Healthy Families Florida, which supports expectant parents and families of newborns facing stressful situations, is asking state lawmakers for $5 million to add mental health counseling to its home visiting program.
The home visiting program, which is run by a nonprofit but funded through the Legislature, wants to hire mental health experts for its home visiting teams.
Executive director Rebekkah Sheetz says since services are free for clients, the added funds would put mental health services in homes at no cost.
"We often parenting the way we were parented," she said. "And if we didn't get that safe, stable, nurturing home environment, then we don't necessarily know how to give it to our children.
"And so, this home visitor comes in and works alongside you to show you ways to relate to your baby, and then also helps you get additional support. Because sometimes there are things going on beyond parenting, but we still have to be a good parent."
Sheetz stresses that the services are not only free but voluntary.
"So, you can either disclose and say, 'I am struggling, and I need additional help with a mental health counselor,' or we offer a lot of additional health screenings, like the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, which screens specifically for postnatal depression," Sheetz said. "And we also do other screening tools throughout a person's time in the program – which, by the way, can be up to five years after the birth of the baby."
The program, available statewide, has a 99 percent success rate at preventing child abuse and neglect a year after the delivery of services.
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