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• Key Messages and Weekly Themes to guide partners when developing social media messages about suicide prevention for their audiences.
• Social Media Shareables including social media posts and graphics to share during Suicide Prevention Month.
• Hashtags to help connect social media content related to Suicide Prevention Month.
  

How You Can Help

All materials in the toolkit are downloadable and shareable. You can share them with your audiences across your media channels.

Each week, we will share key messages and weekly themes that align with the four strategic directions of the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and Federal Action Plan. Partners are encouraged to use this information to develop messages of their own that resonate with their audiences Please access the toolkit to learn more about Suicide Prevention Month, how you can help, and ways to promote suicide prevention. Information, including a list of upcoming events, will be added soon.

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Governor and First Lady DeSantis Continue to Strengthen Florida Through Vital Funding for Mental Wellbeing and Substance Abuse Services

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IMPOWER created a program in 2013 to utilize telehealth technologies to provide mental health access to low-income and underserved individuals. The program uses real-time video chat between patients and health care providers to diagnose issues and recommend or provide treatment, with 24/7 access.

 Watch the Video Here

Behavioral Health Association Applauds Passage of Workforce Bill

Read HB369

In the final full day of Florida’s Legislative Session landmark legislation was passed to address the behavioral health workforce shortage. As part of the Sober Home Task Force legislative package, HB 369 led by Representative Mike Caruso (R-Delray Beach), reforms background screening for behavioral health service providers. One Behavioral Health Association (OBHA) applauds the passage of this bill that champions Recovery in Florida and allows greater discretion for treatment centers, facilities, and recovery residences to select and lead a workforce.

The vote to pass this bill was unanimous in both the House and the Senate.

This bill eases the burden on certain non-violent offenses so individuals may more easily work in the mental health and substance use disorder fields. In the past, the process for an individual to receive an exemption from a non-violent disqualification was often burdensome and time consuming. The result was that the very people most able to help those still suffering from addiction were turned away based on past offenses.

 Now, the Department of Children & Families (DCF) has more leniency to grant exemptions to select personnel receiving Level 2 background checks and requires that requests for exemption for disqualifications be approved or denied within 60 days.

 HB 369 also clarifies legislation relating to ethical marketing practices and treatment facilities with community housing. The bill defines fraudulent marketing practices and clearly advocates for consumers and their families to be able to make the best decisions possible when selecting service providers and recovery residences.

OBHA commends the actions and work of many individuals and groups that made the passage of this bill possible including Senator Gayle Harrell, State Attorney Dave Aaronberg, and Representative Mike Caruso. Today was a step in the right direction for Florida Behavioral Health. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                        

April 8, 2019                                                                                      

CONTACT:  Leslie Veiga

lesliev@citrushealth.com                                                                                                       

(786) 282-6860

MIAMI, FLORIDA— Citrus Family Care Network is proud to announce that it has been selected as the Child Welfare Community Based Care (CBC) Lead Agency for the Southern Region by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF).

DCF contracts with CBC Lead Agencies across the state to provide child welfare services in their local communities for children who have been abused, neglected and/or abandoned.  The Southern Region includes Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. 

Citrus Family Care Network is a division of Citrus Health Network, a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center that has been providing services to the child welfare population for more than 27 years. 

Citrus provides specialized foster care and other child welfare services focused on helping children with emotional, behavioral and other special needs, as well as survivors of human trafficking. Citrus is currently the largest provider of specialized therapeutic foster care services in the region.  Each year Citrus serves more than 200 children in the foster care system and over 3,500 children and young adults with high risk and high needs

“We look forward to working collaboratively with the Department of Children and Families, child welfare providers, foster and adoptive parents, and community partners to ensure a smooth transition and a System of Care that best serves vulnerable children and their families,” said Mario Jardon, Citrus’ President and CEO.  The CBC Lead Agency contract is set to begin on July 1, 2019. 

Mr. Jardon has selected Esther Jacobo, former Interim DCF Secretary, as the Director for the Citrus Family Care Network division. 

In accepting her new position, Ms. Jacobo said, “I am thrilled to be joining an agency with such a strong track record of service, and for the opportunity to serve the most vulnerable children and families in our community.”

Christine Sexton, and Jim Saunders

TALLAHASSEE --- Centene Corp. will acquire the Tampa-based WellCare Health Plans, Inc. in a $17.3 billion deal that will combine two of the biggest players in Florida’s Medicaid managed-care system, the companies announced Wednesday.

Centene does business in Florida as Sunshine Health, while WellCare’s Florida Medicaid business is Staywell Health Plan. The companies provide coverage in similar markets in the state. The deal, in part, would give Centene access to WellCare’s business in parts of the country such as Hawaii, Kentucky and New Jersey.

