The groups described above and well as those in the readings are just some of the groups who have greater difficulties obtaining mental health care than the general population. Others with specific barriers include people who are chronically ill, immigrants and refugees, people with developmental disabilities, people living in poverty, and people with substance abuse disorders.

Select a specific population for whom access to services is a significant issue. This can be one of the groups mentioned above or some other group suffering from mental health disparities. Find two programs or policy initiatives currently being undertaken that are designed to overcome barriers to receiving mental health care for this population. You can get your information from journal articles, newspapers, the Web, etc. Describe these initiatives and discuss the merits and challenges of each