State Rep. Michelle Salzman announced that Ernst & Young will deliver its action plan ” defining an ideal end state for the continuity of support and closure of gaps within the mental wellness and behavioral health system in our area” to the Mental Health Task Force of Northwest Florida at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 19, at Marcus Point Baptist Church.
Why this matters: Mental health is a huge issue – locally, statewide and nationally. Gaps in treatment and disparities in access exist in Northwest Florida.
What’s Happening: Rep. Salzman announced the task force in August 2021 with Quint Studer as her co-chair and a who’s who of state and community leaders as members. However, few facts have been shared with the public.
Inweekly requested from the lawmaker Ernst & Young’s contract and information on who has paid for it. Salzman dodged the request and sent us to the House Office of Open Government, where we’ve been waiting for a reply since March 24.
Ernst & Young met with the task force members in private in February. The media was not made aware of the meeting. Read more.
In January, the State Commission on Mental Health and Substance Abuse released a 35-page report in January that cited inadequate integrated services, providers and systems “leaving enormous gaps in treatment and disparities in access.” FYI: The state commission holds its meetings in public. Read more.
The website, mentalhealthtaskforce.org, hasn’t been updated in over a year. There are no minutes of its quarterly meetings available on the site.
Who is on the Mental Health Task Force of Northwest Florida is vague. The task force’s website has a long list of names, but how many are truly members?
| Name | Position/Organization | |
| Salzman | Michelle | Representative, Florida House District 1 |
| Payne | Barbara Scott | chief of staff, studer family of companies |
| Studer | Quint | Founder, Studer Community Institute |
| Acuff | Rob | Director of Student Care, Pensacola Christian College (counseling services) |
| Anderson | Niels | President & CEO, VetCV |
| Anzaldo | Lauren | Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Gulf Coast Veterans Healthcare System (US VA) |
| Arkin | Melissa | Regional VP, Behavioral Health Svcs, HCA Healthcare (all Florida) |
| Arny | Jeff | Mental Health, Century Correctional Institution |
| Arrington | Walter | Homeless Health Navigator, Community Health Northwest Florida |
| Barlow | Brian | Associate Pastor, Hillcrest Baptist Church |
| Beck | Jacqueline | Executive Director, Behavioral Health, HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin |
| Bell | Jodi | Regional Sales Director, Pensacola News Journal |
| Bellar | David | Dean, Usha Kundu College of Health |
| Bergosh | Jeff | Escambia County Commission |
| Bergosh | Sally | Director, Health & Hope Clinic |
| Bergosh | Gary | Judge, First Judicial Circuit |
| Bookman | Connie | Pathways for Change |
| Boyd | Elizabeth | Director, Governmental Relations Sunshine Health |
| Branch | Rusty | Innisfree Hotels |
| Bullaro | Gabe | CEO, HCA Florida West |
| Burns | Rachelle | Chair, Escarosa Suicide Prevention Coalition |
| Bush | Jake | Nursing Faculty, UWF |
| Cadena | Cyd | VP Behavioral Health, Baptist Hospital |
| Cannon | Lindsey | Children’s Home Society |
| Castagna | Matthew | Mental Health Treatment Coordinator, First District Court |
| Clinton | Kirstie | Florida Hospital Association (collegue of David Mica) |
| Condon | Will | President, Studer Family Children’s Hospital |
| Cook | Courtney | Behavioral Health Case Manager, Simply Healthcare Plans |
| Croley | Rachel | Clinical Director, Olive Baptist Church Counseling Center |
| Dalton | Craig | Health Information Exchange |
| Dickey | Darlene | Judge, First Judicial Circuit |