"With the addition of WellCare, we expect to bolster and diversify our product offerings, increase our scale and have access to new markets, which will in turn, enable us to continue investing in technology and better serve members with innovative programs designed to meet their needs,” Michael F. Neidorff, Centene's chairman and chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement. “Centene has grown significantly by adding capabilities that have increased revenues and enabled margin expansion. The addition of WellCare is the next logical step in our growth strategy and to drive value for our collective shareholders.”

The subsidiaries of Centene and WellCare oversaw care for more than 1.4 million low-income, disabled and elderly Floridians as of Feb. 28, with WellCare the largest Medicaid HMO in the state, according to numbers posted on the state Agency for Health Care Administration website.

After the acquisition, scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2020, the combined company will be headquartered in St. Louis, where Centene is based. Boards of both companies have signed off on the deal, while it remains subject to approval by shareholders.

The companies focus on Medicaid and other government health programs.

"By combining with Centene, we will create a more competitive, diversified company that is better able to deliver fully integrated, high-quality, cost-effective services for our members and government partners,” Ken Burdick, WellCare's chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement. “Both companies share a deep history and focus on the government-sponsored healthcare market and, together, our expertise will allow us to deliver enhanced value for our shareholders, opportunities for our associates and better outcomes for our members."

The announcement came after both companies in 2018 finished negotiating new five-year Medicaid managed care contracts with Florida that are worth tens of billions of dollars.

WellCare, operating as Staywell, has contracts to provide comprehensive managed care in 10 of the 11 regions used by Florida’s Medicaid program. Comprehensive plans offer both acute and long-term care coverage. The state also chose WellCare to provide a Medicaid managed-care specialty plan for people with serious mental illness in all 11 regions.

Centene, operating as Sunshine Health, also was chosen by AHCA to provide comprehensive coverage to Medicaid managed care enrollees. It has contracts in all 11 regions to provide that coverage. Additionally, the plan also was chosen to provide specialty managed-care benefits to children in the state’s child-welfare program. It is the only HMO with a contract with the state to provide those services.

Both companies also participate in the Florida Healthy Kids program, which provides health insurance to children from ages 5 to 18 whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid.

WellCare was started in 1985, Its corporate offices were raided in 2007 by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and other agencies. Ultimately, the company agreed to pay $35 million to settle allegations of Medicaid fraud.

After the new deal is complete, the board of the combined company will be made up of nine members from Centene and two from WellCare, according to the announcement. Neidorff will serve as chairman and chief executive officer.

Samantha J. Grosssgross@miamiherald.com
Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau staff writer

The “smoking ban” was challenged in circuit court in July 2017. In May 2018, Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers declared the smoking ban unconstitutional, but the Department of Health appealed the ruling later that month.

A 2013 photo of Cathy Jordan, who was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. She is shown here inhaling a marijuana joint held by her husband, Robert Jordan. [CHERIE DIEZ | Times]

 Florida Senate affirmed the right to smoke medical pot Thursday afternoon.

Senate Bill 182 made it through its last stop during the day’s session, with just eight days to spare before a deadline set by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The 40-member Senate vote was 34-4, with two legislators not voting. Sen. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, was not present for the vote.

DeSantis in January tasked the Legislature with amending Florida law to allow smoking medical marijuana. If legislators don’t by the March 15 deadline he set that day, the governor said he will do so with litigation. The deadline is a top priority of Senate President Bill Galvano, a Bradenton Republican. That’s why it was voted out on only the third day of the 60-day session.

The House bill, a committee bill put forward by Health and Human Services, reported favorably out of Appropriations on Feb. 21. It has not yet been heard on the floor.

Questions about the program’s fundamental elements were a recurring theme in floor debate, but the bill sponsor, Sen. Jeff Brandes, told Senators they need not worry.

“Most people in this room haven’t studied medical cannabis since college,” he said.

In 2016, about 71 percent of voting Floridians approved a constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana. While the 2017 bill signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott legalized access to the drug in pill, oil, edible and vape form, it made smoking it illegal.

The provision, which became known as the “smoking ban,” was challenged in circuit court in July 2017. In May 2018, Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers declared the smoking ban unconstitutional, but the Department of Health appealed the ruling later that month. After DeSantis announced his intent to drop the appeal should the Legislature not act to remove the smoking ban, both parties filed a motion to stay the appeal until this month.

