The 1998 Children and Families Mental Health Program Strategic Plan for 1998-2002 sets the stage for landmark changes in the Florida mental health system. In the development of the Strategic Plan, a workgroup of people with mental health conditions, along with advocates, providers of supports and services, and district and state Mental Health Program Office staff met to discuss changes in Florida's mental health system for children and adults.

The 1998 Mental Health Program Strategic Plan for 1998-2002 stated that its overall mission was to: "Provide an integrated community-based delivery system, in partnership with people with mental health conditions, families and local communities, that enables children and adults with mental health problems or emotional disturbances to live safely and successfully in the community, to be self-sufficient or to attain self-sufficiency at adulthood and to realize their full potential."

Many challenges face people with mental health illnesses/conditions when the mental health service system changes. While undergoing these changes, it is important to maintain a strong focus on supports and services that center on the person who has a mental health condition and that individual's immediate family. The 1998 Mental Health Program Strategic Plan for 1998-2002 stated the following shared values for a person-centered mental health system of care.

The mental health system of care will change by:

1. Becoming more person-centered with individualized pathways of care, which are enhanced by the person's and family's natural supports and strengths.

2. Focusing on the individual's abilities, preferences and desires rather than on the availability of services from the Florida mental health system.

3. Enhancing the effectiveness of supports and services for a person and family.

4. Providing support and encouraging self-determination advocacy and systems-level advocacy for the people who are served by the mental health system.

5. Assuring that people are aware of their rights and responsibilities.

6. Pursuing and obtaining adequate resources to integrate available methods of funding to ensure that the supports and services that people need are available as quickly and efficiently as possible, and

7. Promoting the increased use of "best practices" in methods of service delivery.

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Adults, children, and their families who use publicly funded mental health services and supports in Florida should have access to a responsive, integrated system of care that provides individualized supports and services that are:

Person-Centered

Person-centered with individualized pathways of care enhanced by the person's natural supports and strengths means:

• People are unique in their individual strengths ,needs, and supports and services should be delivered accordingly, with assistance in achieving personal goals.

• Children, families, and other caregivers must be assured of the opportunity to be fully involved in service planning and delivery. For adults, participation of family members and other persons should be encouraged, when desired by the individual.

• The system of care must recognize, respect and address the differences in gender, age, race, culture, and religion and thereby, deliver relevant supports and services.

Community-Based

Community-based with services located in, or strongly linked to the community, and that are supportive of the person's safety and treatment needs means:

• The system of care should be cooperatively managed at the local level so services are delivered responsively and seamlessly where the person lives, works, learns, and recreates.

• Resources should be flexible to ensure that supports and services address the "whole person" without regard to a particular funding source.

Results Oriented

Results-oriented with quality care leading to improved outcomes for the person and family means:

• Create a safe environment, ensuring freedom from abuse, neglect, and physical, psychological or economic exploitation.

• Each person's maximum potential for age-appropriate responsibility and self-sufficiency is to be promoted to live successful life in the community.

• Services and supports are to be interdisciplinary, goal-directed, and outcome-based.

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The Strategic Plan states that the Department of Children and Families was committed to focusing its resources to meet the needs of persons who cannot otherwise access care. The Department of Children and Families must become more accountable for results under the Performance-Based Budgeting requirements of the Florida Legislature.

Consistent with Chapter 394.79 (1), Florida Statutes, the Department has established "target populations" of persons with mental health conditions who are priorities to receive mental health funding.

Publicly funded mental health resources can only serve a small percentage of people who need mental health supports and services. Unfortunately, this may mean that people who do not meet the specific criteria of the identified target populations or those people who have private insurance will be referred to other sources of mental health treatment.

While many people are well served by the Florida mental health system, the Department of Children and Families, Mental Health Program Office has projected that mental health services reach only six percent (6%) of adults with mental health conditions and 11 percent (11%) of affected children who are in need of mental health services. (Center for Mental Health Services, National Prevalence Rates, 1997).

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"Mental health refers to an individual's ability to negotiate the daily challenges and social interactions of life without experiencing undue emotional or behavioral incapacity. Mental health and mental disorders can be affected by numerous conditions ranging from biologic and genetic vulnerabilities to acute or chronic conditions and stresses. Addressing the range of these contingencies requires a balance of minimizing risk factors and maximizing protective factors and combining prevention with treatment."*

* National Center for Health Statistics, Healthy People 2000: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives, Hyattsville, Maryland: Public Health Services, 1999.

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