Broward’s unified response to the mental health crisis

In a recent op-ed entitled The Mental Health Crisis Approaches Us Like a Hurricane, many assertions were made about the overall state of mental health in Broward County, as well as the response by those who coordinate and deliver behavioral health services here.

While we agree that the need for behavioral health services has increased, in large part due to the pandemic, we disagree with the author’s assertion that there’s no unified response. There is, and every day we work toward improving Broward’s behavioral health services system. How do we know? We are part of that response.

Broward Behavioral Health Coalition Inc. (BBHC), as the managing entity for Broward County, manages behavioral health state and federal funding for Broward’s uninsured and underinsured individuals, children, youth and families. We are responsible for developing and implementing the behavioral health system of care in Broward.

BBHC has been working for the past 18 months with community leaders, funders and community stakeholders to develop a Children Care Coordination Plan to address the behavioral health needs of children and families in our community. This plan was required in House Bill 945 passed by the 2020 Florida Legislature just before the pandemic started, and in the middle of the opioid epidemic.

This bill provided managing entities such as BBHC the authority to lead this effort together with Broward’s community leaders. Together with other partners, BBHC developed a comprehensive behavioral health plan that addresses the areas of prevention, intervention, treatment, emergency services, and community support, and submitted the plan to the state Department of Children and Families (DCF).

Community organizations participating in the creation of this plan led by BBHC include representatives from Broward County government, the Children Services Council of Broward County, Broward County Public Schools, the United Way of Broward County, ChildNet, the Early Learning Coalition of Broward County, Broward Healthy Start Coalition, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the LBGTQ community, Medicaid Managed Medical Assistance (MMA) plans, Federation of Families of Florida, Youth MOVE Broward, South Florida Wellness Network, BBHC’s provider network, Memorial Healthcare System, Broward Health, children’s service providers, Agency for People with Disabilities, Broward Sheriff ’s Office, and 2-1-1 Broward. Now that is a unified response.

The group that developed this plan will continue to meet to oversee its implementation and advocate for funding to address services gaps that have been identified. We will continue to work on coordinated plans that are already in progress and continue to respond to additional behavioral health challenges.

Barriers and gaps have been discussed at stakeholder meetings in an effort to understand the barriers and the need for funding and advocacy to address issues and concerns. This plan is on BBHC’s website, www.BBHCFlorida.org. It has been presented throughout the county to various forums and stakeholders.

BBHC, with six other managing entities in the state and in collaboration with the Health Planning Councils, is completing a comprehensive statewide behavioral health and cultural disparities needs assessment that will further identify behavioral health care needs in Broward. The assertion that we need “a fully developed wide-sweeping action plan” is correct, and we can assure the community there’s already one in Broward County.

COURTESY Psychologists believe that 1 in 5 people suffers from a mental illness.