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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.

The team that works with the mentally ill defendants is populated by members of their judicial system, a program manager and a treatment team. This team is responsible for determining who can and will benefit from this program. The participants must meet certain criteria to be accepted and the rate of success is high while the rate of recidivism is remarkably low.

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.

Some of the clinics offer case management for their clients. The case manager assists them with accessing services outside the clinical atmosphere. They also check on the client at least once a month to ensure they are doing well. The frequency of the home visits is dependent upon the severity of the clients' diagnosis and progress made with recovery.

Untreated mental illness is a problem in most cities that can drain the public finances. The costs can be seen in emergency room settings as well as businesses in areas that attract persons who suffer from these problems. Port Charlotte mental health services employ unique and innovative solutions for these problems. Ultimately they serve to ensure the safety of the general public as well as assist the emotionally disturbed people who need their help.




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