More details emerge on Jacksonville ‘central receiving center’ proposal for mental health

As we reported last week, the city of Jacksonville is working toward creating a “central receiving facility” for mental health issues.

The good news: the city has secured a $15 million grant from the state of Florida.

The bad news: the $7.5 million needed, as a local match has been slow in coming.

All told, the Mental Health Resource Center needs to find $2.385 million of local funding. Much of that will have to originate from the private sector; the city currently receives $810,000 from the city for outpatient services, so if the city were to provide the extra $2.385 million, that would result in a 300 percent increase in the MHRC budget year over year.

While that’s doable given the city’s strong budget year in 2016 — one which saw $11 million added to the city’s emergency reserve — stakeholders are proceeding as if private funds are the mechanism necessary to make this plan a reality.

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FloridaPolitics.com reviewed a copy of January’s “executive summary” of the grant request from the city’s Mental Health Resource Center, and it painted a picture of dire need mixed with tremendous opportunity — if the city can get it together to match the funds.

Jacksonville’s problems are almost uniquely severe.

Florida is 49th in the nation in per capita mental health funding. And Northeast Florida is bringing up the rear, again, in a woefully underfunded state.

The results: delays in treatment, especially for underserved populations, that can be perilous.

Waiting a few weeks when dealing with acute mental issues, for example, can make them worse.

Those released or diverted from the jail, likewise, can often go without treatment — leading to repeat offenses.

To remedy these issues, a central receiving center is necessary, the MHRC asserts.

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The funding would actually be used to create two centers: one at the MHRC North facility on W. 20th Street, and one at the South facility on Beach Blvd.

Services would include mental health and substance abuse screening and help, as well as assistance applying for government benefits, psychiatric evaluations, and medication management.

Staff would reach out to the mentally ill, including recently discharged inmates, to ensure they are getting the help they need.

The hope: that extra effort will prevent a need for psychiatric hospitalization, for those prone to episodic relapses.

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The proposal outlines a phased-in schedule of services, beginning in March at the North location during business hours, then expanding hours and locations as local match funding materializes.

The locational choice is a pragmatic one: all of the current city funding, and all but $700,000 of the state funding, is allocated toward the North location.

Thus, the North location only needs $116,000 to ramp up, while the one on the Southside needs $2.27 million.

The need for two locations is dictated by the sprawling nature of the consolidated city itself.