Assessing Port Charlotte Mental Health Services

By Eliza Mendoza


The Port Charlotte mental health services of Florida are unique in one respect. They have a system hooked to the court system that allows persons with emotional disorders that have been arrested to receive treatment rather than be incarcerated. This is a volunteer program designed to keep persons who are diagnosed by doctors as having alcohol, drug or emotional problems from spending time in jail when they can use this program to make major changes in their lives.

Through this program many people have successfully made transitions from repeated jail stays to being a productive citizen in the community. This team of judges, state attorneys, probation and medical experts identify and offer the treatment program to individuals who qualify. The success rate is very high and this leads to a low rate of recidivism.

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 innovative approach to serving the mentally ill population here is a drop in center where people who have issues can stop by and spend time with peers who volunteer their time and experience in one on one and group settings. Student nurses and others who may be serving community service hours work alongside staff to create an atmosphere of acceptance and recovery to those who participate.

This may be the first self service program designed to assist the mentally ill population. They allow people to stop in and simply spend time at the facility talking to others in group or individual situations. The medical staff strives to be less formal and more compassionate than most medical facilities. They also encourage participants to help themselves and become self determinant rather than dependant on others to meet their needs.

In and around the city you can find clinics that conform to the more accepted concept of clinics for the mentally ill. They have several programs that deal with children and parenting but also they deal with mental illness and alcohol and drug addiction. Most of the patients at these clinics are dealt with on an outpatient basis but they do have inpatient treatment for those who need it.

Most clinics and treatment centers offer case management for their clients. The case managers do an assessment of the patients needs and help them lay out a plan for reaching those goals. There is a call back system for these programs that allow for a monthly check in at the clients home to see that the client is progressing on schedule. Many clients require more frequent visits from the case manager and sometimes the plan is rewritten to accommodate the rate of progress.

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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