HSA award for behavioral health urgent care

30:10And um so we don't address public comment at this time. We'll talk about the tree during our commissioner items, which will happen probably in a little bit. Um but we have some other business to get through and you're welcome to stay while we go through our regular business. Uh I think at this time I have a special um

30:35Special thing happening. Can we call up Paula please? Who's handling this award? Oh you're gonna speak about the work. Okay. Okay, Paula Baracaldo is going to talk about our HSA award.

30:48So good morning, Commissioners. It is my pleasure to share with you that Pasco County, through the funds provided by the Opioid Settlement Fund, has been recognized at both the state and national level for its efforts to address behavioral health needs for our community. First, through the state level, the Florida Society Of County's Health Services Administrators under their innovation award category, and second through the National Association of Counties through their health services. This

31:19is a highlight for the groundbreaking partnership that we have established with Baycare. And the efforts that have been made to fill this gap in the continuum of services that are being provided to our community. So this morning I would like to also highlight two professionals that have been the heartbeat of this effort. We have with us Tracy Cayley. She is the Director of Clinical Operations at Baycare, together with Erica Fritz, who is the manager for the Urgent Care Center. And

31:49so with that, I'd like to bring them up here so they can share with you about the importance of this project and the positive impact that it has had in our community.

32:02Thank you guys. Hello, nice to see everyone. So, most of you know we opened the first behavioral health urgent care center in the state of Florida here in Pasco County. And that was no easy task. And I think it happened because of the forward thinking and the generosity of this commission, along with our community, our community of professionals, our hospitals, our providers, our business community, everyone saw a need. Um easy immediate access for mental health and addiction treatment and that's what we created. Same

32:33day, walk-in, extended hours. So striking while the iron's hot, so to speak. We've been open for almost six months. We have this incredible um if most of some of you have seen it, some of you have not. If you'd like to come visit, please do. The environment's beautiful. It's um welcoming, it's peaceful, it's serene. We don't rush people through. We have a comfort room where people can kind of take a minute, take a break. We really want our professionals to meet with anyone who walks in to really figure out what do they need. What do they need today? And then what do they need for the

33:03next week, the next month, the next six months, and how do we check in and keep them connected to services? So, in the almost six months that we've been operational, we have served almost 800 individuals. Wow. 800 people have walked in, no appointments, you walk in for services, you're ad. Asking for mental health and addiction care today, and you're getting it. Of those 800, 96% of them have been diverted from hospital care. Meaning, we're not having to bakeract them, we're not having to send them to detox, we're getting them, and those services are needed. There

33:33are there is an appropriate time and place for involuntary services. But if we can get them the treatment, the right treatment at the right time and avoid that, more costly services. Service, not necessarily treatment-oriented service, that is essential. So I'm really proud of our work. I feel very grateful to have partnered with you guys. I will say we are getting questions from all over the state of Florida saying, can we come visit? Can we come replicate this? How do we do it? You know, and we're opening the playbook, right? We want to see more of this. It doesn't have to be us doing it. We would love to see

34:03others do it in our nearby counties and also throughout the country. the state. So thank you very much.

34:09I want to I want to write down those numbers that's if we do what it's what item is this Ms. Chairman this is uh this is a uh walk-on walk-on um okay so it's six months

34:20yep so we opened beginning of February so it's been almost six months um we've served just about eight hundred individuals to date Um these are adults walking in for mental health and addiction care. And of those 800, 96% of them have been diverted from any um hospitalization, um, detox, you know, urgent care, um, you know, more intensive level of care. We're able to-

34:45and maybe the jail as well.

34:46For sure. Yeah. Yep. That's

34:48wonderful.

34:48And we've worked very closely with the jail. You know, when when um um inmates are being released, they can come, right? They can come that next day or the day uh can you know they can walk in for services. So it's it's um I think the community um sees it as a as a great resource in our county and um you know we're all working together really well and have been for a while. So Yeah

35:08excellent. Um does anyone else want to address this road project? I'll start here and then move that way. Does

35:15this program have any transportation barriers?

