Florida launches Baker Act dashboard to improve mental healthcare

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCJB/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) - It is now easier to see what mental health resources are needed across Florida.

The Florida Department of Children and Families launched a first-of-its-kind dashboard showing data on people admitted for mental health services under the Baker Act. The dashboard shows more than 87,000 people across Florida have gone through mental health evaluations since July 1.

“There’s a lot of information we can use to improve the system of care and to make an impact for these individuals who present to us in crisis,” Florida Behavioral Health Association CEO Melanie Brown-Woofter said.

The Baker Act is the state’s mental health act focusing on crisis services for people with mental illness. People believed to be a danger to themselves or others can be admitted to a treatment facility voluntarily or involuntarily by family or police.

“Being ‘Baker Acted’ is not a bad thing. It’s actually a good thing. Because again we can link you to those services and we can get you out of that crisis situation and put you into something more stable,” Brown-Woofter said.

Brown-Woofter said having this dashboard is a game-changer for helping people in crisis. Before now, this data was collected and only released once a year.

“When you have data that’s two or three years old and you’re trying to make decisions, things have happened in the meantime. Now that we have real-time data we can make decisions about what’s happening now,” Brown-Woofter said.

The goal is to have a more proactive and community-based approach to care, especially for those admitted to facilities more than once.

“And be able to really reach out to those individuals and help them avoid that crisis situation,” Brown-Woofter said.

The Baker Act Dashboard is updated once a week. Providers started putting data into an electronic reporting system last year to prepare for the new dashboard.

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