3 . Expand the capacity of behavioral health services in Polk County .
Strategic Objectives Addressed : Building capacity and increasing access to care ; Increasing services for higher-risk groups
Background and Support . A lack of behavioral health capacity ( e . g ., psychologists , counselors , psychiatrists , peer support specialists , social workers , psych techs , care coordinators , psychiatric nurse practitioners , transitions of care specialists ) is a long-standing , recognized need in Polk County . While a 2018 report stated that Florida has a high number of psychiatrists ( i . e ., 1,517 ), the ratio is low : Florida has 6.4 % of the U . S . population but only 5.0 % of U . S . licensed psychiatrists . 4 In addition and especially with the need for additional professionals , it ’ s vital to ensure current resources are being utilized efficiently , including improvements on navigating the system .
Strategies to expand capacity need to be collaboratively supported by inpatient facilities , major outpatient service providers , the criminal justice system , and others . This may be a core activity for the Polk County behavioral health coalition . This is a critical need that requires a long-term strategy . Specific actions are noted below :
• Improve the utilization of existing resources . Although there is a shortage of aggregate supply of providers , some resources are underutilized . For example , some organizations during the research reported unused capacity . Licensure restrictions also pose a barrier to care .
• Incentivize providers to move the area and provide services to high-need communities . Work with the area economic development entities ; major inpatient , outpatient , and other service providers ; the Polk County Board of County Commissioners ( COC ); and others to create financial incentives for providers to : ( 1 ) move to the area , ( 2 ) provide services to high-need populations , and ( 3 ) commit to serving the community for an agreed upon time frame ( possibly five years ).
• Institutionalize local / regional growth programs . Related to the previous point , work with Polk County legislators to provide property tax relief to providers moving to the area and serving the community as described above . Other incentives to consider may include one-time cash payments ( e . g ., such as the model used in Tulsa , Oklahoma , and other locales ), student loan reimbursement , spousal employment commitments , immediate in-state tuition status for family members of new providers , enhanced work benefits ( e . g ., paid time off , insurances ), and others .
• Work collaboratively with major providers to grow the labor supply pool . Establish a Provider Pipeline Partnership ( or , possibly , a committee within the Polk County behavioral health coalition ) to further communications , planning , and implementation of projects designed to build the aggregate supply of providers .
• Partner with local colleges to expand the social worker training program .
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