Mental health and substance abuse continues to be a serious concern in Florida. Data published last month in Forbes puts the state among the top in the country when it comes to the percent of adults who have a mental health disorder, but can’t afford a doctor.
Melanie Brown-Woofter, the president and CEO of the Florida Behavioral Health Association, says mental health touches everything.
“We know that one in 5 of us will have a mental health disorder, and that almost every family has been touched by substance use in our state and in our nation," she said. "It is something that we have to work towards. It literally takes a village -- everything from crisis care to residential to recovery supports. All of those pieces have to fit together.”
As mental health and substance abuse treatment providers gathered at the Capitol Wednesday to mark Behavioral Health Awareness Day, Brown-Woofter gave thanks to state leaders for doing more to remove the stigma from addiction and mental illness.
“We’re able to normalize the conversation, so that people can talk about their mental health or their substance use disorder, and it becomes commonplace," she said. "Many years ago, there was such stigma that if the conversation began, people would turn their head or leave the room. Or they had to whisper, they couldn’t talk about it.”
But there’s plenty of work left to do. Data published last month by Forbes shows Florida has the fourth-highest percentage of adults who have a mental health disorder but can’t see a doctor due to cost …
…and the seventh highest percentage of adults with a mental illness who do not receive any treatment.
(The Worst States For Mental Health Care 2025; Jan. 2, 2025)
