Carol Caraballo, vice president for behavioral health services at Thriving Mind South Florida is pictured with Lt. Patrick Calvo from the Miami-Dade Police Department at the Crisis Intervention Training Conference in Seattle, WA, over the summer.
Grant will allow licensed mental health coordinators to be in the field with first responders to render immediate screenings, treatment and referrals on the scene
October 16, 2019 – Thriving Mind South Florida (contracting as South Florida Behavioral Health Network, Inc), a nonprofit organization supported by Florida’s Department of Children and Families that funds prevention and treatment services for serious mental illness and substance use disorders for the uninsured population of Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, along with Miami-Dade Police Department, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida and Florida Department of Children and Families, were awarded a three-year, $749,997 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Data Access and Collaboration on Treatment Alternatives (DACOTA) grant will address the lack of effective collaboration between criminal justice and mental health agencies. This will help develop a shared information database where both criminal justice and mental health agencies can each access data systems with summary dashboards and individual treatment histories. In addition, it will help implement a co-responder model whereby licensed clinician care coordinators will be in the field with first responder Miami-Dade Police Department officers, able to render immediate screenings, continuity of care coordination and treatment referrals on the scene.
“Our focus continues to be on decriminalizing mental illness,” said John W. Newcomer, M.D., president and CEO of Thriving Mind South Florida. “The DACOTA grant is well-timed and well-prepared to revolutionize care for this vulnerable population that will now be able to get the treatment they need where they need it.”
These technological and operational advances will improve responses and outcomes for individuals with mental illness and co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse.
In addition to the grant, the Council on Accreditation recently named Thriving Mind South Florida and Miami-Dade Police’s Threat Management Section initiative (program mentioned above) as a finalist in its Innovative Practices Award competition.
The Council’s Innovative Practices Award spotlights the inspirational efforts of organizations — their staff, board, volunteers, and partners — who bring lasting change to lives of vulnerable individuals.
The Threat Management Section identifies the frequent callers to 911 for crisis-related issues along with those who pose a threat to public safety where no crime has been committed. These individuals are referred to Thriving Mind South Florida and linked to community services based on needs.
This system-level coordination has been demonstrated to reduce readmission rates and increase successful follow-up and adherence to treatment plans.
About Thriving Mind South Florida
Thriving Mind South Florida is a nonprofit organization charged by the Florida Department of Children and Families with ensuring that families and individuals affected by mental illness and substance use disorders in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties can readily access innovative, effective and compassionate services that lead to health and recovery. With an almost 20-year history of supporting innovative, cost-effective, consumer-focused programs serving South Florida, Thriving Mind is committed to a leadership role in ensuring individuals with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders receive the highest levels of evidence-based treatment when and where it is needed. For additional information and the latest news, visit www.thrivingmind.org.
