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John Aquino (954) 298-0747
MEDIA
ALERT
(Interview, Photo, Video Opportunity)
HENDERSON MENTAL HEALTH
CENTER
EXPANDS TO PALM BEACH
COUNTY
Fort Lauderdale & Lake Worth, FL - Henderson
Mental Health Center (HMHC), South Florida's
oldest and largest not-for-profit, behavioral
healthcare system, has been selected by the
state of
Florida
to operate a Palm
Beach County FACT Team.
HMHC was the highest scoring respondent
to a Request for Proposal.
FACT
is an acronym for "Florida Assertive Community
Treatment," an evidence-based treatment model
that uses a team approach of various professionals
to support 100 adults with serious mental illnesses.
The
state's Department of Children and Families
awarded the $1.2 million contract to
Henderson
Mental
Health
Center
who will begin services January 1, 2007.
The award is also significant because
it represents
Henderson
Mental
Health
Center
's first foray into
Palm Beach
County
.
Said Henderson CEO, Dr. Steven Ronik, "We are very pleased
about this development on a number of levels. First, we get the opportunity to help more people
with a mental illness, using a service that
we pioneered in
Florida
, before being adopted
by the state as the preferred model of treatment. Growth such as this is vital in this difficult
time of Medicaid reform," adding, "While Florida
remains 48th in the nation in per
capita funding for mental health clients, programs
such as FACT are essential to move Florida in
the right direction."
Mayra
Reimer, Administrator of Community Support and
a longtime member of
Henderson
's Management Team,
will oversee the program.
Ms. Reimer holds a Master's degree in
Mental Health Counseling and is currently responsible
for
Henderson
's
Broward County FACT Team, in addition to other
programs, such as a residential forensic program
known as the COURT Project and intensive adult
case management services.
###
Florida Assertive Community Treatment Teams FACT is an effective, community based, outreach oriented,
method of delivering services to individuals
with mental illnesses.
Unique features of FACT include:
·
Different approach to providing
services
·
Emphasis is on a "team"
approach to delivering services as opposed to
an "individual" approach
·
Blending funding mechanism
(General Revenue and Medicaid)
·
Self-contained program
available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365
days per year.
·
Staffing capacity is 12.5
and service capacity is 100 or approximately
a 1:10 ratio
·
Seventy-five percent of
services take place out of the office
·
Assumes total responsibility
for the treatment, rehabilitation and support
of persons enrolled
·
Based on the PACT model;
an evidenced-based model with 39 years of proven
effectiveness in areas of (1) reduction in state
hospitalization (2) reduced cost over time,
and (3) increase in quality of life of persons
served
·
The availability of housing
and medication enhancement funds
FACT Team Admission Criteria
Individuals eligible for FACT Team services must
have a diagnosis within one of the following
categories as referenced in the American Psychiatric
Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV,
4th Edition
·
Schizophrenia and other
psychotic disorders
·
Mood disorders
·
Anxiety disorders
·
Personality disorders
Additionally,
individuals must meet one of the following
three criteria
·
Demonstrate a high risk
for hospital admission or readmission
·
Have prolonged inpatient
days, more than 90 days; or
·
Have repeated crisis stabilization
contacts, more than three admissions
And
meet at least three of the following
six characteristics:
·
Inability to consistently
perform the range of practical daily living
tasks required for basic adult interactional
roles in the community (e.g., maintaining personal
hygiene; meeting nutritional needs; caring for
personal business affairs; obtaining medical,
legal, and housing services; recognizing and
avoiding common dangers or hazards to self and
possessions or persistent or recurrent failure
to perform daily living tasks except with significant
support or assistance from others such as friends,
family or relatives)
·
Inability to be consistently
employed at a self-sustaining level or inability
to consistently carry out the homemaker role
(e.g., household meal preparation, washing clothes,
budgeting or child-care tasks and responsibilities)
·
Inability to maintain a
safe living situation (repeated evictions, loss
of housing, or no housing)
·
Coexisting substance use
disorder of significant duration (greater than
six months)
·
Destructive behavior to
self or others; or
·
High risk or recent history
of criminal justice involvement (arrest and
incarceration)
updated
12/18/06
