Mental Health Support for Students Transitioning to Adulthood in Florida

The National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) found that youth with emotional disturbances (ED) experienced a "mixed bag of transition experiences" in high school (Wagner et al, 1991). Ten years later, the second National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS2) found similar results (Wagner & Cameto, 2004).

NLTS2 found "increasingly rigorous course-taking in general education settings and increased services and supports to help students succeed, suggesting that students with ED may be better prepared to complete high school and to pursue postsecondary education" (Wagner & Cameto, 2004). However, students with ED also had higher rates of bullying, fighting, suspension, expulsion, and academic difficulties than their peers. Outside school, students with ED held jobs and participated in organized extracurricular activities at about the same rate as their peers. They also had higher rates of informal friendships outside school, which has been linked to higher rates of absenteeism, course failure, and ultimately, dropping out of high school.  

Locating support services for transitioning youth can be a challenge. A number of service systems have overlapping and confusing eligibility requirements and terminology (Podmostko, 2007). For example, what a school calls an "emotional disturbance" may be called a "mental illness" by a community services organization or a "psychiatric disorder’ by a medical facility. Following are resources to make finding appropriate services easier:  

Resources 

Elimination of Barriers Project, Florida Department of Children and Families
http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/mentalhealth/ebi/index.shtml
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Center for Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) launched the Elimination of Barriers Initiative (EBI) to identify effective approaches in addressing the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illnesses and mental health treatment. The EBI was a three year pilot designed to test outreach models and public education materials - including radio, television, and print public service announcements (PSAs) in eight pilot States, including Florida. The official launch of EBI in Florida was held May 22, 2004 in Orlando, coinciding with Mental Health Month. Although the official SAMHSA "pilot" project has concluded, SAMHSA is developing a toolkit so that materials will be available nation-wide. The web page contains information on Florida's efforts to counter stigma and discrimination of people with mental illnesses.

Florida Institute for Family Involvement (FIFI)
http://www.fifionline.org/fffcmh.php
FIFI is dedicated to creating solutions, strengthening partnerships, enhancing community collaboration and building an information base for children and youth with special needs and their families. Children with special health care needs are those who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally. The Florida Federation of Families for children’s Mental Health (FFFCMH), one of several projects affiliated with FIFI, is a nationally affiliated, parent-run organization focused on the needs of children and youth with emotional and behavioral or mental disorders and their families.

Florida Mental Health Institute (FMHI)
http://home.fmhi.usf.edu/AboutFmhi/AboutFMHI.cfm
FMHI’s mission is to improve the lives of people with mental, addictive, and developmental disorders through research, training, and education. Established by the Florida legislature in 1967, the Institute is recognized as Florida's premier research and training center for behavioral health services and is a recognized national leader. The organizational structure of the Institute includes the Dean's Office, three academic departments, and the research department.

Park Place Behavioral Health Care
http://www.ppbh.org
Park Place Behavioral Health Care is a community mental health agency serving Florida’s Osceola County since 1976. Located conveniently in Kissimmee, Florida, off Orange Blossom Trail in the Park Place Medical Center, the 40,000 square foot facility has been designed to offer optimum multi-level care in a relaxed state-of-the-art setting.

National Mental Health Information Center (NMHIC)
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
The NMHIC is a component of the SAMHSA Health Information Network and contains information on children’s mental health, suicide prevention, youth violence prevention and much more. It also contains a mental health services locator for each state. 

State Mental Health Agency
http://www.state.fl.us/cf_web
For information about admission, care, treatment, release, and patient follow-up in public or private psychiatric residential facilities, contact:

Lucy D. Hadi, Secretary
Department of Children and Families
1317 Winewood Boulevard
Building 1, Room 202
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0700
Phone: 850-488-8304
Fax: 850-487-2239
E-mail: dcf-osc@dcf.state.fl.us

Florida Council for Community Mental Health
http://www.fccmh.org/
The Florida Council for Community Mental Health (FCCMH) is a statewide association of 70 community-based mental health and substance abuse agencies. The Council was formed in 1958 as an association of mental health clinic directors. Its role broadened in the 1960s and 1970s, as the focus of treatment shifted from state hospitals to communities. The association's membership expanded to include a number of agencies that specialize in substance abuse services and children's services, as well as hospital-based programs.

Each member agency is a private corporation, generally with a volunteer, citizen board of directors who are representative of the local community. These boards set policy for the agencies and serve as a way to help to assure that community treatment needs are being met. FCCMH agencies receive funding from the local, state and federal government, as well as organizations such as the United Way and private foundations. Council members serve predominately low-income individuals and families.

Florida Community Mental Health Program
http://ahca.myflorida.com/MCHQ/Health_Facility_Regulation/Hospital_Outpatient/partial.shtml This Medicare certification program for Partial Hospitalization Programs for Community Mental Health providers includes services for mental illness and substance abuse disorders.

SAMHSA'S Partnerships for Youth Transition Initiative
http://www.hrtw.org/healthcare/mental.html
Youth and young adults with emotional and behavioral difficulties often find their transition from adolescence through young adulthood to be particularly challenging. Their unique behavioral or emotional challenges and possible financial hardships, family stress, limited coping and social skills, loneliness, and minimal vocational skills and employment experience create barriers that make the adjustment during this transition extremely difficult. In addition services are limited and lack coordination.

National Network on Youth Transition (NNYT) for Behavioral Health
http://nnyt.fmhi.usf.edu/
The mission of the NNYT is to improve practices, systems, and outcomes for transition-age youth and young adults (14-29 years of age) with emotional and/or behavioral difficulties (EBD). It is housed at the University of South Florida, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, Tampa, Florida.

Transition Curriculum Support
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/qf/p2311_01.htm
This Web site provides a variety of information on Mental Health Curricula for the Student in Transition.

Life Centered Career Education
http://cec-live.2rad.net/bk/catalog2/transition-lcce.html
Life Centered Career Education (LCCE), Revised Edition, is a comprehensive functional curriculum based on classroom, home, and community environments. It is useful for elementary through high school, including students served in general education, students with learning disabilities, students with mild intellectual disabilities, and students at risk. Thoroughly researched and field-tested, it is the officially adopted curriculum of several states. The newly revised curriculum offers universally appropriate lesson plans and activities that reflect today's technological advancements

Life Beyond the Classroom: Transition Strategies for Young People
http://brookespublishing.com/store/books/wehman-7527/index.htm
This fourth edition of a landmark text brings together the most up-to-date, comprehensive information on facilitating transitions for young people with mild, moderate, or severe disabilities. Teaming with the best-known researchers in the fields of employment, transition, postsecondary education, disability, and special education, internationally recognized authority Paul Wehman has thoroughly updated the entire book with the latest theoretical information and practical guidance.

Council for Exceptional Children
http://cec-live.2rad.net/bk/catalog2/emotional.htm
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) offers an array of curricula and a variety of tools to help the classroom teacher with transition needs for students with behavioral and emotional disabilities.

References

Podmostko, M. (2007, November). Tunnels and cliffs: A guide for workforce development practitioners and policymakers serving youth with mental health needs. Washington, DC:  National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, Institute for Educational Leadership. Available at  http://www.ncwd-youth.info/tunnels-and-cliffs

Wagner, M. & Cameto, R. (2004, August). The characteristics, experiences, and outcomes of youth with emotional disturbances. NLTS2 Data Brief, 3, 2. Available at http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=1687

Wagner, M., Newman, L., D’Amico, R., Jay, E. D., Butler-Nalin, P., Marder, C., et al. (1991). Youth with disabilities: How are they doing? Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.