Brandes’ bill mainly adds the word “smoking” to the medical marijuana constitutional amendment and allows patients to receive up to 2.5 ounces of the drug every 35 days as recommended by their qualified doctor. It prohibits smoking in public and in areas like drug-free workplaces.

The bill requires a second opinion from a board-certified pediatrician for non-terminal patients under 18 and deletes a provision that prohibits a medical marijuana treatment center from selling products like pipes, bongs or rolling papers. Another amendment passed to allow patients to buy those products at third-party locations if they are using marijuana for medical use.

The bill also establishes a Medical Marijuana Research and Education Board to direct the operations of a research consortium established by the state university system’s Board of Governors, which will receive $1.5 million for the program. The bill also specifies that smokable medical marijuana cannot be banned from nursing homes and hospice facilities that already allow it.

“Being a physician is both an art and a science,” Brandes said on the floor. “There is a latitude we give physicians to try a new drug and try experimentation. That’s how we build on this body of research.”

Sen. Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican, said when the 2017 bill was passed without a provision for smoking medical marijuana, the Legislature was doing what it thought was right. But now it’s “time to move on,” he said.

“I’m glad that Sen. Brandes with his good work has put reasonable guide rails before we move it from Tallahassee to doctors’ offices across the state of Florida. If we did nothing, there would be no guide rails,” Bradley said. “That would not be in the best interest of the state of Florida.”

Some senators said they were put in a hard place Thursday. If the chamber didn’t pass a bill to repeal a ban on smoking marijuana, the ban would be dissolved via litigation and an environment for smoking medical marijuana would exist without a safety net of rule-making like second opinions for minors and limits on recommended doses from certified physicians.

Sen. Gayle Harrell, who has expressed wariness of the bill throughout committee meetings, said she would only be voting for the bill out of necessity. The Stuart Republican said smoking medical marijuana “is not the intent of the voters.”

“The fact that we’re here today is very disappointing to me,” she said. “This bill has some faults in it, but it’s the best we can do at this point. I want to caution our physicians as they move forward ... We as a Legislature have the same responsibility that physicians have: Do no harm.”

Sen. Dennis Baxley, who said he has never voted for “one of these bills,” voted yes as well.

“With the room we have left given what’s transpired, you have protected children, and I appreciate that flexibility,” the Ocala Republican said. “We didn’t protect children in smoking tobacco. You’ve protected the children today.”

Sen. Keith Perry was also skeptical. But unlike the others, he voted no.

“We’re going to reap the benefits from the ill effects,” the Gainesville Republican said. “Let’s get the research first and then pass that.

“Sen. Doug Broxon, R-Gulf Breeze; Sen George. Gainer, R-Panama City, and Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, also voted no.

In his closing, Brandes made mention of Cathy Jordan, a Sarasota woman with Lou Gehrig’s disease who had been on a crusade to legalize medical marijuana since she was diagnosed with her disease 32 years ago. Smoking the drug is the best way for her to treat her condition.

“In her quiet voice, she would advocate for smokable medical cannabis,” Brandes said. “As Floridians, even those who barely have a voice in this process can be heard, recognized and respected. This legislation honors that in a way that is responsible.”

This program furthers the Department’s mission by providing resources
to state, local, and tribal courts to enhance drug court programs and systems for nonviolent
offenders with addictions, including those related to opioid abuse and overdose; and to
enhance veterans treatment court programs and systems for offenders with both addictions
and a history of violence related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of their
service.

BJA Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment
Court Planning, Training, Technical Assistance,
and Resource Center Initiative FY 2019 Competitive
Grant Announcement
Applications Due: April 16, 2019

Read More / Download Information Here

October 15, 1953 – December 1, 2018

It is with deep sadness that we express our heartfelt condolences to Rita M. Chamberlain’s family, friends, and colleagues upon her passing December 1, 2018 due to complications from recurring colon cancer.  Rita was the Executive Director/CFO of Manatee County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (dba Drug Free Manatee). 

Rita was born in Connecticut.  She attended Colgate University in Hamilton, NY graduating with honors in English in 1975 - the second class of women to graduate from the University since it became co-ed in 1970.

In her professional career, Rita worked for several organizations focused on women’s advocacy. While living in Nashua, NH, she worked for Women Infants and Children (WIC) and Girls Inc. Rita relocated to Florida in 2003, working for the Opera as Development Director prior to becoming the Associate Director of Drug Free Manatee. 

Rita is survived by her two daughters, Kathryn Roberts of Santa Fe, NM and Jennifer Isaacs of Pleasant Hill, CA, and their husbands, Tal-ee Roberts and Ray Isaacs; her grandson, Joshua Isaacs; her sister and brother-in-law, Ellen and Bill Domago of New Smyrna Beach, FL; and many other extended family, friends and co-workers in the Bradenton/Sarasota area. She is pre-deceased by her parents, Mary and Bill Everts.

