TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay 28 anchor Wendy Ryan has been covering the mental health beat for the past five years.
Last summer Ryan attended the Florida Behavioral Health Conference in Orlando and had the chance to speak with the chairman of the Florida Behavioral Health Association, Scott Burgess. He shared with Ryan the new initiatives being tested across Florida.
“We’re really excited that Florida has adopted, permeation of the mobile response teams across Florida. It started out as, a pilot project in just a couple of areas of Florida. And now we’ve really enhanced those programs,” said Burgess.
Burgess said Florida’s mobile response teams are visiting homes, businesses, and schools when someone might be in crisis. Since they provide 24/7 care on demand the Legislature has approved even more resources across the state.
“Instead of maybe waiting for something to get so severe that a person needs to be in-patient, we can assess that. We can de-escalate, we can support the individual, and then we can link them into our outpatient treatments. Or we can wrap other community-based support around them,” explained Burgess.
Burgess is also the CEO of David Lawrence Centers, a nonprofit mental health provider. The Center has had an opportunity to test a new pilot program, and Ryan asked him about it.
“There’s a new grant for that you’ve been utilizing for ‘Care in Contacts.’ Tell me what that is and how it’s been useful?” asked Ryan.
“It’s making sure that individuals receive something from the treatment provider that lets them know that they’re cared about. But what’s new and the innovative way is that we’re utilizing technology to help do that now through text messaging,” explained Burgess.
“Caring Contacts” is a suicide prevention pilot program in Collier County, which is a region experiencing a growing mental health crisis.
This grant supports the center’s efforts to expand vital mental health services.
“Once somebody’s discharged, we’re monitoring them for 90 days through sending these text messages to them to let them know that we’re here, that we care about them, that we want to support them with whatever their challenges may be,” said Burgess.
They also make sure every patient who’s discharged receives a “Safety plan” so they can get the additional support they need. Burgess told Ryan they’ve already seen some success.
“We’ve sent out almost 6,000 text messages already. The great news as well is we have very few people that are returning because they’re in crisis. So, I think that Caring Support is making a difference. And we only have a 20% drop out or people that dis-enroll,” said Burgess.
With more lives being saved, the numbers are finally trending in the right direction, making Burgess hopeful for the future.
“Suicide rates are down. Opioid overdoses are down in Florida. So we’re demonstrating that when we get some enhanced resources, we really put those to utilization and work in a very positive way,” said Burgess.
If you’re in need of mental health care and you’re uninsured, underinsured, or on Medicaid, the Florida Behavioral Health Association can help you.
To find a clinic, you can call The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay at 211, and they will connect you with a nonprofit group in your area.
Share Your Story with Wendy
Tampa Bay 28 Anchor Wendy Ryan is dedicated to helping our neighbors navigate the important topic of mental health. For years, she’s been connecting people to resources, listening to their challenges, and sharing their stories to decrease the stigma. You can connect with Wendy by using the form below.
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