HMS, HIC EQ-Bank 128

Alex is a 17-year-old living in a rural town who has been experiencing depression and anxiety following family breakdown. The nearest mental health professional is 200km away, and Alex's family cannot afford private treatment. The local school has basic counselling services, but Alex feels uncomfortable accessing them due to stigma in the small community.

Discuss the effectiveness of ways in which the government, non-government organisations and the community could advocate for Alex's health needs. (8 marks)

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*PEEL – Solution is structured using separate PEEL methods for each side of the argument; [P] Identify the point, [E] expand on the point with a link to question asked, [Ev] apply evidence/examples, [L] linking sentence back to question.

Effective Government Advocacy:

[P] Government advocacy effectively addresses Alex’s access barriers through systematic solutions.
[E] Legislative power is able to create telehealth funding and mobile mental health services for rural areas.
[Ev] Medicare subsidies for online consultations eliminate 200km travel barriers.
[L] Government creates comprehensive, funded solutions to rural mental health inequities.

Limitations of Government Advocacy:

[P] Government advocacy fails to provide immediate crisis intervention.
[E] Bureaucratic red tape can create lengthy implementation delays.
[Ev] Policy changes requiring approval cannot address Alex’s urgent depression symptoms.
[L] Government solutions lack immediacy needed for mental health crises.

Effective NGO Advocacy:

[P] NGOs provide most effective immediate support for Alex’s circumstances.
[E] Independent operation enables rapid crisis response with youth-focused services.
[Ev] For example, NGO’s such as headspace offer 24/7 support, online counselling, addressing stigma concerns.
[L] In this way, NGOs fill critical gaps through immediate, accessible mental health intervention.

Limitations of NGO Advocacy:

[P] NGO advocacy limited by resource constraints and sustainability issues.
[E] Donation-dependent funding creates uncertainty.
[Ev] Cannot establish permanent rural infrastructure or guarantee ongoing availability.
[L] Resource limitations compromise long-term comprehensive support.

Effective Community Advocacy:

[P] Community advocacy can effectively address local stigma and social support needs.
[E] Local understanding enables culturally appropriate mental health initiatives.
[Ev] Peer support groups can normalise help-seeking behaviour in a rural context and direct Alex to government and NGO health services.
[L] Community can transform local attitudes supporting Alex’s recovery.

Limitations of Community Advocacy:

[P] Community advocacy cannot replace professional clinical intervention.
[E] Community members lack specialised mental health training and expertise.
[Ev] They also cannot assess Alex or prescribe drugs or treatment for his depression.
[L] Community support is valuable but insufficient, by itself, for Alex’s clinical needs. When it complements other governmental and NGO health services, the best outcomes are achievable.

Show Worked Solution

Effective Government Advocacy

[P] Government advocacy effectively addresses Alex’s access barriers through systematic solutions.
[E] Legislative power is able to create telehealth funding and mobile mental health services for rural areas.
[Ev] Medicare subsidies for online consultations eliminate 200km travel barriers.
[L] Government creates comprehensive, funded solutions to rural mental health inequities.

Limitations of Government Advocacy

[P] Government advocacy fails to provide immediate crisis intervention.
[E] Bureaucratic red tape can create lengthy implementation delays.
[Ev] Policy changes requiring approval cannot address Alex’s urgent depression symptoms.
[L] Government solutions lack immediacy needed for mental health crises.

Effective NGO Advocacy

[P] NGOs provide most effective immediate support for Alex’s circumstances.
[E] Independent operation enables rapid crisis response with youth-focused services.
[Ev] For example, NGO’s such as headspace offer 24/7 support, online counselling, addressing stigma concerns.
[L] In this way, NGOs fill critical gaps through immediate, accessible mental health intervention.

Limitations of NGO Advocacy

[P] NGO advocacy limited by resource constraints and sustainability issues.
[E] Donation-dependent funding creates uncertainty.
[Ev] Cannot establish permanent rural infrastructure or guarantee ongoing availability.
[L] Resource limitations compromise long-term comprehensive support.

Effective Community Advocacy

[P] Community advocacy can effectively address local stigma and social support needs.
[E] Local understanding enables culturally appropriate mental health initiatives.
[Ev] Peer support groups can normalise help-seeking behaviour in a rural context and direct Alex to government and NGO health services.
[L] Community can transform local attitudes supporting Alex’s recovery.

Limitations of Community Advocacy

[P] Community advocacy cannot replace professional clinical intervention.
[E] Community members lack specialised mental health training and expertise.
[Ev] They also cannot assess Alex or prescribe drugs or treatment for his depression.
[L] Community support is valuable but insufficient, by itself, for Alex’s clinical needs. When it complements other governmental and NGO health services, the best outcomes are achievable.