Forward
Overall health is defined by both physical and mental well-being . Behavioral health is the promotion of mental health , physical health , and resilience . Individuals who are mentally well are productive and live fruitful lives while making valued contributions to their community .
Prior to the COVID pandemic , the widely accepted data from the CDC was that 1 in 5 Americans , both adults and children , have a serious debilitating mental illness that requires treatment . Data from 2019 shows that in Polk County , the ratio of the population to mental health providers is 1,400:1 . More recent statistics indicate that an increased number of Americans have a serious mental health or substance abuse concern that requires treatment , but it ' s likely that the true impact of the pandemic won ' t be known for years to come . The lack of sufficient providers to meet the growing need in Polk County has great impact on our community ' s health , quality of life , economy , growth , and development .
Quality mental health care is vital for a healthy community . It should be readily available , collaborative , and meet the needs of the individual and family . There is no question that there needs to be a coordinated way by which a community can identify , assess , support , engage , treat , and care for its members who suffer from mental illness . There are also strategies to support and foster mental health and resilience in a community through connection and education .
As co-chairs for the Behavioral Health LEAD Team , together with Polk Vision leadership , we outlined strategies to identify a collaborative community project that would use systemic data collection and analysis to map out our current system of care . This would include all key community stakeholders and major behavioral health providers , identifying key gaps and opportunities in our system and then prioritizing these concerns in a strategic plan . On the following pages you will see the fruition of these efforts . This work and report will be a catalyst to make true and lasting impact in both prevention and treatment of mental health and substance abuse concerns in Polk County . The biggest strength of this project is the tremendous participation we had from a large assortment of key informants who represented a variety of sectors across Polk County .
It is our honor and privilege to have been involved with convening such impactful and meaningful work with such a diverse and dedicated group of community leaders , engaged citizens , and those whose life is impacted by mental illness . By taking on this timely and brave mission , Polk County is a leader in regional collaboration . We now can ’ t wait to see this venture inspire the transformational action necessary for lasting impact .
Alice Nuttall , MBA , RN , BA AVP of Behavioral Health Services , Lakeland Regional Health
Holly Vida , MA Director of Marketing and Community Relations , Central Florida Health Care