JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Health professionals in Jacksonville say they're building a metaphorical net to catch those having a mental health crisis.
“If they’re feeling distress and need to see someone quickly, then they can be seen quickly,” Dr. Terri Andrews of Baptist Behavioral Health said.
The focus is on getting resources deployed faster and more constant.
Baptist Behavioral Health program at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville and Wolfson Children’s Hospital will expand an acute clinic where professionals see a wide age range of patients. CVS Health donated $25,000 toward the clinic on Feb. 18.
They'll use video conferencing to check-in or be there whenever patients experience a crisis or question.
“If we correlate physical health with mental health, if you’re not feeling well, you’re experiencing flu symptoms you’re going to want to be seen rather quickly. We need to treat behavioral health the same way,” Andrews said.
Florida, which has ranks near the bottom in terms of how much it spends on mental health per person, could see more funding in this year’s state budget with roughly $100 million for mental health counseling in schools among proposals.
Andrews says locally, there’s a need but with the new clinic and cooperation she’s hoping that changes.
“We do need more providers, we do need more therapists and psychiatrists and nurse practitioners to provide mental health services and also quickly and timely,” Andrews said.