There is a mental health crisis in the United States, one that has been difficult to meet the demands of. State-run facilities do their best to aid those who are in need of care, but resources are stretched thin. Local facilities are unable to provide more permanent fixes or long-term treatments for ailments due to the vast numbers of patients. In Arizona, for example, where the number of mentally ill people reaches well over 250,000, the state simply has its hands full helping them all.
This is where Harbor Health steps in. Harbor Health is an alternative type of care facility that offers counseling, medical services, treatment and even housing to its patients. More than eight homes are on the care provider’s campus, and each houses individuals with varying issues. Some patients are from the local Native American community, itself struggling with major issues such as depression and alcoholism. Others are from Phoenix itself, with the city struggling with numbers and seeking out care from independent sources.
A particular focus also has been recognizing the need of military veterans, who, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, suffer from mental illnesses and troubles every day. The sense of community in the U.S. military is very strong. It is definitely beneficial when fulfilling their duties but could be an obstacle once they come back to “regular” life, when it’s important for veterans to assimilate and become part of another community.
Harbor Health Integrated Care was founded with the goal of helping all those in need in the Phoenix area. With a unique approach toward mental health treatment through its clinic and housing structure, Harbor Health is a fine example of how an independent business can make a huge difference to people where it truly counts.
Harbor Health is able to help people due to its total commitment for the entire care process. Instead of having temporary fixes in mind, care providers at Harbor Health see the entire process of healing a person. Treating a problem doesn’t fix the underlying issues that caused it, so Harbor Health helps treat a person’s ailment while offering counseling and support services to help repair the trauma that caused it. And if a person has nowhere to go, Harbor Health offers a place on campus to stay that is safe, comfortable and in very close proximity to those providing care.
It is a hands-on approach, one that ensures a patient receives excellent care but also builds a trusting relationship with Harbor Health staff. Patients may not always feel a healthcare provider has their best interest in mind; this is particularly true of those who suffer from mental illnesses. However, at Harbor Health, the personal relationship that they build with their care providers coupled with group therapy helps to create a feeling of community and of safety that has long been absent from their lives.
This healing process is almost impossible to do at a state-run facility due to the differences of resources and philosophy between the two. Harbor Health is able to focus its energy on truly helping to heal someone, while a state-run facility has to carefully divide its resources in treatment so that many people can receive something, even if it is only a temporary fix.
State-run care facilities are extremely important and Arizona invests a great deal of time and energy into running them. However, Harbor Health offers a community that focuses on the individual healing journey and it does so in a way that people leave in far better shape than when they first arrived. As Harbor Healthcare Integrated continues to expand, new services will be developed in order to ensure that every patient, new and current, will receive the specialized care that they need to feel healthy and happy again.
Johnwick Nathan is founder and president of Harbor Health Integrated Care, which provides healthcare and mental healthcare services and is built on the philosophy that building relationships and working on mental health issues go hand in hand with seeing a future and being able to create opportunities for a recovery.
Did You Know: Arizona entrepreneur Dr. Johnwick Nathan recently traveled to Ghana to help struggling communities and, due to his contributions and actions, was inducted as royalty in the Ga-Adangbe tribe of Ghana. He was granted the title Nii Borlabi Tesaa I as a showing of his continued support in Ghana.
