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| Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #1822 |
| Secure Forensic Treatment Facility |
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| Requester: |
Ron Kirkland, CEO |
Organization: |
Apalachee Center, Inc |
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| Project Title: |
Secure Forensic Treatment Facility |
Date Submitted |
1/4/2008 3:45:25 PM |
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| Sponsors: |
Peaden |
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| Statewide Interest: |
| Reduction of numbers of individuals with psychiatric illnesses currently housed in the criminal justice system through the provision of secure treatment and competency restoration. |
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| Recipient: |
Apalachee Center, Inc |
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Contact: |
Jay Reeve |
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2634-J Capital Circle NE |
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Contact Phone: |
(850) 523-3213 |
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Tallahassee 32308 |
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Contact email: |
jayr@apalacheecenter.org |
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| Counties: |
Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla |
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| Gov't Entity: |
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Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): |
Yes |
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| Project Description: |
| The recent report of Mental Health Treatment commissioned by the Florida Supreme Court and chaired by Judge Leifman made a number of recommendations for the easing of the forensic mental health treatment crisis. Among the recommendations made by the Leifman report is one for the creation of Centralized Receiving Centers (such as those in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Orange Counties). These centers provide for a single point of entry for law enforcement officers to gain access to the community treatment system for individuals experiencing mental health crises. Unfortunately, these points of entry do not provide solutions for two other problems: an increasing lack of bed capacity for civil and forensic clients, and the traditional, statutorily protected option of crisis stabilization units to refuse individuals charged with felony crimes. In addition, the Leifman report strongly recommended the increased use of mental health courts and pre- and post-booking diversion. In an effort to address these issues and to provide these services, many counties in Florida (including Leon, Alachua, and many others), have applied for grant monies available through House Bill 1477. The probable short-term outcome of these new initiatives will likely be the significantly enhanced use of mental health courts and pre- and post-booking diversion programs, which will in turn significantly increase financial and utilization pressure on an already over-burdened community mental health system.
Apalachee Center proposes to address this issue regionally, through the creation of a North Florida Forensic Assessment and Treatment Center, located in centrally Holmes and Leon Counties which will provide 40 beds for psychiatric crisis and residential services for individuals in Circuits 1,2,3,4, 5, 7, 8, and 14 who are in need of psychiatric services and have legal involvement, including both felony and misdemeanor charges. These individuals may have been adjudicated under Florida Statute 916, or merely be experiencing a mental health crisis that requires brief stabilization. Individuals may be referred by the Court, the Department of Children and Families, or law enforcement throughout the region, and through the diversion and mental health court programs now increasing throughout the region. In order to provide maximum access for individuals from Pensacola to Lake City, services will be provided in central locations in North Florida. Individuals in these units will receive a full array of psychiatric, therapeutic, and case management services, along with Court and law enforcement liaison. All clinical staff will be thoroughly trained in the provision of treatment for Co-Occurring psychiatric and substance abuse disorders, as recommended by the Leifman report. In addition, individuals in these units will receive psychiatric evaluation and treatment, competency restoration services, and case management and linkage services to help accelerate their ability to proceed through the criminal justice system. These units will be licensed and staffed at Crisis Stabilization Unit levels, but will not serve as public receiving facilities. Instead, they will be designated as forensic receiving facilities. Since Apalachee Center also operates 34 forensic step-down beds, individuals will be able to move through a full continuum of care until ready to return to the community.
The full implementation of this project would require $3-4 million. However, given the constraints of this budget year, an initial planning budget outlay of $500,000 will allow for the first stages of reconfiguration and construction required to refit the current physical facilities as secure forensic crisis stabilization units. Full implementation of the project will be dependent on future funding.
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| Is this a project related to a federal or state declared disaster? |
No |
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| Measurable Outcome Anticipated: |
| A continued, and sustainable, reduction in the number of psychiatrically impaired individuals in North Florida who must receive treatment within the criminal justice system, and a concurrent reduction in the number of secure state forensic capacity needed to treat these individuals. |
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| Amount requested from the State for this project this year: |
$500,000 |
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| Total cost of the project: |
$500,000 |
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| Request has been made to fund: |
Construction |
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| What type of match exists for this project? |
None |
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Cash Amount |
$ |
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| Was this project previously funded by the state? |
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No |
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| Is future-year funding likely to be requested? |
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Yes |
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Amount: |
$3,900,000 |
To Fund: |
Construction |
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| Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request? |
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No |
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| Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? |
Unknown |
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| Is there a documented need for this project? |
Yes |
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Documentation: |
Mental Health transformation (Leifman Report); Department of Children And Families� budget requests |
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| Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)? |
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No |
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| Is this a water project as described in Section 403.885, Laws of Florida? |
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No |
