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...
