Florida's Department of Children and Families (DCF) has received a $1.9 million emergency grant to address behavioral health disorders resulting from the current public health emergency, the governor's office announced today. The funding, awarded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), will provide crisis intervention services, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and other related recovery support for children and adults impacted by COVID-19.

The funds will be spent over the next 16 months, with $1.8 million allocated for direct service provision. The state will use $600,000 to provide mental health services, via telehealth technology, for healthcare practitioners and other individuals experiencing mental health and/or substance abuse issues brought on by COVID-19. The remaining funds will be distributed among DCF’s managing entities, concentrated in areas that have the highest volume of confirmed COVID-19 cases, so those entities can continue offering critical behavioral health services.