NURS FPX 4065 Assessment 3 Ethical and Policy Factors in Care Coordination

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX4065 Patient-Centered Care Coordination

Prof. Name

Date

Ethical and Policy Factors in Care Coordination

Hello, I am honored to present today on the essential role of ethical and policy frameworks in mental health care. As a care coordinator at the Longevity Center, my responsibility is to facilitate comprehensive services for individuals with mental health conditions. The organization emphasizes education, community support, and equitable access to critical healthcare resources.

Agenda

This presentation explores the ethical and policy dimensions that shape care coordination in mental health at the Longevity Center. Topics covered include:

• The value of multidisciplinary collaboration in mental health care
• State and federal policies such as the Baker Act and HIPAA
• Ethical dilemmas involving access, equity, and cultural sensitivity
• The role of the ANA Code of Ethics in guiding nurses
• Recommendations for reducing disparities through policy reform and community collaboration

Significance of Care Coordination in Chronic Disease Management

Care coordination is an essential element in supporting individuals with chronic mental health conditions. It ensures that patients receive timely, holistic, and appropriate interventions from a network of professionals. Evidence highlights that fragmented or inconsistent services often lead to worsening symptoms, crisis recurrence, and higher healthcare costs (Bury et al., 2022).

In Florida, an estimated 2.8 million adults experience mental health conditions, and nearly 41% reported symptoms of depression in 2021 (National Alliance on Mental Illness, n.d.). At the Longevity Center, coordinated care directly improves access, stabilizes mental health outcomes, and reduces reliance on emergency services.

Governmental Policies’ Effect on Care Coordination

Policies at both state and federal levels heavily influence care coordination practices at the Longevity Center. The Florida Mental Health Act (Baker Act) authorizes crisis intervention for individuals with acute psychiatric needs while safeguarding patient rights during involuntary examinations (Florida Department of Children and Families, 2024). Similarly, HIPAA ensures patient confidentiality while enabling secure sharing of health records among psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers, which supports integrated care (Subbian et al., 2021).

Recent reforms, including value-based care models and integrated behavioral health initiatives, emphasize preventive care and patient-centered strategies. These changes foster collaboration between clinical providers and community organizations, such as NAMI Florida, which delivers navigation services, education, and peer support (Pincus & Fleet, 2022).

Ethical Questions or Dilemmas for Care Coordination

Ethical challenges arise when healthcare reforms and funding policies intersect with patient care. Below is a summary of dilemmas at the national, state, and local levels.

National Policy Provision (ACA)

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expands access, enhances quality, and reduces costs. However, it raises ethical conflicts when cost-efficiency pressures limit personalized treatment approaches. Value-based models sometimes prioritize standardized protocols over individualized interventions, which may compromise autonomy and beneficence (Braun et al., 2023).

State Provision Policy (Florida Medicaid)

Florida’s Medicaid behavioral health programs aim to provide coordinated care for low-income groups. Yet, issues such as treatment delays, shortage of specialists, and administrative hurdles compromise beneficence and justice. Disparities between Medicaid recipients and privately insured patients remain prevalent, particularly in rural areas (Patel et al., 2025).

Local Provision Policy (Community Mental Health Services)

Local initiatives, such as programs supported by NAMI Florida, extend free screenings, peer counseling, and educational workshops. However, limited resources and inconsistent funding lead to inequitable access, raising concerns about fairness and justice (Braun et al., 2023).

Summary of Ethical Dilemmas in Care Coordination

Policy Level	Provision/Program	Ethical Dilemmas
National	Affordable Care Act (ACA)	Cost control vs. individualized care; patient autonomy vs. standardized treatment
State	Florida Medicaid Behavioral Health	Delays, specialist shortages, reduced access for vulnerable groups
Local	Community Mental Health Services (e.g., NAMI Florida)	Resource allocation issues; fairness concerns in underserved populations

Impact of the Code of Ethics for Nurses

The ANA Code of Ethics acts as a guiding framework for ethical decision-making in mental health care at the Longevity Center.

• Provision 2: Nurses must respect patient dignity, prioritize well-being, and advocate for individualized care.
• Provision 8: Collaboration across disciplines and communities to reduce disparities and protect human rights (ANA, 2025).

