Florida still lags other states in mental health funding, but DeSantis did act

When he campaigned for governor in 2018, Ron DeSantis promised he would "maintain" the state's social safety net. In particular, he pledged to "advocate for expanded access to and early intervention of mental health and substance abuse treatment programs."

Shortly after the governor took office, his wife and first lady, Casey DeSantis, announced "Hope for Healing," an initiative focused on mental health and substance abuse. What that meant was additional funding and resources, according to a December 2020 press release from the Governor's Office. 

The state's mental health assistance allocation increased by $25 million to $100 million from the Florida Education Finance Program, the state's funding formula that allocates funds to school districts. It also put $23 million in federal CARES Act funding toward providing mental health and substance abuse treatment for Floridians. 

Following the start of the pandemic, Casey DeSantis' programs specifically targeted students who might be struggling with remote learning. She worked with the Florida Department of Education on a grant to fund increased access to mental health and student support services for 18 rural school districts. She also announced $5.2 million to expand telemental health services for families affected by Hurricane Michael in northwest Florida. 

More recent efforts hit on specialized mental health programs for specific groups. The state's 2021-22 budget secured even more funding — $120 million — from the Florida Education Finance Program for school district mental health assistance programs and $5.5 million for "evidence-based training" to help school employees "identify and understand the signs of mental health and substance abuse." 

That same year, the state set aside $12 million to expand peer-to-peer mental health services for first responders. The state also allocated $4.7 million for "evidence-based suicide prevention efforts" and pointed to a year-over-year decline in suicides from 2019 to 2020 as evidence of success. 

This year, the Legislature's budget included $126 million in recurring funds for mental health services, suggesting a continued dedication to the issue.

In 2022, Melanie Brown-Woofter, CEO and president of the Florida Behavioral Health Association, a treatment providers trade group, wrote a column for Mental Health Month and praised DeSantis for his dedication to funding mental health and substance abuse treatment. 

"The Florida Behavioral Health Association's members are incredibly grateful to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his leadership and recognition of the importance of mental wellbeing and to the Florida Legislature for funding a record $126 million in recurring general revenue for mental health and substance use services," she wrote. "This investment ensures community providers can help Floridians access life-changing mental health and substance use services."

DeSantis also recently announced the expansion of an opioid recovery program that applies a "comprehensive approach" to substance use after overdose, according to program materials. The state also appointed a statewide opioid recovery director, who will offer clinical services for addicts seeking treatment, according to a state press release.

Although it's clear DeSantis acted to fund treatment for mental health and substance abuse, metrics show Florida has still lagged far behind other states in its spending.

Florida ranked near last in per capita mental health spending compared with other U.S. states, according to the 2019 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission report. In 2022, Florida placed 49th of all states and the District of Columbia in Mental Health America's ranking for access to mental health care. (This metric does not, however, include the state's most recent budget.)

DeSantis said he would advocate for expanded access to mental health and substance abuse treatment and early prevention programs. He didn't specify that he would improve Florida's mental health ranking as compared with other states or that he would increase funding by a specific level. Given his initiatives in the last four years, we rate this Promise Kept. ​