The mission of the Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network, Inc. (SEFBHN), is to develop, support and manage an integrated network of behavioral health services to promote the emotional well-being and drug-free living of children and adults in Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie Counties.
SEFBHN currently has more than 60 providers within its network. Our providers are primarily private, non-profit service agencies, with a small percentage of private, for-profit agencies. SEFBHN providers employ principles of recovery including: choice, hope, trust, personal satisfaction, life-sustaining roles, interdependence, and community involvement. Services must also be culturally and linguistically competent and are provided regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, or sexual orientation. SEFBHN receives more than 99% of its funding from DCF, which in turn primarily comes from federally-funded Community Mental Health (CMH), and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grants. The remainder of revenue comes from the county government and, at times, from smaller grants SEFBHN has successfully applied for and received.
SEFBHN is a non-profit agency headed by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and governed by a Board of Directors. The Board is comprised of representatives from community stakeholder agencies and provider agencies. SEFBHN focuses its efforts on ensuring adherence with the requirements of the DCF contract, Federal and Florida Statutes, Administrative Code and Federal Block Grants, while simultaneously engaging its behavioral health providers to be therapeutically innovative and effective.
Serving: Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie counties.
Ann M. Berner, Chief Executive Officer
Since 2012, Ann Berner has directed the activities of Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network, which oversees $56 million annually in publicly funded substance abuse and mental health services in Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie Counties. She is passionate about establishing “unconditional care” as the standard for behavioral health services and is committed to advancing the recovery and resiliency of individuals in need of those services.
Berner is a long-time resident of the Treasure Coast, a history that drives her efforts to serve those in the area through behavioral health care. She has over 20 years of experience with the Department of Children and Families, including service as a circuit administrator and as Florida’s statewide Director of Economic Self-Suffıciency. Throughout her roles, she has
focused on upholding the importance of promoting community collaboration and working creatively with local stakeholders and the behavioral health provider network.
