Mental Health Network – But Little If Any Of That New Money Will Increase Resources And Services Locally

While implementing two programs, Rhody Health Options and Connect Care Choice Community Partners, in November We are looking to create a robust system of coordinated care, said Elena Nicolella, director of Innovation at the EOHHS, ld ConvergenceRI in December She acknowledged the initial phase of the program -managed by Neighborhood -is not the desired final product, eOHHS has chosen to move ahead with Phase amid the realignment. Refusal by Scott and dozens of state legislators to consider expanding Medicaid to cover the uninsured, and the state’s Medicaid rates, that have not increased for 20 years and currently pay just 60 the actual percent cost of treatment, only exacerbate the real problem, Hansen said.

That is exactly the system type SB 12 is meant to create.

While accounting for population and cost increases, to establish identical system type statewide, an unofficial study three years ago, depending on a model in Orange County where law enforcement officers take people they believe are experiencing a mental health cr to a central receiving center instead of to jail, showed it would take $ 300 million.

With House Children, sB 12 was sponsored by Senate Health and Human Services Appropriation Committee Chairman Rene Garcia, RHialeah, Families and Seniors Chairwoman Gayle Harrell, R Stuart, and Rep.

Both Garcia and Harrell expressed disappointment there was not more funding designated for those moving out of cr situations and attempting to reintegrate into communities, it passed on the final day of the session.

While spearheading the huge problem in the House, kathleen Peters, ‘R Treasure’ Island. Said she was encouraged by ne of discourse in this year’s legislative session, that was more helpful and less punitive on both sides of the aisle, nancy Detert. Who plans to run for a Sarasota County Commission seat, called Florida’s underfunding of mental health a grey eye for us.

Outgoing state Sen.

Hansen applauded the passage of Senate Bill 12, the major mental health accomplishment of the Legislature this spring, like legislators and similar mental health advocates.

Actually the bill focuses on improving the state’s system for behavior health services by creating central receiving facilities and a no wrong door policy that would direct individuals to appropriate care and followup treatment that recently earned endorsement and funding pledges from Sarasota County, the city of Sarasota and a few local community foundations. Timely and comprehensive treatment of those who are referred will continue to be a challenge, without additional money for expanding services and staffing.

Then the approach is a first step ward getting police, courts, jails, nonprofits and healthcare professionals working gether to create a structural framework that suits any community’s needs.

Little, if any, of that new money will increase resources and services locally.

Florida will spend an extra $ 58 million next year 6 percent more than this year to address most of the state’s most pressing mental health needs. For instance, while putting a strain on many communities that lack a strong core of physicians and mental health counselors, McKinnon said, over the past decade, any new money that has entered the system had been targeted ward specialty services.

McKinnon said Sarasota is ahead of many other communities in seeking creative solutions on the local level. Her organization recently pledged three assistance years to Vincent Academy, a recovery through work program for the mentally ill scheduled to open in Sarasota later this year that has been financed through an unique public private partnership. Remaining new money largely went to contracts with existing providers for specific projects or services in specific locations, additional beds for patients released from state hospitals in three communities, and a few new teams that work with children and families. Therefore the other, on track for $ 10 million in increased funding, is intended for collaborative community creation of central receiving facilities, portals that will triage patients to appropriate services when they enter the mental health system. Much of the rest going to be spent on two competitive grant programs that require partial matching funds from the communities applying for them. One program, that will receive a $ 6 million boost, are reinvestment grants community partnerships aimed at diverting the mentally ill from the criminal justice system. You see, a big chunk of the additional money, $ 16 million, will go to state mental hospitals to address staffing and safety deficits detailed in a Pulitzer award winning investigation by the HeraldTribune and the Tampa Bay Times.