ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County leaders are investing more in youth mental health, approving an additional $300,000 to expand services aimed at reaching more families and preventing crises before they happen.
What You Need To Know
Orange County approved an additional $300,000 for youth mental health services
Programs currently serve about 75 to 100 youth each year
Baker Act cases among youth rose more than 30% during the COVID-19 pandemic
New funding will expand services to younger children and more families
RISE Youth Mental Health Inquiry Form
RISE Youth Mental Health Program
The funding will go toward the county’s Youth Mental Health Management Network Consortium, a county-supported program managed by RISE Community Solutions. The nonprofit provides peer support, education and resources for youth and their families.
For Amy Swallow, the program is personal.
“My daughter and I were one of the first families to be part of the breakthrough program,” Swallow said. “She was in high school, a sophomore at that time, and had already been Baker Acted twice.”
Swallow said finding support through the program made a life-changing difference.
“I don’t know if my child would still be alive now if we hadn’t participated in the breakthrough program,” she said.
Now, she works as a family support navigator, helping other parents going through similar situations.
At RISE Community Solutions, leaders said they are seeing more young people in crisis.
“There’s been an increase in crises for the younger population,” RISE Program Director Anna Nascimento said. “We have been seeing more and more children coming in at a younger age.”
Nascimento said access to care remains one of the biggest challenges.
“I think there can be more access to services,” she said. “There’s huge waitlists throughout the community.”
County leaders said they know what the need is.
“We get the state of mental health reports. We get all types of data, and we are still seeing that there are gaps,” said Katrese Hampton, a program manager with Orange County’s Mental Health and Homelessness Division.
Programs like Breakthrough serve about 75 to 100 youth each year, but officials said that’s only a portion of those who need help.
State data shows the urgency. Baker Act cases among youth in Orange County increased from 1,843 before the COVID-19 pandemic to 2,420 in 2021–22 — a 31% jump. While numbers have started to decline, cases remain a concern for local leaders.
Officials said expanding services can help prevent those situations.
“We find that when parents feel more educated and more supported, it’s a little less overwhelming,” Hampton said. “The more the community is aware of what’s available, the less we have to resort to Baker Acts and inpatient hospitalizations.”
With the additional funding, the county plans to expand services to younger children, including those with neurodivergent needs or on the autism spectrum. The program is also expected to serve up to 100 more families.
Leaders said the goal is early intervention, helping youth before they reach a crisis point.
For Swallow, expanding access means more families could get the help she once needed.
“I can make an impact on one person’s life, one family’s life, the same way that mine was impacted,” she said.
Orange County leaders said they will continue to track demand and adjust funding as needed when more young people seek mental health support.