INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — On Tuesday, May 8, Representative Debbie Mayfield and the Mental Health Collaborative of Indian River County welcomed Secretary David Wilkins of the Florida Department of Children and Families to Indian River County.
The purpose of the meeting was to introduce Secretary Wilkins to the effective use of public-philanthropic partnerships that have improved the community’s mental health continuum of care.
Lenora Ritchie, Executive Director of The Robert F. and Eleonora W. McCabe Foundation and a past Chairman of the Mental Health Collaborative, provided a historical overview of the organization which formed in 2004 and has since grown to include 24 funders, philanthropists, civic leaders, government organizations, and mental health providers.
The members of the Mental Health Collaborative work together to increase access, decrease duplication, and facilitate community wide support of mental health issues.
The presentation highlighted two successful projects that grew from the work of the Collaborative, including the Mental Health Association’s Walk-In Center, launched in 2006, and the UF Center for Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine, established in 2009.
Secretary Wilkins toured both facilities to learn about the innovative ways these programs have improved access to mental health care in Indian River County.
The Mental Health Association Walk-In Center provides immediate care for people experiencing mental health issues who would not otherwise have access. Early access to care, before problems worsen, is a proven method for reducing more costly forms of care such as overutilization of emergency departments, and incarceration of people arrested for behaviors related to a mental illness.
The UF Center for Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine is a state of the art educational facility that seeks to attract, train, and retain top leaders in psychiatry to the Treasure Coast.
With a distinguished clientele of medical professionals, and with the support of the University of Florida College of Medicine, the Center provides evidence-based academic endeavors for health providers, physicians, students, teachers, and patients.
“The challenges we face in mental health care are so widespread that it isn’t feasible for any one provider or funder to tackle the issues alone,” said Michael Kint, President and CEO of the United Way of Indian River County and the current Chairman of the Mental Health Collaborative.
“Our success is a direct result of our members’ commitment to collaborate. It was an honor to showcase our work to Secretary Wilkins,” Kint added.
For more information on the work of the Mental Health Collaborative, please contact Lisa Kahle at (772) 567-2166 or MentalHealthCollaborativeofIRC@gmail.com.