Mental health support is an important resource for everyone, at all stages of life. Just like it’s important to have physical health checkups, you need to nurture your mental health. Unfortunately, there are many barriers that prevent people who need it from receiving mental health support. According to a 2022 survey by Mental Health America, 56% of adults suffering from a mental illness receive no treatment.1
It’s important to break down these barriers and make mental healthcare more accessible. It’s also important to know what your options are. However, in order to break down barriers, it’s also important to know what barriers exist. Here are some of the barriers that come up most often, and how Rivia Mind can help:
#1 - Long Wait Times
According to the National Council of Mental Wellbeing, the average wait time to receive behavioral health support is 6 weeks.2 These long wait times began to come out in full force with the COVID-19 pandemic but often continue to this day. This means that you could make the decision to reach out for help, only to find that you’ll have to wait a month or more before anyone can see you. This can be deeply disheartening, especially if you’re already hurting.
During the pandemic, author and attorney Natasha Bowman, sought mental health support. She had been admitted to an inpatient behavioral health facility and diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She struggled to find a mental health provider who was able to help her, and wait times were a large part of this. But then she found Rivia Mind. “One of the first things I noticed on their site was that they had appointments available within 24 hours,” she explained in a recent YouTube video.3 “Again, I had gone for months at a time waiting for an appointment in the past.”
How Rivia Mind can help: Rivia Mind works with a wide range of mental health providers, which allows us to be more available when our patients need us. We pride ourselves on maintaining availability within 24-48 hours, so when you need support you can receive it.
#2 - Insurance Issues
Insurance issues are another barrier for many when receiving mental health support. Without insurance, patients have to pay out of pocket, which can be a steep price that not all can afford. But for some, finding a mental health provider who works with their insurance can prove difficult. And then if your provider leaves, or if you change insurance, you may have to go on the hunt all over again. This can extend the wait time before you’re able to reach a provider who can help you, as well.
How Rivia Mind can help: Rivia Mind works with most insurance companies. This means that when you reach out to us, you will most likely be able to find a skilled and compassionate provider within your network. This will save you money and make the process of finding a provider less exacerbating. We also have competitively low self-pay rates for those whose insurance isn’t covered.
If you do not see your insurance provider listed on our site, please submit the insurance eligibility check form and we will get back to you within 48 hours about your individual benefits, individual coverage can vary.
#3 - Culturally Competent Care
Everyone has their own unique experiences and background that gives context to their mental health. But a mental health provider who doesn’t understand that context can actually do harm while trying to help. This was another barrier that Natasha Bowman faced when trying to find help after her bipolar disorder diagnosis.
“When I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and shared my diagnosis with my family, many of my close family members no longer wanted to be associated with me,” she described. “As you can imagine, this was devastating to me. When I shared this experience with the mental health professionals I was seeing at that time, they had difficulty understanding the cultural stigma of mental illness in my community. Because they lacked cultural competency, they could not guide me through this obstacle meaningfully.”
Culturally competent care is essential to truly helping individuals heal. Unfortunately, this is often lacking when mental health provider networks do not prioritize diversity and inclusion.
How Rivia Mind can help: Natasha said it herself. “What sets Rivia Mind apart is its commitment to inclusivity. They have a wide range of mental health professionals from different races, cultures, and providers who specialize in working with women and the LGTBQI and transgender community.” Rivia Mind makes a point to hire providers from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, so that we can be sure to provide culturally competent care to a wide range of patients.
#4 - Limited Care Options
When Natasha first began to search for mental health support, she was not only stymied with long wait times and a lack of culturally competent care, but a limit in care options. At one point she found herself paying $300 for one 15-minute appointment. Many providers were able to prescribe her medication for her mental healthcare, but were not able to meet her unique mental health needs.
This is a common refrain for patients reaching out for mental health support. Everyone’s mental health looks different, but when providers do not take the time or have the resources to tailor the care to their patients, patients may miss out on crucial treatment options.
How Rivia Mind can help: To start, we offer a free 15-minute consultation when you first reach out to us. There, you can determine whether Rivia Mind is a good fit for you at no cost. Longer appointment times are also a boon to patients.
“I also discovered that Rivia Mind also offered longer appointment times,” Natasha said, “so instead of just providing medication management, they would support my full care—not just prescribe and meet with me for fifteen minutes once a month for a refill, but actually talk with me and understand my unique needs that went beyond my bipolar disorder diagnosis.”
We offer a combination of psychotherapy (talk therapy) and pharmacotherapy (medication management). Our team works to develop a treatment plan that meets your unique needs, and takes time to check in with you and see how your treatment is going.
Want to learn more about how Rivia Mind is breaking down barriers to mental health treatment? Contact us today to learn more or to find a provider. Our skilled and compassionate providers have availability within 24 hours and the cultural competency to help you.
Resources:
- Access To Care Data 2022 – Mental Health America
- Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics Providing Expanded Access to Mental Health, Substance Use Care During COVID-19 Pandemic – National Council for Mental Wellbeing
- Rivia Mind Alt Ending – Natasha Bowman’s YouTube channel
