ABOUT THE FLORIDA COUNCIL FOR COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
The Florida Council for Community Mental Health (FCCMH) is a statewide association of 50+ community-based mental health and substance abuse agencies. The association’s membership includes 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.
Clients served by member agencies
Council members serve the majority of the nearly 240,000 adults and children receiving publicly-funded mental health and substance abuse services in Florida. Most clients served by member agencies are adults with serious and persistent mental illness, children with severe emotional disturbance, adults with long-term addictions, and children who are drug users or at risk of abusing drugs. Member agencies provide a range of services, including emergency services, residential treatment, outpatient services and rehabilitation and support services. These services are provided by a combined workforce of several thousand people.
Council organization
The Council’s 23-member Board of Directors is elected by member agency directors. One of the director’s seats is reserved for a consumer of behavioral health services and another for a family member. The association has 7 staff members, all based at the state office in Tallahassee. Melanie Brown-Woofter is the Council’s interim President and Chief Executive Officer.