These ethical standards emphasize beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and autonomy, which are vital when addressing disparities in access for underserved and rural populations. By following these principles, nurses can improve long-term treatment adherence, reduce inequities, and maintain patient trust.

Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity

The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) significantly impact mental health outcomes at the Longevity Center. Factors such as economic instability, transportation barriers, food insecurity, and lack of insurance coverage affect patients’ ability to access coordinated services.

Ethically, this challenges the principle of justice, as not all patients have equitable opportunities to receive care. Nurses, guided by the ANA Code of Ethics, must address these barriers by adopting culturally sensitive and socially responsive approaches (ANA, 2025).

Recommendations for Support and Collaboration

To strengthen care coordination, the following strategies are recommended:

1. Enhance Interprofessional Collaboration – Encourage teamwork among psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, and community leaders.
2. Policy Advocacy – Nurses should actively participate in reform initiatives addressing systemic barriers.
3. Partnerships with Community Organizations – Collaborations with groups like NAMI Florida and MHACF can expand access to housing support, counseling, and affordable services.
4. Equitable Resource Allocation – Prioritize fair distribution of limited resources to underserved populations.

By adopting these measures, the Longevity Center can improve patient-centered care and address systemic inequities.

Conclusion

Ethical and policy-driven frameworks are central to effective care coordination in mental health. Guided by the ANA Code of Ethics, nurses can uphold justice, beneficence, and autonomy while collaborating with community organizations to reduce disparities. The integration of culturally sensitive care, proactive policy engagement, and interprofessional teamwork creates sustainable solutions for improving mental health outcomes at the Longevity Center.

References

ANA. (2025). Code of ethics for nurses. American Nurses Association. https://codeofethics.ana.org/home

Braun, E., Scholten, M., & Vollmann, J. (2023). Assisted suicide and the discrimination argument: Can people with mental illness fulfill beneficence‐ and autonomy‐based eligibility criteria? Bioethics, 38(1), 61–68. https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.13243

Bury, D., Hendrick, D., Smith, T., Metcalf, J., & Drake, R. E. (2022). The psychiatric nurse care coordinator on a multi-disciplinary, community mental health treatment team. Community Mental Health Journal, 58(7), 1354–1360. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-022-00945-7

Florida Department of Children and Families. (2024). Baker act | Florida DCF. https://www.myflfamilies.com/crisis-services/baker-act

NURS FPX 4065 Assessment 3 Ethical and Policy Factors in Care Coordination

MHACF. (2025). About us. Mental Health Association of Central Florida. https://mhacf.org/learn-more/

NAMI Florida. (2025). Mission. National Alliance on Mental Illness Florida. https://namiflorida.org/about-nami-florida/mission/

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). Mental health in Florida. https://www.nami.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/FloridaStateFactSheet.pdf

Patel, R., Baser, O., Waters, H. C., Huang, D., Morrissey, L., Rodchenko, K., & Samayoa, G. (2025). Open access to antipsychotics in state Medicaid programs: Effect on healthcare resource utilization and costs among patients with serious mental illness. Journal of Health Economics and Outcomes Research, 12(1), 222–229. https://doi.org/10.36469/001c.137909

Pincus, H. A., & Fleet, A. (2022). Value-based payment and behavioral health. JAMA Psychiatry, 80(1), 6–8. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.3538

Subbian, V., Galvin, H. K., Petersen, C., & Solomonides, A. (2021). Ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) in mental health informatics. In Health Informatics (pp. 479–503). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70558-9_18

NURS FPX 4065 Assessment 3 Ethical and Policy Factors in Care Coordination

Cannon, R., Wilkins, T., & Cooke, C. (2023). Addressing ethical dilemmas in integrated behavioral healthcare: A nursing perspective. Journal of Nursing Ethics, 30(4), 512–520. https://doi.org/10.1177/09697330221151172

Hastings, S. E., & Aravind, S. (2022). Equity and access in mental health: Policy and ethical implications. International Journal of Mental Health Policy, 25(2), 98–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2022.2058791