Report Given, Applause, Exit Stage Right
Why this matters: We need to expand and improve mental health services in our area.
What happened:
State Rep. Michelle Salzman told the crowd that the task force wasn’t a formal group; she didn’t read the draft until the previous night; and the UWF foundation held the funds for paying Ernst & Young for the study because the foundation did the same thing for Achieve Healthy Escambia.
Salzman also announced that her work with the “task force” is over, and the Northwest Florida Mental Network would take over the roadmap.
NWF Health Network (NWFHN) serves as the behavioral health managing entity for 18 counties in Northwest Florida, including Escambia County and Santa Rosa County. Picture it as the Opening Doors for mental health but on a much larger scale.
Salzman serves on the NWFHN board.
The report states: “As the designated BH managing entity for the EscaRosa region, NWFHN is positioned to play a vital role in the advancement of services and initiatives described in this strategic plan.”
Dig Deeper:
The Framework of the Plan has two components:
Optimizing the continuum of care: Adding services for Prevention, Intervention, Crisis and Recovery with Wraparound Support.
Big ideas: Adopt Red Ribbon Campaign; Establish SUD (Substance Use Disorder) prevention initiative; Expand Transitional Residential Treatment and Community Action Teams; Certified Peer Specialists; Behavioral Health Crisis Center; Drop-in Center and Clubhouses.
Building capacity: More Staff, Technology and Awareness.
Read report.
Baker Act Solved
The solution hinges on state funding, but I have assurances that the funding will survive any line-item votes, thanks to Sen. Doug Broxson and Rep. Alex Andrade.
Read more.
Remember Last Spring
The previous deliverable from the task force was the 5 Awareness campaign that was supposed to run on social media from April 2022- June 2023, with a new one each quarter. It pretty much disappeared by the end of the last summer.
