Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has issued February 27th as Florida Suicide Prevention Day.
For Floridians, suicide is the eighth leading cause of death. In response, behavioral health managing entities have worked tirelessly to engage the communities they serve to ensure that any vulnerable Floridian is receiving quality care from any issues pertaining to substance abuse or mental health concerns.
In his proclamation, Governor DeSantis commented that “Florida’s priority is to reduce the number of families in crisis by increasing access to prevention and pre-crisis contacts.” He added that “Florida Suicide Prevention Day is an opportunity to raise awareness in hopes of preventing a devastating impact on Florida’s families and communities.”
Between 2008 and 2018, the sunshine state lost 3,552 lives to suicide, and the suicide rate per 100,000 has dramatically increased from 14.6 to 17.0 according to statistics from the Florida Department of Health.
Natalie Kelly, the Chief executive officer of the Florida Association of Managing Entities, explained that “Florida’s Managing Entities collaborate with communities and providers to increase access to substance abuse and mental health services.” As a result, their “priority is to make sure those in need can receive this critical care in a way that is effective and lasting.”
