Monday, January 27, 2014

. Discovering Port Charlotte Mental Health Services

By Eliza Mendoza


It is common knowledge that people who are mentally ill do not belong in jail or the prison systems. The Port Charlotte mental health system has developed a program that is unique to Florida and all but unheard of in the country. Through this program the mentally ill defendants are evaluated and if qualified placed in treatment rather than incarcerated. The program is voluntary for the defendants and saves many of them from serving unnecessary time in jail.

They have experienced a high rate of success within this program and the rate of recidivism has dropped markedly. The team is made of seven entities including the judge, a court program manager, a treatment team, defense counsel, state attorney, department of corrections and county probation personnel. This group determines whether or not a candidate is eligible and what treatment they receive.

The ultimate goal of this program is to ensure the public safety while helping the mentally ill to access programs that can improve their lives through treatment. The programs selected offer counseling as well as pharmaceutical solutions for the participants. They also attempt to place or keep them in living situations that are conducive to continual medical compliance.

Another approach with a high success record is the drop in program where people who are experiencing discomfort can come in to spend time with their peers. The peer contact allows them to know that they are not alone and allows them to learn from the experiences of others about how to cope with the issues at hand. This program is nearly all on a volunteer basis and also allows student nurses a perfect place to complete their internships.

This group strives for an attitude of dreams instead of limitations believing that everyone has a right to fulfillment of their life dreams. Creating a life of self determination instead of dependency, where they help themselves and make their own decisions and rely on their own skills and talents. The staff strives to administer treatment in a caring manner and do not maintain the normal professional distance you find in other, more clinical facilities.

In addition to the earlier mentioned programs there are several other clinics available to the mentally or emotionally challenged population found here. These clinics offer assistance for those in need and some of them have a sliding scale fee program. The clinics serve adults as well as children and adolescents and specialize in parenting and child psychology classes.

Case management is part of a comprehensive treatment plan. The case managers help with life plans for the patients and assist them to access the services available. Case managers usually follow a client for at least six months and have personal meetings with them at thirty day intervals.

It is known that treatment works for the mentally ill and with the appropriate array of services available they can ensure recovery as well as the health and safety of families and the community. When calculating the consequences of any untreated Port Charlotte mental health issues one needs to look at the negative impact it can have on the financial aspect of police, educators, emergency rooms, and businesses to see the importance of a comprehensive program of treatment and recovery.




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