Space Coast Health Foundation has announced a pilot program meant to improve early intervention mental health and behavioral services in Brevard County.
The program is made possible by $625,000 in state funds, approved in the latest state budget by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Locally, the appropriation was sponsored in the Florida Legislature by Sen. Debbie Mayfield, R-Melbourne, and Rep. Tyler Sirois, R-Merritt Island.
“As a Space Coast resident, I regularly meet with constituents who voice their concerns over the behavioral health crisis in our region,” Mayfield said. “And I know this new pilot program will be greatly beneficial to the wellbeing our community.”
“Each year the statistics of Floridians who suffer from depression and anxiety continue to rise, and the Legislature has taken a well-rounded, multi-pronged approach at tackling this,” Sirois said.
The name of the pilot initiative is called “Thrive Within: A Journey to Resilience” and will include a 30-day challenge called “The Daily Thrive.” The initiative will roll out this fall.
Lifetime Counseling Center is leading the early-intervention programs in Brevard but it’s also collaborating with the Brevard Schools Foundation to expand programming and building mental health resilience among students in Brevard.
“We’ve long understood that mental health is a key component to overall health but it’s an issue that for too long has been kept stigmatized, in the corner where few of us talk about it, much less seek remedies,” said Adam Bird, SCHF board chairman.
“As front-line mental health workers, our dedicated team at Lifetime Counseling Center and others in the field of mental health see daily the anxiety and anguish that many others don’t see,” said Dr. Lori Parsons, LCC’s director. “Our main goal with this state appropriation is to address these issues early and work on solutions on the front end so we’re not faced with a tragic situation on the other end.”
The “Thrive Within: A Journey to Resilience” initiative comes as data shows there is a growing need for mental and behavioral services in Brevard.
The Community Health Needs Assessment, a study commissioned by SCHF every three years, showed in 2019 that 13 percent of Space Coast residents said they were receiving mental health treatment. In 2022, the figure jumped to nearly 24 percent.
The same report showed that in 2019, 9.2 percent of those interviewed said they were unable to access needed mental health services. Last year the number rose to 15. 3 percent.
Tragically, this is showing up in the community’s suicide rates.
According to the Florida Department of Health, in 2021 the age-adjusted rate of suicides per 100,000 people in Brevard was 19.4. That’s much higher than the state’s rate of 13.8.
“Our local representatives stepped up and shepherded a state funding proposal for a pilot program that will help those who participate improve their resiliency and enhance positive outcomes for those needing mental health assistance,” Bird said.