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AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE MIAMI HERALD
MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2019
CHAIRWOMAN’S REPORT
New Mental Health Facility Ends Criminalization of Mental Illness
Miami-Dade County Commission Chairwoman Audrey M. Edmonson.
BY AUDREY M. EDMONSON
One of the most heartbreaking things about mental illness is that so many of the mentally ill become homeless and often end up in jail
instead of receiving the care they need. As home to the largest percentage of people with serious mental illnesses of any urban community in the United States, Miami-Dade County has been hit especially hard by the de facto criminalization of mental illness in our society. On any given day, the County jail houses approximately 2,400 individuals who require psychiatric treatment – a majority of our inmates. It’s a tragedy that affects people of all ages – young, middle-aged and old. But there is finally reason to celebrate, because change is coming. As a longtime advocate for the creation of a mental health facility to properly treat the mentally ill, I was thrilled to participate in the recent groundbreaking of the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery at 2200 N.W. 7th Ave. The 181,000-square-foot
building, which will be completed in approximately 20 months, will have a capacity for 208 beds and offer a comprehensive array of mental health, substance abuse, and primary healthcare services, as well as employment and vocational training services and re-entry assistance upon discharge. The estimated county taxpayer cost to house people with mental illnesses in jail is half a million dollars per day, or $180 million annually, with little impact on reducing recidivism and virtually no return on investment. That’s why there’s such a great need for a facility like this one, which will offer a comprehensive continuum of services targeting high-cost, highneed individuals who are most often underserved by the public health system. By housing a comprehensive
array of services and support in one location, and providing re-entry assistance upon discharge to the community, the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery will eliminate many of the barriers and obstacles to navigating traditional community mental health and social services. By addressing critical treatment needs that have gone unmet in the past, it will reduce the likelihood of recidivism to homelessness and the justice system in the future. It’s a proud day for the County, a great deal for the taxpayers, and a godsend to the many people in our community who will benefit from its services. Audrey M. Edmonson is chairwoman of the Miami-Dade County Commission. n
BUSINESS REPORT
Our Open Secret: We Are Diverse, But Not Inclusive
BY BEATRICE LOUISSAINT
Miami is one of the most diverse cities in our nation with people who come to live here from all over the world. There are more than two dozen languages spoken in our public schools. Our proximity to Latin America and the Caribbean makes our
location ideal for global trade. Yet, are we really as accepting of others as we should be? Are we open to other cultures and people? Are there opportunities for upward mobility for all? Is there shared power? Do we do business with people who do not look like us or speak the same language that we do? Do we have genuine relationships and friendships with those of different races and religions? When was the last time we opened our homes for dinner to someone who did not look like us? Does what happens in Little Havana matter to those who live in Overtown? Is what happens in Little Haiti important to the residents of Coral Gables? Sadly, there are residents who feel left out and marginalized by the fact that this community that I love so much is diverse but does
not always practice inclusion. This is our open secret. Just look around you. We are never going to remain a
“Sadly, there are residents who feel left out and marginalized by the fact that this community that I love so much is diverse but does not always practice inclusion.” great city and reach our full potential and be the model for the rest of the nation if we do not care about what happens to all citizens of this community – whether they speak the same language or are of the same race, practice the same religion or have the
same socioeconomic status that we do. I encourage you to begin to do something to be more inclusive of all of Miami’s citizens. We are all in this together. If we can identify our common interests and work for our common good and commit to our common benefit, we can change for the better our common destiny. Beatrice Louissaint is president and CEO of the Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council. The vision of the FSMSDC is a diverse and inclusive environment where economic success is achieved. To learn more about the FSMSDC, visit fsmsdc.org or call (305) 762-6151. n