Florida’s Emergency Mental Health Grant in Response to COVID-19

The coronavirus is not only impacting people’s physical health, but the consequences of a nationwide shutdown as well as the trauma from seeing the sickness up close could have lasting effects on people’s mental health.

If you are struggling to manage your mental health during coronavirus, you are not alone.  People across the nation and the world are experiencing the effects. Unfortunately, these negative consequences are likely to only grow in number over the next several months even as the number of cases may dwindle.

Casey DeSantis Announces Emergency Funding for Mental Health

Because of the unprecedented series of events surrounding the pandemic, political leaders and the government are taking action. Governor DeSantis’s wife, Casey DeSantis, announced a nearly two-million-dollar emergency grant that is being put toward mental health services in Florida in the wake of COVID-19. The emergency grant ties in nicely with her Hope for Healing Florida initiative that strives to help Florida’s population with behavioral health issues.

The money was awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to The Department of Children and Families. It will help fund substance abuse and mental health treatment as well as other recovery support for those who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The money will be used over the next 16 months to address immediate as well as delayed mental health and substance abuse problems stemming from the coronavirus crisis.

Officials hope that Florida’s emergency mental health grant can especially help first responders and healthcare workers who have been on the frontlines combating coronavirus and are likely one the most heavily impacted populations. Because of continued social distancing, some of the money will be used for virtual services like telehealth technology to ensure that high-risk populations for the virus are still able to get the help they need.

Mental health problems can be serious and debilitating. Over the coming months, we are likely to see an increase in the reported cases of both mental illness symptoms as well as substance abuse. If you are experiencing these problems or know someone who is, get help immediately. As a dual diagnosis rehab center in Boca, we help people with both mental illness and substance abuse disorders get the help they need to move beyond these problems and lead happier and healthier lives. Unfortunately, without treatment, these problems are likely to get worse and lead to other secondary problems.

---

At Banyan Mental Health, we help people just like you learn how to manage their symptoms and move forward with their lives. To get help for yourself or a loved one, reach out to us today at 888-280-4763.