Nationally, one in five adults experience a mental illness each year. Yet, in Florida, 63% of those adults did not receive treatment for their mental illness in the past year. The lack of available services is an avoidable strain that can be reduced with the integration of physical and behavioral health. The Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) is a clinically proven healthcare delivery model that bridges the gap in care by providing a primary care team that works in collaboration with a psychiatrist to deliver timely treatment to vulnerable patients. This has vast implications for hospitals, and patients, and can improve the overall approach to the behavioral health system.
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Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHCs) are divided into two categories: CCBHC expansion grantees and state certified CCBHCs. In Florida, there are currently 23 established expansion grantees. The main distinction between these two categories is funding and long-term sustainability. Grantees are not considered “certified” programs and receive limited funding of $4M over 4 years. While, state-certified centers receive secured ongoing Medicaid reimbursement, providing a stable financial foundation that allows for continued comprehensive and integrated behavioral health services.
The pandemic exacerbated crucial mental health and substance use services across the nation. The mental health crisis in Florida is on the rise, highlighting the urgent need for trained behavioral health professionals to deliver these services. Moreover, Florida ranks 43rdin the nation with a patient-to-provider ratio of 550:1, in comparison to Massachusetts, the top-ranked state, with a ratio of 140:1. As the demand for mental health and substance use services continues to grow, so does the need for a skilled workforce to deliver these vital services. Unfortunately, the shortage of skilled behavioral health professionals' limits access to necessary treatment for children and adults. Strategies to retain and recruit are imperative to restore the capacity required to meet the demand.