2006 Florida Children's Summit
Compilation of Commitment Issues
| Click here to see the Summit recommendations for Mental Health. |
| Click here to see the Summit recommendations for Substance Abuse. |
Engage in activities that emphasize strengths, steer youth away from substance abuse, and provide treatment to those who have a substance abuse and/or mental health problem.
The Florida Department of Children and Families estimates that 7.9 percent of the state's 4.1 million children (nearly 322,000) have a serious emotional disturbance. Nearly 79,000 socially-emotionally disturbed children (58 percent) are unable to get care from the publicly financed mental health system. A 2003 Rand Corporation study of geographic disparities in children's mental health care found that Florida ranked third in the rate of unmet needs for children's mental health care, barely trailing California and Texas in the level of unmet need. Rand estimated that almost three-quarters of Florida's children requiring mental health care are unable to get services. Untreated mental illness in children results in substantial human, social, health, criminal justice and educational costs.
Substance abuse is a pervasive problem among adolescents in Florida's communities as well as across America. According to the 2004 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, more than 340,000 adolescents in Florida use substances three or more times a month. According to the Department of Children and Families, there continue to be waiting lists for residential substance abuse services as well an insufficient detoxification services in many parts of the state. Proven prevention and treatment programs and models exist.