Rita was a beloved champion for prevention in her community, as well as a devoted prevention advocate in the state and federal level.  Her work in the field of prevention was always second to none and it will continue to impact the residents of Manatee County and, indeed, the entire State of Florida.  She was a gifted person who worked to make communities safe and prevent substance abuse across the lifespan.  Her legacy is an inspiration to those who continue the important work of substance abuse prevention.

She is remembered as a fearless and compassionate woman who, regardless of how difficult the path or how challenging the odds, never gave up.  Her wit, courage, and devotion to family, friends, and career were the trademarks of a life well lived.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Dick Jacobs

CEO, Aspire

Dick Jacobs will retire in December 2018 after a stellar 44-year career and a legacy of quality work and leadership. Dick presently serves as the CEO of Aspire Health Partners. Dick has oversight for a $95 million budget and 1,346 employee organization. Dick began his career as a methadone counselor at Thee Door in 1977 and eventually became the CEO of The Center for Drug Free Living prior to CEO of Aspire.

Mr. Jacobs has co-written and collaborated on numerous grants funded through SAMHSA, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, and Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Dick served as a field reviewer for the Treatment Improvement Protocol and served as a member of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network.

Dick was a founding board member and past president of the Certification Board of Addiction Professionals of Florida. He has served for many years on the Board of Directors of FADAA and most recently the Florida Behavioral Health Association.

Leadership Award, The Dr. Donald "Jerry" Feulner Award

Candace Hodgkins, PhD

President and Chief Administrative Officer

Gateway Steps to Recovery

Candace Hodgkins, Ph.D. is currently the President and Chief Administration Officer of Gateway – Steps to Recovery, the largest provider of addiction treatment and prevention services in Duval County and the surrounding area. Dr. Hodgkins is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida, a National Certified Counselor, and a qualified supervisor for registered Mental Health Counselors.

Dr. Hodgkins has served as a board member of FADAA and the Florida Behavioral Health Association where she presently serves as Chair of the Housing and Recovery Division. She has been instrumental in bringing science-based research interventions to the patients and staff at Gateway. In the past year, Dr. Hodgkins collaborated on the development and implementation of a $7 million dollar Capital Campaign, expansion of Gateway’s Medication Assisted Treatment initiatives, and working with the City of Jacksonville and partners to combat the current Opioid crisis through their Project Saving Lives program.

Professional of the Year Award

Raymond M. Pomm, MD

Chief Medical Director

Gateway Community Services

Raymond Pomm, M.D. serves as Chief Medical Director for Gateway Community Services. Dr. Pomm is recognized for his recent work engaging community leaders involved in the current opioid epidemic. Dr. Pomm proposed to the City of Jacksonville an approach to identify persons who have overdosed and are being treated in the emergency department and transitioning them to treatment and rehabilitation. The City Council supported this approach by providing funding for a six month pilot project developed with local providers. This resulted in the development of the Project Save Lives pilot project that included several options for overdose survivors in the ED to access treatment.

Clinician of the Year Award

Susan Wooten, MSW

Counselor Supervisor of Women's Outpatient Services

DACCO Behavioral Health, Inc.

Susan Wooten holds a Master’s degree in Social Work and is the Counselor Supervisor of Women’s Outpatient Services for DACCO Behavioral Health, Inc. Susan initiated an annual staged, elaborate “addiction funeral” and “recovery birth” in the Women’s Outpatient area, which inspires and increases client satisfaction. She also instituted a Holiday Recovery Play for all agency clients and staff which has proved meaningful to participants. Susan’s daily work and accomplishments are aligned with our broader mission of advancing addiction and co-occurring treatment, advocacy for women with addiction issues involved in the child welfare & criminal justice systems, practice improvement, and workforce enhancements.

Recovery Support Specialist of the Year Award

Nancy Schilling

FACT Peer Specialist

SMA Behavioral Health

Nancy Schilling is a “Forensic Assertive Community Treatment” Peer Specialist with SMA Behavioral Healthcare. Nancy is a Certified Peer Specialist with the Florida Certification Board. Nancy is always willing to offer her assistance and has excellent rapport with the staff and patients throughout the community. She is a contributing member to the SMA Life Skills Coach group and helps others obtain their Qualified Peer Specialist Certifications. Nancy also trains fellow Peer Specialists to ensure a high standard of care. She exhibits exemplary values and is an outstanding Peer Specialist who is skillful in fostering supportive relationships with our clients.