| Dobson | R. Matthew | Administrator/Health Officer, Florida Department of Health of Santa Rosa County |
| Doidge | Kendrick | Vice President Business Development and Marketing, HCA Florida West Hospital |
| Doughty | Katie | Regional Director for Senator Scott |
| Dunlap | David | Century Correctional Institution |
| Durkin | Jillian | Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Department |
| Ellis | Amy | CEO The healing impact |
| Ellis | Maria | Director of Nursing – Behavioral Health, HCA Florida West Hospital |
| Faulkner | Mark | CEO Baptist Hospital |
| Fina | Silvio | LMHC, Coordinator, Mental Health Services, ECSD |
| Finklestein | Linda | President of NAMI Pensacola |
| Forte | Fletcher | Deputy Circuit Administrator, Circuit 1 Probation & Parole, Florida Department of Corrections |
| Frydrychowicz | Judge JJ | Judge, First Judicial Circuit |
| Gaither | Julie | Circuit Administrator, Circuit 1 Probation & Parole, FL Dept. Corrections |
| Garrison | Donna | United States Probation and Pretrial Services Northern Disctrict of Florida |
| Gilley | Janice | Chief Legislative Assistant, Senator Doug Broxson |
| Gilliam | Laura | CEO, United Way of West Florida |
| Godbehere | John | Navy Base Executive Officer, CDR |
| Gowan | Matthew | PIO for VA, VISN 16 (he will likely get someone Cliincal Admin to attend) |
| Greer | Tammy | Escambia County Children’s Trust |
| Grove | Jennifer | Baptist Hospital |
| Hazlip | Rick | Pastor, First City Church |
| Hill | Allison | CEO Lakeview |
| Hindsman | Craig | Connections Pastor, Marcus Pointe Baptist Church |
| Hosman | Ildi | Director of Public Relations & Internal Communications, Landrum HR |
| Jogerst | BD | Government Affairs, Sunshine Health |
| Johnson | John | Executive Director, Opening Doors |
| Josephs | David | Clinical Director & Chief Psychologist, Lakeview Center |
| Joyner | Lisa | Coordinator, Student Services, ECSD |
| Kariher | Jules | Chief Advocacy Officer, Ascension Florida |
| Keiek | Serene | Opening Doors |
| Kohn | Rick | VP of Government Markets, Florida Blue |
| Kostevicki | Stacey | Executive Director, Gulf Coast Kids House |
| Kreuser | Savanna | Administrative Assistant, Mental Health Wellness Unit, ECSO |
| LaFevers | Sara | Community and Government Relations, Baptist Hospital |
| Lagarde | Kaycee | PIO for City of Pensacola |
| Landrum | Britt | CEO Landrum HR |
| Lands | Jon | Executive Vice President, Pensacola Christian College |
| Listau | Lynsey | Executive Director, Institutional Equity & Student Conduct , Pensacola State College |
| Martin | Mike | Director of 211, United Way of West Florida |
| Maygarden | Adrienne | Sacred Heart Women’s & Children’s Service Line Director |
| McQueen | Douglas (Rush) | Clinical Dir, Readjustment Counseling Service, US Dept Vet. Affairs |
| Meadows | Ed | President, Pensacola State College |
| Mica | David | Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, Florida Hospital Association |
| Milkeris | Lori | UWF Director/Veterans Counselor Military and Veterans Resource Center |
| Moreno | Wes | County Administrator for Escambia County BOCC |
| Mott | Marie | Florida Dept of Health, Escambia County |
| Mullenix | Brad | Assistant to the President, Legislative Affiars, Pensacola Christian College |
| Murzin | Dave | |
| Nelson | Gene | Emergency Department Director, Santa Rosa Medical Center |
| Nutt | Andrea | Department Head, Behavioral Health and Wellness Department, Community Health Northwest Florida |
| Patton | Allison | Pensacola City Council |
| Patterson | Kayshala | Chief Probation Officer, Escambia County, FL Dep Juv Just |
| Pace | Kimberly | Public Health Service Manager, Florida Dept of Health, Santa Rosa County |
| Polk | Kelly | LMHC, Coordinator, Mental Health Services, Quality Management, Acess Behavioral Health (a division of Lakeview) |
