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Polk County’s Health and Human Services Division Awarded Grant

Polk County’s Health and Human Services Division Awarded Grant
 
Bartow, Fla. (March 13, 2017) — Polk County is one of 14 Florida counties and agencies chosen to receive a Criminal Justice, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Reinvestment Implementation and Expansion grant award. Polk County’s award of $1.2 million, $400,000 per year for three years, will fund the creation of a Forensic Intensive Case Management Project. The project will provide intensive case management services to adults with a mental illness, substance use or co-occurring disorder who are also at risk of entering or reentering the criminal justice system.
 
The project will serve 50 individuals annually with the specific goals of reducing arrests, securing housing and employment, increasing access to health services, insuring transportation to essential services and applying for Social Security and other benefits.  Enrollment in the program is for a period of one year allowing the project to serve a total of 150 individuals over the three-year period.
 
Partner agencies providing direct services for the project include Peace River Center, Tri-County Human Services and Keystone Challenge Fund. Additional key project partners include the Tenth Judicial Circuit Problem Solving Court, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Homeless Coalition of Polk County, BayCare Winter Haven Hospital, Lakeland Regional Health, Polk County’s Public Safety Coordinating Council and the University of South Florida’s Criminal Justice, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Technical Assistance Center.  Polk County Indigent Health Care program will provide the project management.
 
Individuals may be referred to the FICM program beginning in mid-April. For more information or inquiries email [email protected].
 
This grant program was created by the 2007 Florida Legislature and is housed within DCF. The purpose is to provide funding to counties which they may use to plan, implement, or expand initiatives that increase public safety, avert increased spending on criminal and juvenile justice systems, and improve the accessibility and effectiveness of treatment services for adults and juveniles who have a mental illness, substance abuse disorders, or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders, who are in, or at risk of entering, the criminal or juvenile justice systems.

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