35:20If you have eight hundred and I figure folks who are in these situations, transportation is probably an issue. So I was curious if there was any any transportation barriers or any as this program evolved. I mean six months, eight hundred people, that's pretty significant. So as we move forward to the next phase of of uh the project, if there's anything that

35:42is there a bus stop yeah. We are on a bus stop route and we haven't really seen a lot of transportation issues. We have law enforcement that are willing to bring into Individuals. And you know, it what often is happening, what we're seeing happening is it's it's today's the day, and they find a friend to take them in, or a spouse is bringing them in. And I and I will say we're seeing all walks of life, right? So this is this is those that are uninsured, homeless, needing all kinds of services wrapped around them. And this is you know our working community that says, you know what, I've I I used to struggle with some addiction and

36:12I feel like I need to get back in, or I'm or I'm I'm struggling with a grief related issue and I I really just need to talk to someone. I think let me just go in there and see what they they have to offer. So we have seen kind of the whole gamut. Um and I think it you know When we just this we came up with this concept, you know, we strategically picked the location because it is on a bus stop route. It is um uh Medicaid will will transport with their their cabs there, you know, Uber Health brings people there. So we you know picked a location that we felt like um would be

36:42most advantageous for those that need it.

36:45All right. Great job. Yeah.

36:48So first of all, great job. And second of all, I I absolutely love um your program. You know, you think of those eight hundred people, how many of those eight hundred people you know, people I've talked to that they're afraid to go get help because they don't want that Baker Act on on their um on their record. you can't even put a number of how many people you guys really have rescued and probably prevented from being homeless and

37:19losing their jobs and I just think it's it's so much bigger than that and thank you guys for for everything and it's very important what you guys do. So and hopefully other counties will take our lead and open up one as well. Absolutely Truly life changing. Yeah.

37:35Thank you.

37:36Uh I want to say what a phenomenal accomplishment is to be the first number one, but number two, how great you guys renovated that building to make it work. It was just outstanding to walk in there. So Top top top rated Premier. Um great job with that. You know, with our homeless populations out there that these guys have to pick up, the deputies have to do it, firefighters have the same type of issue, EMS, etcetera. So th all those calls matter and having now an outlet to go to take them right away is important. Um, you know, I hear I I see a

38:06lot of, you know, panhandling going on with the signs, et cetera. Yesterday I saw a guy walking on Little Road, walking up and down in the middle of the median. was just a sandal and he was just like going up and down and up and down. That's I don't know if you get picked up or not. I know I I let staff know, so I think they did they probably did something with that. But having an opportunity to take someone, keeps them out of the jails, keeps them out of the hospitals, which we all pay for at the end, And and gives him a chance to get back into life. Uh so thank you for the great work you're doing.

38:37Thank you.

38:38Um so I we have to give a lot of credit to your former um CEO, Tommy I never remember his last name. In Zina. Yes. Yes. And um because we generated this idea at the convening that he did of of leaders in from the three or four counties. So I wanna make sure that since he's not there anymore, that he knows The seed he planted. So please be sure and um tell him thanks for me and I'm sure to share because he we were

39:07at our

39:08our table where the seat started. Um that if not for him bringing that together. Who knows, you know, if this would have germinated like it did. So very grateful to him. That was brilliant. He had all the hospitals there, not just daycare. And um and great job for our staff, your staff, the community. And um this is a really good use of the opioid settlement money and I'm very Happy that our citizens have this opportunity. I wonder m

39:38maybe one day we need to think do we need one on this side? Maybe there's a proposal

39:43that's in right now.

39:44There is? Okay.

39:45The county's so big

39:47and You know, we want all of our students to have this opportunity.

39:51We agree and we and we hear the same thing about the services. You know, it is it is in West Pasco currently and so um you know it it is a Bay Care did put in a proposal to expand access to East Pasco um and it was recommended at last week's task force meeting to push forward to it'll come before you guys next month. So yeah, we would love to see that.

40:11Today. Um did I commission my meeting yesterday?

40:14We're actually starting briefings with you individually next week and then that will come to you in September for

40:20formal

40:20recommendations.

40:22All right. Well thank you so much. Would it be possible to take a picture if that's the right-of-way? Board members, let's go down.

40:31We should send this to the NACO um newsletter.

40:36With another story. That's four hours. Yeah, I know.

40:59We could

41:00use.