans Parish. In many instances across the US, most communities with a high number of people of color have been relegated to segregated and isolated communities.  This perpetuates cycles of hardship through different avenues, such as limited employment opportunities, lack of access to capital, and limited housing (Islam, 2019). Orleans Parish has predominantly black neighborhoods with high unemployment rates, violent crime, and resource deprivation. These social issues increase the prevalence of substance abuse, including opioid addiction in Orleans Parish. Social, economic conditions also play a significant role in the health status of people in Orleans Parish, including their susceptibility to substance abuse.  Poverty has remained a pervasive issue in Orleans, with nearly a fourth of the population representing 24.6% in Orleans Parish having incomes below the federal poverty line. This is a high number compared to only 18% across the state of Louisiana and 14.4% nationwide (Census Bureau, 2021). The high poverty rates in Orleans Parish increase the susceptibility of the population to depression and other mental health issues and to substance abuse as a way to cope with hardships. The high poverty level in Orleans Parish is also associated with lower levels of educational attainment in the region. Among adults above the age of 25 in Orleans Parish, 13.5% of the population had less than a high school diploma which was higher than the national average of 12 %( Gobetz, 2021). Orleans Parish also has a high physician-to-patient ratio compared to Louisiana and the national average highlighting the few health care facilities in the region (Census Bureau, 2021).

Three Characteristics of Target Population Affected by SDOH

The three main characteristics of the population in Orleans Parish affected by the social determinants of health include being poor, lower educational achievement, and lack of access to social support and health care services.

 

 

 

Identification of Appropriate Policy Maker(s) or Legislator(s)

The appropriate policymakers who can help introduce substance abuse and mental health education policy in Orleans Parish are the New Orleans Department of Health officials. Officials in this department can therefore be able to lobby the Louisiana state legislature to adopt and fund the implementation of the substance abuse and mental health education policy. These would include the secretary of Louisiana department of health, Dr. Courtney N. Philips and the director city of New Orleans health department Dr. Jennifer Avegno.

Why the SDOH Requires the Policy Maker’s Attention

The SDOH requires policymakers’ attention because Louisiana and Orleans Parish have witnessed the highest spike in drug overdose death in the past decade. According to the DEA, drug-related deaths in Orleans Parish nearly doubled from 2015 to 2016, with nearly 78% of overdose deaths being opioid-related (DEA, 2017). This shows that substance abuse has become a significant public health challenge in Orleans Parish and requires the intervention of policymakers.

Current Policy or the Effect of Not Having a Current Policy

Currently, there is no clear policy to address the public health challenge of substance abuse and mental health issues in Orleans Parish. The lack of a clear policy to mitigate the challenge of substance abuse and mental health issues in Orleans Parish results in an increasing prevalence of substance abuse in the region and increasing rates of drug overdose deaths. The lack of a clear policy also makes it difficult for individuals struggling with substance abuse issues to find social and healthcare support services.

Ethical Implications of Current Policy or Absence of Existing Policy

The lack of substance abuse in mental health education policy in Orleans Parish relates to the ethical principle of justice. As the majority of the population in Orleans Parish is black, the issue of racial discrimination and lack of equitable distribution of resources, including healthcare resources, is evident.

 

 

Demographics Table

Substance Abuse	Statistics/facts	Summary of statistics/facts	Source for statistics/facts
Demographic Information	61.2 percent of the people are black, 29.8% were white, 4.7   Hispanic, 3% Asian, and 1.2% others.	Majority of population is black	census.gov.
	The index of dissimilarity that shows the rate of segregation in an area highlighted that the rate of the similarity between white and black populations of Orleans parish was 65.5% compared to 56.2% across the whole state of Louisiana	High level of segregation in Orleans Parish. In many instances across the US, most Communities with a high number of people of color have been relegated to segregated and isolated communities. This perpetuates cycles of hardship through different avenues, such as limited employment opportunities, lack of access to capital, and limited housing.	datausa.io
Risk Factors	Nearly a fourth of the population represented by 23.8% in Orleans Parish have incomes below the federal poverty line.	High poverty rates in Orleans Parish	census.gov
	Among adults above the age of 25, Orleans parish had 16.1% of the population with less than a high school diploma which was higher than the national average of 14.7%.	Low levels of educational attainment	datausa.io
Trends in SDOH Over Recent Year(s)	Poverty rate rose from 23.8% in 2012 to 24.6% in 2020.	Rising poverty levels in Orleans Parish	census.gov
	The population of adults above the age of 25 with less than a high school diploma decreased from 16.1 % in 2012 to 13.5% in 2020.	Slight increase in education levels in the past decade in Orleans Parish.	datausa.io

 

 

 

Policy Proposal and Implementation Plan

Two Policy Alternatives to Address the SDOH

There are different policy alternatives that can help address the challenge of substance abuse in Orleans Parish. One policy alternative would be to view the issue of substance abuse as a criminal issue and use law enforcement agencies such as the DEA crackdown on drug users and peddlers. On the other hand, another policy alternative would be to view the issue of substance abuse as a health issue. This would therefore lead to the adoption of a policy that supports health interventions towards a problem of substance abuse in Orleans Parish.  The best practices related to the law enforcement policy would entail arresting and prosecution of drug peddlers and drug users. In contrast the best practices related to substance abuse and mental health education policy would entail health promotion campaign targeting drug users and setting up of rehabilitation facilities and programs across the Orleans Parish area.

