Florida ranks 49th in the nation in per capita funding for mental health services. According to U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services surveys taken between 2011 and 2012, nearly 17% of people in the state experience the presence of a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder in a given year.
In 2012, the state Dept. of Children and Families admitted it had not been able to provide services to 170,000 adults and 40,000 children with serious mental illnesses. Despite this, the Florida Senate voted to reduce funding to the mental health services budget by $76 million. We’ll hear a recent segment from WUSF’s Florida Matters on the current state of access to mental health services for uninsured Floridians and the impact on DCF and law enforcement agencies.
Guests:
Barbara Daire, LCSW, President and CEO of Suncoast Center and chairwoman of the Florida Council for Behavioral Health
Bob Gualtieri, Pinellas County Sheriff
Linda McKinnon, CEO of Central Florida Behavioral Health Network
