Behavioral Health Gap Analysis
From the Florida Department of Children & Families' Analysis, Prepared by Ernst & Young, LLC.
To further Florida's efforts at mitigating the factors contributing to the mental health and substance use disorder crisis, on March 21, 2024, Senate Bill 330, known as the Behavioral Health Teaching Hospitals Act, was signed, requiring the DCF to conduct a detailed study on the capacity of behavioral health facilities. The study includes information on several indicators such as (but not limited to) current bed allocation, admissions, discharges, and average lengths of stay by facility, program type, and region for children, adolescents, and adults; current and projected demand for civil and forensic inpatient placements, the bed needs by facility and placement type, and lengths of stay for Medicaid statewide inpatient psychiatric services.
Additionally, a gap analysis, including demographic profile, service availability, and costs, will be conducted to evaluate the behavioral health system of care. Policy recommendations will be developed to address opportunities to enhance services, support, and bed capacity.