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CBIRS Request 1694
 
Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #1694
Family Emergency Treatment Center
 
Requester: Julian I. Rice, Executive Dire Organization: Mental Health Care, Inc.
 
Project Title: Family Emergency Treatment Center Date Submitted 1/11/2006 1:36:44 PM
 
Sponsors: Miller
 
Statewide Interest:
As a by-product of work done by the Florida Partners in Crisis, a statewide group of persons representing law enforcement, the judiciary, college and university faculty from mental health and substance abuse specialties, the Department of Children & Families, private providers of mental health & substance abuse services, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and hospitals, the Family Emergency Treatment Center (FETC) serves as a model for the state in jail diversion, the provision of mental health and substance abuse services and law enforcement training. By the provision of standardized training to law enforcement based on a set of criteria developed by the stakeholders, law enforcement officers can effectively deal with persons in need of specialized services because officers typically make the initial contact with such persons. A higher level of standardized training of law enforcement is needed statewide. To this end, FETC participates in the Crisis Intervention Team Statewide Coalition. Additionally, the model that the FETC has effectively established in Hillsborough County can be replicated at the county, judicial circuit or DCF regional level to better deal with persons who otherwise get caught up in the courts, correctional systems and Emergency Rooms of hospitals at a much higher cost to the state and local governments.
 
Recipient: Mental Health Care, Inc   Contact: Rick Wagner  
  55707 North 22nd Street   Contact Phone: (813) 695-5490  
  Tampa 33610   Contact email: rwagner@mhcinc.org
 
Counties: Hillsborough
 
Gov't Entity:   Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): Yes
 
Project Description:
The Family Emergency Treatment Center (FETC) is an "urgent care" walk-in clinic operating six days per week from 8:00 AM to 12:00 AM with intra-agency protocols to handle FETC's walk-ins when they are closed. This makes it a 24 hour program to the community. FETC's jail diversion efforts provides a least restrictive setting in the community, making it a promising practice as noted in the literature. The "urgent care" clinic provides short-term intensive outpatient treatment consisting of an immediate evaluation or assessment, medication, crisis counseling, case management, and referrals to community resources. The FETC offers a place for people to go who are in urgent need of assistance but do not meet criteria for inpatient care. It is intended to decrease use of costly emergency services and provide an alternative to jail and ultimately the court system for those who can be better served through the mental health system. Essentially, FETC functions as a psychiatric, non-medical triage for the community. A large portion of the FETC's work involves law enforcement training. Law enforcement training is a key element of the program to support jail diversion efforts and implementation of Crisis Intervention Teams. The FETC has been able to assist in setting standard criteria for training statewide. This training equips officers to be part of response teams to better answer a call for service involving mentally ill people or substance abusers. The FETC's training component, because of its success and curriculum's flexibility, has assisted other departments within law enforcement agencies when they requested technical assistance with School Resource Officers, Correctional Officers, Dispatchers, etc.
 
Is this a project related to a federal or state declared disaster? No
 
Measurable Outcome Anticipated:
There would be a positive fiscal result at the state and local levels with a cheaper, more cost-efficient alternative to jail and a decrease in costly emergency room services respectively. There would be the provision of 4,000+ assessments along with case management and counseling services. The FETC would provide at least 650 staff hours for law enforcement training. This training results in cost savings by reducing the number of bookings and decreases law enforcement transports to the jail for persons with mental illness, thereby increasing patrol time. The state would experience a cost-savings in the court and correctional systems. Court hearings related to criminal cases and Baker Act proceedings would likely be reduced as many of these persons would alternatively be served in the mental health system; likewise a reduction in the state prison system occurs as chronic offenders would be served in the same mental health system.
 
Amount requested from the State for this project this year: $1,445,000
 
Total cost of the project: $1,675,000
 
Request has been made to fund: Operations
 
What type of match exists for this project? Private
  Cash Amount $   In-kind Amount $230,000
 
Was this project previously funded by the state?   Yes
  Fiscal Year: 2005-06 Amount: $900,000
 
Is future-year funding likely to be requested?   Yes
  Amount: $1,445,000 To Fund: Operations
 
Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request?   No
 
Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? No
 
Is there a documented need for this project? Yes
  Documentation: Suncoast Region's Mental Health and Substance Abuse Plan
 
Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)?   Yes
  Hearing Body: Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation
  Hearing Meeting Date: 01/07/2006
 
Is this a water project as described in Section 403.885, Laws of Florida?   No