Commission on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder

As provided by Section 394.9086, Florida Statutes, the Commission on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder (Commission) was created in 2021 and ratified in 2023 by the Florida Legislature to examine the current methods of providing mental health and substance use disorder services in the state and to improve the effectiveness of current practices, procedures, programs, and initiatives in providing such services; identify any barriers or deficiencies in the delivery of such services; assess the adequacy of the current infrastructure of Florida’s 988 suicide and Crisis Lifeline system and other components of the state’s crisis response services; and recommend changes to existing laws, rules, and policies necessary to implement the Commission’s recommendations.  

Download the report.

The ten recommendations, developed by the Commission's four subcommittees on Data Analysis, Business Operations, Criminal Justice, and Finance, focus on Data Transparency, Access to Care, and Gaps in Service. In brief, the ten recommendations are as follows:

1. Create a master client index with basic demographic and diagnosis information that can be shared across agencies to avoid duplication and lack of coordination of services to individuals;
2. Create a Florida behavioral health data repository or other data system to harmonize and clean data from the various agencies and departments that provide behavioral health services;
3. Provide information on the availability of behavioral health resources in Florida for high-risk individuals;
4. Develop a workgroup to establish a statewide core set of metrics to assess quality of care and health outcomes;
5. In partnership with AHCA, conduct an exploratory study to assess the potential impact of  adjusting Medicaid eligibility to young adults ages 18-26 who are not insured;
6. Implement a three-year pilot in which one agency-level entity manages all behavioral health funding (from all state sources) in a geographic area;
7. Create a coordinated behavioral health approach for public school students utilizing a single organization;
8. Limit the use of the Competency Restoration process in cases that are inappropriate for dismissal or diversion;
9. Modernize the Baker and Marchman Acts to reflect case law and scientific developments;
10. Establish pre and post-diversion programs in every circuit in Florida for individuals with mental illness who are at risk of arrest or charged with a non-violent offense.