Mental and social services face cut in Hernando County budget

It looks like Florida wants to make sure they drop from a D to an F when it comes to mental healthcare. Wonder if all the people against healthcare ever seem to manage to figure out a lot of the people in need in Florida also happen to be veterans with claims in limbo but still need to be taken care of? Lack of mental healthcare is an increase in crimes, divorce, homelessness, suicide, you name it. Do they think how much money it costs to not take care of people in the long run?

Mental and social services face cut in Hernando County budget
By Barbara Behrendt, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Monday, August 24, 2009


BROOKSVILLE — A national advocacy group this year awarded a grade of D to the state of Florida for its care of the mentally ill.

The news is even worse in Hernando County, where involuntary commitments under the Baker Act, mental health hospitalizations, domestic violence incidents and suicide threats are all above state averages.

None of Hernando County's acute-care hospitals have psychiatric beds. Springbrook Hospital does, but the for-profit psychiatric facility has a high occupancy rate. BayCare Behavioral Health has just a handful of crisis stabilization beds, and they're in great demand.
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Mental and social services face cut in Hernando County budget