Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Half of homeless persons have recently experienced mental health problems.

Context:  Changes in public policy and legislation during the past thirty years have led to an increase in homelessness among the mentally ill.

Source: Adult mental Health Strategic Plan, Adult Mental Health Task Force.

 

62,000 people in Jacksonville suffer from severe mental illness.

Context:  Persons with severe mental illness lead full lives with appropriate treatment and support.

Source: Adult mental Health Strategic Plan, Adult Mental Health Task Force.


The mental health system in Jacksonville served less than 20 percent of the population of severely mentally ill, or 12,400.

Context: In Florida, the official mental health authority is the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Jacksonville's mental health system is funded in large part by DCF, Circuit 4 and to a lesser extent by the City of Jacksonville's Behavioral and Human Services Division. Out of the 50 states in the Union, Florida ranks 46th in per person spending of public funds for mental health services. Within Florida, the North Florida Circuit receives the least funds per person for mental health services.  Persons who can prove they are disabled by mental illness might receive a disability payment from the federal government-- a process that takes at least two years to complete. A person with mental illness and health insurance might have a portion of his or her treatment costs covered. "Trapped between the managed care and public sectors however, is a group of uninsured individuals and families who do not qualify for the public sector programs, cannot afford to pay for services themselves, and have no access to private health insurance." 
Source: Adult mental Health Strategic Plan, Adult Mental Health Task Force.


An indigent person with a mental illness diagnosis will wait 3-6 months for an appointment with a psychiatrist at Shands Hospital.

Context: The City of Jacksonville has a contract (Indigent Care Agreement) with Shands Hospital to provide indigent health care.  Indigent persons with mental illness who move to Jacksonville or are diagnosed with a mental illness while living here are unable to access medications, crisis support, counseling, and case management services at the City's two publicly-funded mental health centers.

Source: Behavioral and Human Services Division, City of Jacksonville.


The largest provider of mental health services for low-income children in Jacksonville cut its services by 34% since 2006 due to Medicaid reform.

Context: Child Guidance Center, Inc. bills the state of Florida when children who have Medicaid insurance receive mental health treatment and behavioral support. In July 2006,  Duval and Broward Counties piloted a reform of Florida's Medicaid program. The reform has meant a decrease in the amount of state funds available for children's mental health services in Duval County.

Source: Child Guidance Center, Inc.


Each February, state funding for uninsured children is depleted, and no new children are served until July when the new fiscal year begins.

Context: One of the consequences of the Medicaid reform pilot is that health maintenance organizations (HMOs)  providing  Medicaid benefits are no longer required to spend 80 percent of their behavioral health care funds on direct care.

Source: Child Guidance Center, Inc.


The only publicly-funded detoxification program in Jacksonville turns away 400 requests for treatment each year.

Context: Gateway Community Center, Inc. has found that during the past two years more patients are presenting for detoxification from pain killers and other prescription drugs. The medical protocols for detox from these drugs is longer as compared to alcohol, and the 20 treatment beds for medical detox are not enough to meet treatment needs. 

 

Source: Gateway Community Center, Inc.

 

If a low-income alcoholic or addict who is not HIV positive or pregnant calls for inpatient treatment in Jacksonville, he or she will wait 6 weeks to 2 months.

 

Context: The State of Florida, (the primary funding source for Gateway Community Services Inc.) mandates that HIV positive persons and pregnant mothers enter treatment before other persons. Patients within these two priority populations often have co-occurring mental health disorders and problems with housing and employment. As a result, their treatment plans frequently include extended stays. This means other addicts and alcoholics who call for treatment services either wait a long time or give up their pursuit of treatment.

Source: Gateway Community Center, Inc.

 

Data Source 

The Baker Act Reporting Center publishes county-level information on involuntary Baker Act exams as well as exams of youth and elders.

 

Recent News 

The New York Times reports that molecular geneticists are searching and finding genetic predispositions to mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Read more...

 

COMMENTS


from KTOZZI on 2008-10-24

.   According to Child Welfare League of child abuse and neglect and substance abuse are inextricably intertwined. An estimated 40%-80% of the 3 million children who come to the attention of the child welfare system each year live in families with AOD problems    In a survey by the National Center on Child Abuse Prevention Research, 85% of states reported substance abuse was one of the two major problems exhibited by families in which maltreatment was suspected. The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) and the National Association of Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) say more than 76 million people-including 11 million under age 18-have been exposed to alcoholism in their families.  The 2005 National Study on Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) found that among children who were in out-of-home care, 46.1% of their caregivers had a problem with alcohol or drugs, according to the child welfare worker assessment.  Children raised by substance abusing parents are three times more likely to be abused and four times more likely to be neglected.  More than over half the children in foster care have parents with substance abuse problems.  In 80% of the substance abuse-related cases, the child’s entry into foster care was the result of neglect.   Parent’s abuse of alcohol and other drugs can become the model for children’s behavior.  Children of alcoholics are four times more likely than other children to develop alcoholism.  This publication further states, that in many cases, children could have remained safely with their families if timely and comprehensive treatment had been available.  The lack of adequate substance abuse treatment services for parents is a major obstacle to family reunification in child welfare cases.