OKEECHOBEE -- Mental health and drug rehabilitation services available through the Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network were reviewed at the March 14 meeting of the Okeechobee County Commission.

Amanda Busbin of the Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network said the network’s vision is a seamless, accessible, recovery-oriented system of behavioral health care, driven by consumers, providers and other stakeholders, in which innovation and collaboration are the norm and diversified financial resources comfortably support an array of prevention and treatment practices, leading to excellent outcomes for individuals served, providers, and the community.

Network treatment providers include:

• New Horizons of the Treasure Coast provides adult mental health, children’s mental health, adult substance use, children’s substance use, outpatient, case management, medication management, mobile response team and forensic case management.
• Brighter Families – Okeechobee provides outpatient services, case management, medication management, and psychiatric services.
• RiteLife Service provides adult mental heath and substance use peer support, recovery, community organizations, outreach, respite and Narcan training and distribution.
• Legacy Behavioral Health helps with adult mental health, Mental Health Court Psychiatric services, outpatient services and targeted case management.
• Drug Abuse Treatment Association works with children’s substance use, adult substance use, adolescent residential services, outpatient services, prevent, in-home and on site therapy.
• Public Defenders C19 Journey Forward is a jail-based treatment program.
• Our Village Okeechobee has peer support services, adult and children’s mental health and substance abuse prevention.
• Mental Health Association of Indian River County provides adult mental health and substance abuse.
• Welcome House Drop In Center is a per oriented, recovery environments that provide individuals with similar situations a safe environment to spend time and be involved in safe activities.
• Chobee Clubhouse: Adults with mental illness participate in their own recovery process by working and socializing together in a safe and welcoming environment.

Services were provided to 762 Okeechobee County clients during the first six months of this fiscal year, she said.

Busbin said the State of Florida has received money from the Opioid Settlement to support initiatives related to opioid treatment, prevention and recovery services. She said the network will serve as the “pass through” for the funding but the county commission will decide how to spend the money. “Our goal is to reduce the overdoses by implementing evidence-based programming and providing immediate access to evidence-based treatment models,” she stated.

The Public Defenders Office is working with Outpatient Services through the Journey Forward Program, where individuals who have left the jail can continue substance use treatment in the community, she added.

Terry Burroughs said the network has been part of the programs to provide services to those in the county jail.

“The problem we have is strictly a halfway housing problem,” said Burroughs. “We have to ship people to the coast because there is no place for them to stay here.

“I know it’s a difficult subject,” he added. “Nobody wants it their back yard.”

Burroughs said they need to provide training and help these people get jobs so they can support themselves and not wind up back in jail.

“We give about $100,000 to certain organizations,” Burroughs said. “I want to know what they are doing for those people and the success rate.”