Volunteer of the Year Award

Cher Levine

Volunteer Board Member with Women's Leadership Connection, Central Florida

Cher Levine is a Volunteer Board Member with the Women’s Leadership Connection in the Central Florida area. Nominated by Aspire Health Partners, their Women and Children’s Program has been greatly enhanced by Mrs. Levine’s participation. Her organizational services involve women and children in learning crafts and sewing skills, canvas painting, exercise groups, and nutrition classes. Shared meals are orchestrated for the residents and their families that support recovery. Cher and the Women’s Leadership Connection have also provided furniture for rooms used by clients and family. 300 residents and their families benefit from the Women’s Leadership Connection activities and Cher’s leadership.

We share the deep concerns of many Americans regarding the separation policy that has resulted in thousands of children being split from their parents entering the U.S. along the Mexican border. As an organization dedicated to strengthening the health and well-being of our communities, we must speak out when children and families are being exposed to unnecessary and potentially irreversible trauma. Trauma - especially in childhood - yields a lifetime of negative effects and it is our responsibility to do all that we can to prevent trauma. Children should not be detained, and families belong together.

May 31: Marion County Heroin Opioid Task Force

May 18: Stewart Marchman Mental Health Symposium

May 15: Broward County 2018 Behavioral Health Conference

At the Broward Conference Mr. Fontaine had the privilege of joining a small group selected to inform U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, M.D. on the challenges in Florida related to behavioral health and the opioid epidemic.

News Channel 7 WJHG/Capitol News Service

Palm Beach Post

Tampa Bay Times 

Download Press Release

FLORIDA ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE ASSOCIATION STRONGLY OPPOSES DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS CUTTING SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT PROGRAMS

Corrections Attempts to Solve its Budget Crisis by Ending Legislatively Approved Community Substance Abuse Programs

TALLAHAHASSEE, MAY 2, 2018 – The Florida Department of Corrections announced late yesterday it intends to “cancel and reduce contracts with many of its community partners.” The 33 community partners affected are substance abuse treatment centers around the state that provide necessary substance abuse, re-entry, and transitional housing services to inmates in order to prevent recidivism and provide the best opportunities re-integrate individuals back into society.

 The agency’s decision to abruptly end successful community-based programs will mean more people waiting to get into fewer beds and judges will lose the ability to order selected candidates into court-ordered treatment. “People who were just put into a treatment program meant to last three to six months will have nowhere to go. The end of these programs will mean more inmates stay in the corrections system, or go back into it,” said Mary Lynn Ulrey, CEO of DACCO Behavioral Health, Inc. located in Tampa. DACCO is currently slated to see a significant   reduction in services while other contracts are being cancelled.

 The treatment facilities currently providing services to the state are only being given 48 hours to decide whether they can afford to cut their contracts by up to 40 percent. Those companies refusing to sign the requested amendment will have their contracts automatically terminated.

“We’re in the middle of an opioid epidemic in Florida and in the nation,” said FADAA Executive Director Mark Fontaine. “This is not the time to reduce substance abuse treatment to anyone. It’s an unacceptable move by the department. They are trying to resolve their budget issues by riding on the backs of treatment providers. Good public policy calls for enhanced substance abuse treatment programs not reducing them to address a budget issue.”

Community-based programs currently serve just over 38,000 probationary offenders in outpatient and short-term residential settings where they receive counseling and employment in the area. Services include individual, group, and family counseling and drug education services. A 40 percent reduction could mean more than 15,000 people go without needed care.

In addition to ending community-based programs, the elimination of institutional substance abuse treatment programs will result in individuals returning to the community without critical treatment.

The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association is calling on lawmakers and treatment providers to stand up to this reproachable move by not only recalling the 48-hour mandate, but by reinstating the legislatively approved 9.2 million dollars to substance abuse community treatment programs.

###

 About FADAA

The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (FADAA), incorporated in 1981, is a non-profit membership association representing substance abuse prevention and treatment providers, managing entities, and community anti-drug coalitions.  FADAA's mission is to serve its members by advancing addiction and co-occurring treatment, prevention, and research through communications, professional development, and public policy leadership.

About FBHA

The Florida Behavioral Health Association (FBHA) formed in April of 2013 as a 501(c)6. The purpose of FBHA is to unite people engaged in the business of behavioral health and behavioral medicine with a specific focus on promoting legislation, funding, and policies that recognize and advance behavioral health prevention, treatment, and recovery. FBHA also serves as a liaison on the state and federal levels by working with other professional organizations to promote the advancement of behavioral health and to increase the image and exposure of the behavioral health industry.