| Potomski | Hong | Sr. Director, Commercial Segment Strategy & Group Go To Market, Florida Blue |
| Rafferty | Troy | Partner, LPR Law Firm |
| Randall | Eric | Pensacola Chief of Police |
| Reddy | Howard | UWF Foundation |
| Reeves | DC | mayor, city of Pensacola |
| Rivera | Ronnie | ECSO Community Relations |
| Robinson | Jeffrey | Assistant Warden, Santa Rosa Correctional Institution |
| Rudolph | Dawn | CEO Sacred Heart |
| Rutledge | Eric | Executive Director of Behavioral Health Inpatient Services, Baptist Hospital |
| Salamida | Shawn | President, Lakeview Behavioral Health Services |
| Saunders | Martha | President, University of West Florida |
| Scholl | John | Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Department |
| Shashaty | Terrence | CO, Naval Air Station Pensacola |
| Sluder | Dusti | Dean of Health Sciences, Pensacola State College |
| Smiley | Chandra | Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director of Community Health Northwest Florida |
| Smith | Tim | Superintendent, Escambia County School District |
| Sohr | Paul | Program Director, Gateway Foundation (Santa Rosa Correctional Inst.) |
| Stavros | Mark | Medical Director, Emergency Department, HCA Florida West |
| Tappan | Alicia | Director, the Secret Place |
| Thomson | Todd | Greater Pensacola Chamber |
| Torsell | Dave | EMS Chief, escambia county public safety |
| Van Der Like | Jill | UWF Nursing Program |
| Vanderpool | Patricia | EAP provider to City of Pensacola |
| Wallace-Jordan | Sabrina | Asst Chief Probation Officer, Escambia County, FL Dep Juv Justice |
| Walls | Donna | Resource Management Director, Santa Rosa Medical Center |
| Watkins | Mike | NWF Health Network |
| Watkins | Kelly | Warden, Century Correctional Institution |
| White | Cathy | Director of Case Management, First Circuit Judicial Court |
| Whitlock | Corinne | Director of Quality Management and Improvement, Access Behavioral Health |
| Williams | Chris | Special Agent in Charge, FDLE Pensacola Regional Operations Center |
| Wright | Colton | Santa Rosa County Commissioner |
| Wright | Robin | Trial Court Adminstrator, First Judicial Circuit |
| Wright | William “Bill” | NW FL Director, Share Your Heart (DCF Faith Based Partnership) |
| Wyer | Brian | Minority Chamber |
| Young | Mindy | ECSO, Crisis Intervention Team Coordinator |
| Hartsell | James | Executive Director, Florida Department of Veterans Affairs |
| Zander | Lindsey | Director, AHCA Legislative Affairs Office |
| Martiller | Simone | Secretary AHCA |
| Wallace | Tom | Deputy Secretary, Divison of Medicaid, AHCA |
| Steele | Patrick | Deputy Legislative Affairs Director, AHCA |
| Wallace | Shavon | Secretary, Department of Children and Families |
| Allman | Heather | Policy Unit Manager, Dept. of Children & Families |
| Hardin | Bill | Assistant Secretary for Substance Abuse and Mental Health |
| Floyd-Thomas | Erica | Assistant Secretary for Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DCF) |
| Lloyd | Tony | Assistant Secretary for Administration, Department of Children and Families |
| Sachs | Walter | Family Well Being Director, FL Department of Children & Families |
| Sidoti | Melissa | community development administrator, FL DCF Circuit 1 |
| Jones | Dorothea | administrative assistant, community development administrator, FL DCF Circuit 1 |
| Ladapo | Joseph | State Surgeon General, Department of Health |
| Chapman | Shay | Deputy Divison Director, Community Health Promotion (DoH) |
| Jordan | Melissa | Assistant Deputy Secretary of Health |
| Woodward | Yvonne | Mental Health Coordinator (DoH) |
| Ochs | Jared | Chief of Staff, Florida Dept. Juvenile Justice (FLDJJ) |
| Smith | Rita | Chief Medical Officer, Office of Health Svcs, FL Dept of Juvenile Justice (FLDJJ) |