TAMPA, Fla. — Hillsborough County was just awarded $800,000 in state funding to expand its Crisis Stabilization Unit bed capacity.
Rep. Jackie Toledo sponsored the bill in the Florida House of Representatives.
According to a news release from her office, the money will support 13 CSU beds, otherwise known as Baker Act beds, that were previously cut from the state budget in 2017 and 2018.
The money will be split between Northside Behavioral Health Center and Gracepoint Wellness, the two providers in Hillsborough County that offer CSU services.
“CSU services literally save lives. These beds allow us to respond to people in immediate danger of suicide so we can prevent tragedy and help them move towards stability and the longer-term services they need,” said Gail Ryder, vice president at BayCare Behavioral Health in a news release.
The announcement comes on the heels of efforts in Tallahassee to maintain and increase funding for behavioral health.
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