Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation Made Progress But Needs More Narrow Focus

Report 06-21, March 2006




Report Summary

  • During its second year of operation, the corporation has improved its outreach to state agencies and has more fully addressed its statutory responsibilities. However, the corporation continues to focus its policy recommendations only on the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and needs to address all agencies in the substance abuse and mental heath systems.
  • To date, the corporation's work has not had a substantive impact on state mental health and substance abuse system outcomes, with the exception of improving data collection and analysis between DCF and AHCA. However, the corporation can play a needed role for the state by providing independent analyses of the state's substance abuse and mental health systems; accordingly, the corporation should be given more time and be continued beyond its October 2006 sunset date.
  • To improve the corporation's effectiveness, the Legislature should consider narrowing the corporation's focus to improving interagency coordination with a specific set of goals for it to achieve. The corporation should facilitate meetings among agencies involved in the substance abuse and mental health systems to solve interagency coordination issues.


Related Reports
  1. Incompetent to Proceed Adjudications Increasing
    Report 08-17 March 2008
  2. Centralizing DCF Substance Abuse and Mental Health Programs Produced Benefits
    Report 06-12 February 2006
  3. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation Has Not Addressed Its Responsibilities Fully
    Report 05-17 March 2005
  4. Centralizing DCF Substance Abuse and Mental Health Programs Provides Benefits But Also Challenge
    Report 05-07 February 2005
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
social services, health, human services, substance abuse, mental health, medicaid, dcf, ahca, children's mental health, treatment facilities, sexual violent predators, criminal justice, juvenile justice