Orange County made progress in the past year addressing failures of its overburdened mental and behavioral health system, focusing on youths and expanding access to programs and services.
“I think we have a great roadmap” for change, said Donna Wyche, who serves as manager of mental health and homelessness issues for Orange County government. “We still have a long way to go.”
Wyche provided Orange County commissioners an update June 6 and outlined some of the strategies to be funded partly by $10 million the board put in last year’s budget to address deficiencies.
The 90-minute presentation and board discussion centered on recommendations included in the 77-page system analysis prepared by the Heart of Florida United Way about 18 months ago.
Wyche unveiled new efforts aimed at fixing what the analysis described as “a disjointed system” and finding ways to bridge a $49-million gap between the cost of needed services and what’s available.
“Our partners are helping; our hospitals are helping,” she said.
Community investments total about $96 million, according to a list she showed commissioners.
It included a 144-bed behavioral health hospital Orlando Health is building in Apopka and the $8.4 million grant received by the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida to help unsheltered youths.
Wyche also noted about 130 local first responders have completed crisis intervention training, which aims to teach them how to “de-escalate” encounters with individuals in mental-health crisis.
The 911 communication center now has a mental health clinician assisting dispatchers.
“We’re already seeing great results from some of the work,” she said.
Later this summer, Orange County will launch a pilot program to provide free mental health services at eight pediatric medical offices. Commissioners approved $1 million in funding for the program.
The county will pay for a licensed mental health clinician to take a pediatrician’s referral, assess the child, and provide ongoing treatment if appropriate. Those services are offered at no charge.
Wyche said children have historically been underserved.
At least $49 million needed to fill gaps in Orange’s ‘broken’ mental health system, review finds
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings was optimistic about the early results.
“We are moving the needle in addressing issues in our community,” he said.
Florida ranks near the bottom of the 50 U.S. states for spending on mental illness.
In May, Florida was listed by Forbes.com as fifth-worst among U.S. states for mental health care, pointing out that 67% of youths who experienced a major depressive episode in the past year did not receive mental health services.