Florida Behavioral Health Association (FBHA) President and CEO Melanie Brown-Woofter has been appointed to Governor Ron DeSantis’ Re-Open Task Force Industry Working Group on Agriculture, Finance, Government, Healthcare, Management and Professional Services.
“I am honored to have been selected by Governor DeSantis to serve on this important task force and to be the voice of mental health and substance use treatment providers in Florida as we assess the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on our healthcare industry and look to re-open our state,” said FBHA President and CEO Melanie Brown-Woofter. “We have seen the effects COVID-19 can have on us physically, but we must also keep in mind the toll it can take on the mental health of Floridians—whether it be fear of the illness itself, anxiety from a loss of employment and financial strain, stress from school closures or depression due to isolation.”
Additionally, the FBHA applauds Gov. DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis, who have continued to shine a light on the mental health and substance use treatment needs of thousands of Floridians during this unprecedented time.
“I also look forward to discussions with the Task Force on how to protect the mental health of Floridians and how we can ensure they continue to have access to vital mental health and substance use treatment services,” added Brown-Woofter.
Floridians are going to get through this together, and it is only natural to feel a little stressed or anxious about COVID-19 and the unknown. FBHA’s mental health and substance use treatment partners are available and fully operational. For more information about available resources, please visit https://www.floridabha.org/covid-19.
The Task Force Industry Working Group on Agriculture, Finance, Government, Healthcare, Management and Professional Services will be meeting via conference call today at 10:00am. The call will be streamed live on www.thefloridachannel.org.
The group held its first meeting yesterday, a recording of which is available HERE. The group will develop recommendations to present to the Governor for his consideration.
FBHA is the state’s largest trade association representing community mental health and substance use treatment providers. The group is committed to bringing renewed attention and awareness to mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery in Florida. For more information, please visit www.floridabha.org.