Preferred Policy

The preferred policy to address the issue of substance abuse and increasing drug overdose deaths in Orleans Parish is the substance abuse and mental health education policy. According to the DEA, drug-related deaths in Orleans Parish nearly doubled from 2015 to 2016, with nearly 78% of overdose deaths being opioid-related (DEA, 2017). This shows that substance abuse has become a significant public health challenge in Orleans Parish and requires the intervention of policymakers.

How the Desired Results of the New Policy will Optimize Health in Community

The adoption of substance abuse and mental health education policy in Orleans Parish would help to reduce cases of substance abuse and drug overdose deaths in the community. The policy would help to educate members of the community on how to avoid abusing substances and provide social support and health resources for individuals struggling with addiction and mental health issues. Support services targeted to drug users would therefore help promote both physical and mental health through mental health services and services to promote holistic wellbeing of the target audience.

Financial Costs and Benefits of Proposed Policy Alternative

            The implementation of the substance abuse and mental health education policy in Orleans Parish would cost the state government at least $10 million. This cost would be allocated to different programs including research and preventions, public assistance and social services among other programs.  Such programs would help save Orleans Parish more loses because according to Recovery Centers of America, (2020) drug abuse costs the US nearly US $442 billion annually .The costs of treatments for every drug user is also estimated at $11,600  which helps avoid $34, 000 losses  if no treatment is taken(Recovery Centers of America, 2020). The economic gains of substance abuse treatment is therefore clearly evident. The benefits of the policy will be significant in that it would help prevent a significant proportion of the population from substance abuse and increase the productivity and economic contribution of this population to the community.

Two Ethical Implications of Proposed Policy Alternative

The implementation of substance abuse and mental health education policy would help promote the ethical principles of justice and beneficence. The community in Orleans Parish would, therefore, directly benefit from the policy while the African American population, which is the majority in the region, would access healthcare resources leading to a more equitable and just society. The substance abuse and mental health education policy would bring ethical dilemmas related to autonomy among drug users that are enrolled to the program against their will. The second ethical dilemma that would arise from the policy would be non-maleficence especially in the treatment programs.

Barriers to Implementation of Proposed Policy Alternative

The central barriers to the implementation of substance abuse and mental health education policy in Orleans Parish will be the lack of financial and human resources.

Communication Methods used to introduce the Proposed Policy

The communication methods that would be used to introduce the substance abuse and mental health education policy would include the use of social media platforms and traditional media such as radio, television, and newspapers. The policy makers will therefore use social media platforms and traditional media to communicate with the target community and to pass different health promotion messages. These messages will therefore help to mitigate the problem of drug abuse.

Potential Results of Inaction

The potential results of failure to implement the proposed substance abuse and mental health education policy would include a rising number of substance abuse and drug overdose-related deaths in Orleans Parish over the years.

 

Reflection

Change Agent Description

The main change agents that would trigger the implementation of substance abuse and mental health education policy in Orleans Parish would be the directors of the New Orleans health department and the professional nursing organizations. The professional nursing organizations would therefore help to trigger policy change through advocacy efforts. On the other hand the directors of the New Orleans health department would receive policy implementation proposals, draw up and approve substance abuse and mental health education policy.

 

 

Knowledge and Skills to Develop

The knowledge and skills that would be developed in coming up with a policy proposal include collaboration and advocacy, and communication skills. All the members of the substance abuse and mental health education policy implementation team would therefore be required to communicate with each other clearly so as to enhance continued and sustainable commitment to public policy action. On the other hand all the members of the policy implementation team would require effective collaboration skills to come up with different activities and programs to deal with the challenge of drug abuse in Orleans Parish.

 

 

References

 

Census Bureau. (2021). US Census Bureau QuickFacts: Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Census Bureau QuickFacts. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/orleansparishlouisiana

DEA. (2017). Opiate Overdoses and Naloxone Administrations in New Orleans (No. 161). https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2018-07/BUL-161-17%20Opiate%20Overdoses%20and%20Naloxone%20in%20New%20Orleans.pdf

Gobetz, W. (2021). Orleans Parish, LA. Data USA. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/orleans-parish-la

Gumà, J., Solé-Auró, A., & Arpino, B. (2019). Examining social determinants of health: the role of education, household arrangements and country groups by gender. BMC Public Health, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7054-0

Islam, M. M. (2019). Social Determinants of Health and Related Inequalities: Confusion and Implications. Frontiers in Public Health, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00011

Recovery Centers of America. (2020, October 28). Economic Cost of Substance Abuse in the United States, 2016. https://recoverycentersofamerica.com/economic-cost-substance-abuse/