FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Behavioral Health Services Safety Net System Applauds Governor for $5 Million Grant for Crisis Counseling Program
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s behavioral health safety net system, consisting of seven Managing Entities that oversee more than 300 behavioral health care providers statewide, today applauded Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis for the nearly $5 million emergency grant they received from the United States Department of Health and HUman Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for a Crisis Counseling Program through Florida’s 2-1-1 helplines.
“We must prioritize behavioral health services, and I applaud Governor DeSantis for his leadership in obtaining and directing much-needed resources to crisis counselors on the front lines of assisting Floridians who need help,” Natalie Kelly, CEO of the Florida Association of Managing Entities said. “That first call to 2-1-1 can be the most important call a person makes.”
Florida’s seven local Managing Entities work with a network of over 300 behavioral health care providers who deliver services to over 300,000 of Florida’s most vulnerable residents, including children, expectant mothers, veterans, and the chronically homeless.
Providers meet patients’ diverse needs with “wraparound services” that not only address mental health issues and substance abuse, but also assist with housing, transportation, and employment. Community boards administer, manage, and ensure accountability of state and federal funds for behavioral health services, keeping oversight and accountability closest to the people they serve.
###
The Florida Association of Managing Entities (FAME) represents Florida’s seven managing entities. Managing entities are local, not-for-profit businesses with community boards that administer, manage and ensure accountability of state and federal funds for Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) services.