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Florida’s behavioral health safety net: Committed to transparency and serving Floridians.

Florida has built a unique and effective safety net system to ensure uninsured and underinsured individuals receive critical behavioral health services. After the Parkland tragedy, the Legislature also tasked our safety net with implementing crisis response teams to assist anyone in need within 59 minutes.

Behavioral Health Managing Entities work with more than 300 local providers statewide to offer local services, ranging from crisis intervention to long-term recovery support. Florida’s behavioral health safety net system serves more than 250,000 individuals annually.

These lead agencies operate as not-for-profits and provide the highest return on investment, with an administrative rate below 3.2%. This efficiency ensures that every taxpayer dollar is used effectively, with fiscal prudence and transparency.

Recently, Florida lawmakers introduced House Bill 633 and Senate Bill 1354, requiring the Department of Children and Families to subcontract operational and financial audits to evaluate which metrics and criteria best assess performance and outcomes. The bill would also standardize data requirements and reporting, increasing transparency for all stakeholders.

As CEO of Florida’s Association of Managing Entities, I can confidently affirm that our commitment to accountability and transparency is unwavering. Each Behavioral Health Managing Entity submits more than 65 reports annually to the Department of Children and Families, detailing business practices, contracting requirements, performance outcomes, and expenditures.

We commend Representative Koster and Senator Trumbull for their leadership and commitment to developing the behavioral health performance management system of the future.

Beyond financial accountability, Florida’s Behavioral Health Managing Entities focus on evidence-based best practices to maximize positive outcomes. In Fiscal Year 2023-2024, our network of providers achieved the following results:

• 98% of children in the Community Action Treatment (CAT) Teams were diverted from juvenile justice system involvement.
• 97% of children in the CAT program avoided placement in State Inpatient Psychiatric Programs.
• 96% of individuals enrolled in payor-level care coordination avoided costly crisis stabilization units, emergency rooms, and jails.
• Through Mobile Response Teams, 80% of individuals were diverted from Baker Act admissions, resulting in an estimated annual cost savings of $12.2 million for the state.

Behavioral Health Managing Entities are just one part of Florida’s vast and complex behavioral health system. Transparency and accountability must be extended to the entire behavioral health system of care, including private insurance and Florida’s Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Program, overseen by the Agency for Health Care Administration.

Behavioral Health Managing Entities and their network of providers are the safety net that cares for the state’s most vulnerable populations. We are dedicated to serving Floridians with complete transparency and accountability in the best way possible. We meet each community’s unique needs and help Floridians get back on their feet to live life to their fullest potential.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.–As Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida with Floridians not yet even two weeks past Hurricane Helene, the Florida Association of Managing Entities is providing Floridians with tips on how to help manage their mental health and the emotional toll natural disasters cause.

“Hurricanes not only result in a devastating loss of life, destruction of property, and disruption of power and essential resources, but also they take a serious toll on mental health before, during and after the storm,” said Natalie K. Kelly, CEO of the Florida Association of Managing Entities.

The impact of disasters on mental health can be short- or long-term, and it often depends on the recovery process of the affected community. Nearly one-third of disaster-affected people may experience a negative mental health consequence. The most common mental health conditions after a disaster include: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and grief and loss.

The five-step stress response includes: 1) Fear and worry about one’s own health, financial or employment situation, and well-being of loved ones; 2) Changes in eating patterns, sleep difficulty, use of a substance; 3) An aggravated onset of an existing mental health problem; 4) A first-time episode of a psychological disorder; 5) Acute anxiety disorder, PTSD, depression, or an adjustment disorder. 

Floridians can follow a few of these tips to help manage their mental health:

Acknowledge that the feelings of anxiety and stress are normal. Extreme fear and uncertainty are common reactions and these emotions can contribute to an elevated stress response;

Focus on what is within your control and take action;

Create a support network;

Discuss your feelings with friends and families, including children in age-appropriate ways;

Give back. Volunteering or supporting others can provide a sense of purpose and help you gain control;

Establish routines as soon as possible after the storm;

After the storm, focus on what steps you’ll take during the recovery phase.

It is important to seek professional help if symptoms are affecting your relationships, ability to work, or if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or increased unhealthy coping strategies such as alcohol and/or drug use. Anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts should call 9-8-8 for support

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – According to the CDC, more than 49,000 people died by suicide in 2022, which is the equivalent of one death per 11 minutes in the United States. September is national Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and the Florida Association of Managing Entities is raising awareness about suicide prevention efforts.

Florida’s seven Managing Entities oversee Florida’s behavioral health safety net system, including essential crisis services that help prevent suicide.

“Nearly four million Americans made a plan to die by suicide and nearly two million attempted suicide in 2022,” said Natalie Kelly, CEO of FAME. “Connecting individuals experiencing a mental health crisis with behavioral health services saves lives. Florida’s Managing Entities serve Floridians beyond those in the safety net system by managing the network that provides Crisis Stabilization Units, Mobile Response Teams, peer support hotlines, and supporting prevention campaigns.”

The Managing Entities meet the unique needs of Florida’s communities. There are various programs that help stabilize individuals who need it and connect them with lifesaving behavioral health services, engaging partners such as the faith-based and veteran communities. 

Some of these programs include: Mobile Response Teams of highly trained counselors that de-escalate situations; high level of care coordination for individuals; hospital bridge programs that coordinate services after an individual is stabilized in the emergency department; and school mental health services among other behavioral health services.

Florida’s Managing Entities collaborate with providers that deliver services to over 300,000 of Florida’s most vulnerable residents, including children, expectant mothers, veterans, and the chronically homeless. Additionally, the system provides nearly 1.7 million Floridians with preventative services and reaches hundreds of thousands more through indirect preventative services, such as education initiatives.

ORLANDO, Fla.–The Women’s Edge has for the second consecutive year named Central Florida Cares Health System CEO Maria Bledsoe a Top 100 Women in Business. Ms. Bledsoe is the President of the Florida Association of Managing Entities.

The Women’s Edge is a non-profit organization committed to advancing all women in leadership positions. This year’s honorees represent a diverse range of fields, spanning education, healthcare, travel & hospitality, finance, and more, illustrating the breadth of women’s leadership across the Sunshine State.

“I’m honored to have been named a ‘Top 100 Women in Business’ by The Women’s Edge. It’s truly a privilege to serve as the CEO of one of Florida’s seven Behavioral Health Managing Entities that work every day to connect Floridians in-need with the behavioral health services they need to thrive,” said Central Florida Cares CEO Maria Bledsoe.

Florida’s seven local Managing Entities work with a network of over 300 behavioral health care providers that deliver services to over 2 million Floridians, 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 care coordination, housing, transportation, and employment. Community boards administer, manage, and ensure accountability of state and federal funds for behavioral health services, keeping oversight, transparency and accountability closest to the people they serve.