Background
Santa Barbara is one of the beautiful places to live in in the United States; however, the county is experiencing high levels of addiction. As a result, some community health behavioral agency has been formed to curb the menace and ensure that those who have behavioral issues transitions to everyday life with minimal side effects. One of the agencies that have played a critical role in ensuring that the drug is controlled in the region is the Mission Harbor Behavioral Health Agency. The agency is a significant outpatient facility, and it serves both Santa Barbara and Southern California regions. The facility handles an array of behavioral and mental health issue ranging from depression to drug abuse.
The Mission, Vision, and Services Provided by The Agency
The agency has a mission, and it operates its activities towards achieving the mission and the institution’s vision. The facility’s mission is “to offer those we serve health, hope, happiness, and opportunity” (wtol.com., 2018). This implies that the agency has a short-term goal of ensuring that the patients receive the quality of services. In other words, people are given hope of getting their lives back into the everyday lifestyle. Most people with behavioral problems cannot perform well in their tasks and most organizations are reluctant to hire them. Therefore, they miss most of the opportunities that are offered by society. At times they can end up killing themselves due to the lost hope that they experience. The agency, however, has a mission to give them the happiness that they lack and provide them with the opportunities that society can offer; hence they can become essential and valuable people in the community.
The Mission Harbor Behavioral Health facility also has a vision that guides its operation. The vision is a long-term goal and aligns with the organization’s activities and the expected achievements (Al-Hoorue & Al Shlowiy, 2020). The vision states that “Harbor will be the regional employer, provider, and partner of choice. We are determined to be the best we can be. We will embrace innovation and change. We can, and we will make a difference” (wtol.com., 2018). This implies that the institution commits to making a difference in the lives of the community members. The organization will help in rehabilitating and improving the lives of those experiencing behavioral problems, but it will also offer employment opportunities to the community members and engage in innovation to ensure that the quality of services provided is improved.
There are numerous services provided by the facility to help in reducing the effects of behavioral issues in Santa Barbara. However, the institution understands that every individual is unique, and each case should be treated differently. The agency mainly deals with substance abuse, mental health issues and impulse disorders. As a result, the institution has designed its services into two groups. The first group is an adult program that handles all patients suffering from abuse and drug addiction. In this category, treatment services such as the OP, PHP, and IOP are administered. Communication skills, mindfulness, and yoga activities are also conducted (Mission Harbor Behavioral Health, n.d.). The second group is referred to as adolescent category, and it focuses on individuals between the ages of 12 to 17 (Mission Harbor Behavioral Health, n.d). The services include whole-family therapy, parent courses, and behavioral interventions. The services offered are usually flexible and suitable for all the patients from every category.
The Agency Helps in Addressing the Social Justice Issues in The Community
The agency distributes free learning resources to the community members. Besides, there are numerous learning resources and aids services that are available on the agency’s website. Through these actions, the community can access the available learning resources that can help them be knowledgeable and tackle behavioral issues. Besides, it guides the court on handling mental problems and drug addiction (A simple guide to court-ordered rehab, n.d.). Initially, the courts regarded addiction as a criminal activity and were handled by criminal courts. However, through the agency’s help and other like-minded organizations, the courts currently view addiction and substance abuse as public health issue. As a result, the jury sentenced the offenders by sending them to rehab centers.
Sociopolitical Pressures That Influence the Agency
One of the social, political pressures that influence Mission Harbor Behavioral Health is the poverty levels. High poverty levels are associated with numerous behavioral disorders and mental issues. According to Caputo (2019), many poor people indulge in drugs to relieve their pain and forget their financial status. They, therefore, think about nothing beyond drugs and addiction. Thus, the phenomenon overwhelms the agency resources because the number of poor people in the area continues to increase. Racial disparity is another sociopolitical pressure that influences the agency. The majority of the addicts and those experiencing the behavioral changes are Black-Americans. Finally, immigration is another sociopolitical pressure that affects the agency. The US, is a dreamland for many, people migrate to the country every year. As a result, the population increases, the behavioral changes also thrive as the immigrants fail to secure jobs and other social amenities. Therefore, the agency becomes overwhelmed as the immigrants rely on it for the services.
In conclusion, the Mission Harbor Behavioral Health Agency in Santa Barbara is an essential facility for the residents. The facility deals with numerous issues relating to behavioral conditions. Its mission is to restore addicts to their original state and provide them with the opportunities that society can deny them. Despite its benefits to the neighboring community, it experiences sociopolitical influence such as poverty levels, racial disparity, and immigration.
References
A simple guide to court-ordered rehab (n.d.). Mission Harbor Behavioral Health. Web.
Al-Hoorue, A. H., & Al Shlowiy, A. (2020). Vision theory vs. goal-setting theory: A critical analysis.
Caputo, A. (2019). The experience of therapeutic community: Emotional and motivational dynamics of people with drug addiction following rehabilitation. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 17(1), 151-165. Web.
Mission Harbor Behavioral Health. (n.d). Psychology Today. Web.
wtol.com. (2018). Welcome to Harbor, Inc. Web.