Gracepoint awarded $3.1 million to expand mental health care, treatment in Hillsborough County

TAMPA, Fla. - As federal lawmakers take steps to address gaps in mental health funding and access, Florida continues to boost spending for treatment and programs across the state. 

This year's budget includes nearly $300 million in funding for mental health and addiction treatment services, including an unprecedented $126 million in recurring funding. 

On Monday, Tampa non-profit and mental health services provider Gracepoint got a big boost from the legislature to expand care and treatment in Hillsborough County. 

Representative Jackie Toledo was on-hand to present Gracepoint with a $3.1 million award that will help the care center build a new forensic hospital and expand its Baker Act services. 

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"Opening these beds takes the pressure off the state hospital system," said Gracepoint CEO Joe Rutherford.

Gracepoint COO Roaya Tyson said the funding couldn't have come at a better time. 

"There's a waitlist for just about every mental health behavioral service in this community as well as in the state," said Tyson. 

According to Mental Health America, Florida ranks 49th out of 50 states and the District of Columbia when it comes to access to mental health care. Many living with mental illness in the state go untreated. 

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"Untreated mental health can bring a life of cycling between emergency rooms, crisis centers and jails," said Toledo.

Toledo said she’s worked to break that cycle. Since taking office in 2016, she's met with mental health treatment providers like Gracepoint, which serves as the Hillsborough County Baker Act receiving facility, to find out how legislators could help with Florida’s mental health crisis. 

"I believe mental health is a root cause of a lot of the criminal activity that we see, and we can prevent that from happening, give people the resources that they need, the mental health treatment that they need," said Toledo. "I think it would prevent them from committing crimes."

Tyson said the gaps in access to mental health services often lead to recidivism in the criminal justice system and in local jails. Often times, she explains, these are low-level offenses like trespassing or theft. 

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"Major recidivism. A major goal of ours is to put a lot less strain on the system that we have, which is already overburdened with not enough resources and this is a huge help," said Tyson. "The forensic residential program is designed to help restore competency for individuals that don't understand what their charges are. But for their mental illness, the crime would not have occurred."

The goal, Tyson said, is to provide a short term care solution within a patient's community that takes the burden off of jails and state hospitals. 

"Our role is to provide psychiatric oversight and get them into a situation where they are able to understand their charges. Hopefully they're able to maintain stability once they've been provided medications and therapies and are then able to stay out of jail," said Tyson.  

Gracepoint leadership and Representative Toledo said the state is making big gains in funding of mental health treatment, but acknowledge that much work remains to be done in order to ensure everyone who needs care in the state is able to access it.