The first week of October is Mental Illness Awareness Week, and the Florida Association of Managing Entities is reminding Floridians to mind their mental health and urging individuals to educate themselves on behavioral health care in the state.
The awareness week comes at a time where many Floridians have experienced severe anxiety as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian. Nearly 2.9 million Florida adults, about 17% of the population, have some form of mental illness. More than 1 million have reported a substance abuse disorder. Some 682,000 Floridians report thoughts of suicide.
“Mental health is an integral part of overall health, and we need to efficiently provide services to those who need it. According to the CDC, the percentage of adults getting mental health treatment increased from 19.2% in 2019 to 21.6% in 2021. These are encouraging statistics. By destigmatizing mental illness and focusing on treatment, we can help people lead healthier and more fulfilling lives,” said FAME CEO Natalie K. Kelly.
The Managing Entities are Florida’s behavioral health safety net system, serving more than 320,000 uninsured or indigent individuals through a statewide network of more than 300 providers. Providers in the network provide a wide array of services, including, but not limited to: care coordination to meet people’s diverse needs, crisis counseling and support, crisis stabilization, mobile response teams, detoxification, and peer recovery support.
Additionally, wraparound services address a person’s needs for employment, transportation, child care and other services so individuals can get back on their feet.
Visit FLManagingEntities.com for more information on Florida’s behavioral health safety net system and to find a local Managing Entity.
About the Florida Association of Managing Entities
The Florida Association of Managing Entities (FAME) is the statewide organization representing Florida’s seven Managing Entities. FAME’s mission is to advance the behavioral health recovery of individuals and their families in the state of Florida.
