EDITORIAL: A ray of hope in Florida on improving mental health care system

April 21--Last week Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill overhauling the state's disjointed mental health care system, and the law's strategy mirrors Manatee County's new strategy for restructuring indigent medical care.

The county intends to build a cohesive program that connects all the diverse elements throughout the health care industry in order to achieve collaboration, coordination and efficiencies to better serve the medically needy and underserved population -- and save tax dollars. Mental health is an integral component.

The new state law focuses sharply on mental health and substance abuse treatment. It requires communities to link health professionals, law enforcement, courts, prisons and jails, juvenile justice agencies and local charities to establish local plans that address personal issues before more severe problems arise. This will help reduce the burden on the state's six mental health hospitals, which are suffering from shortages in staffing and resources.

The new law also requires Florida's nonprofit managing entities that oversee state contracts in the state's seven regions to collaborate with counties, including law enforcement and other government departments, in the creation of a new mental health evaluation system. That system would determine the appropriate services for those in need, steering individuals away from expensive hospital emergency rooms unsuited for psychiatric care.

The state's mental health care system deteriorated ever since the Florida Department of Children and Families began slashing budgets for the state's six primary mental health hospitals in 2009. Those misguided cuts reached $100 million since then with staff reductions in the hundreds.

The funding damage to the state's entire mental health services budget since Gov. Rick Scott took office reflects the Legislature's and the governor's deep misunderstanding and disregard of the societal and personal value of treatment. The budget for services plunged from $737 million to $352 million under Scott. Florida ranks as the second worst state for funding mental health at an abysmal $37 per person.

The resulting impact hit communities hard as they struggled to meet rising needs with meager resources. Homelessness and child abuse are but two issues where behavioral treatment is vital.

Costs are also borne by the justice system as jails and prisons, ill equipped at providing treatment, become home to more and more prisoners suffering from mental health issues. The state Department of Corrections estimates as many as 40,000 inmates are mentally ill. The new law gives the courts additional alternatives to divert the mentally ill into treatment instead of incarceration.

Florida lawmakers finally reversed course this year and allocated $16 million for mental hospitals and another $42 million to boost community programs that address mental health. Centerstone of Florida, Manatee County's primary mental health and addiction treatment center, will receive $1.34 million from that pot of money.

But compared with the massive cuts over the past six years, these figures fall far short of major repairs to the system. But it's a start -- and a victory in the battle to instill empathy for the mentally ill in the powers that be in Tallahassee.

Mental health roared into the nation's consciousness in the wake of mass shootings and other gun violence linked to psychiatric issues. In January, President Obama issued executive orders to bolster access to mental health care with a commitment of $500 million. The U.S. Senate and House have also taken up the cause and are working on mental health legislation, though prospects are dim because of congressional gridlock.

Mental health care experts -- and Obama -- reject any connection between gun violence and mental illness, pointing out the vast majority of the afflicted are not violent.

Florida is not alone in the precipitous dive in mental health funding. According to the

National Alliance on Mental Illness, states across the country slashed allocations during the recession by some $4 billion. Just as Florida is taking a small step toward reversing that steep fall, Obama's half billion dollar mark should be an initial move.

As community-based comprehensive and collaborative programs to improve mental health care are created, Manatee County is in the initial stages of producing a similar plan by uniting medical assets behind an efficient and effective health care plan to best serve the needy and reduce costs. Manatee County should be front and center in the development of regional plans.

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