Current Issue Work
Mental Health
Connect People...to Care in Escambia County
One thing that we heard over and over at our nine research meetings was that there are resources available for mental health care and many people do not know they exist or how to navigate the system. It turns out we already have a few systems in place that provide one-on-one direction to the community: 211 and 988 help lines that are both coordinated by United Way of West Florida.
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We are proposing a two-year pilot project to improve public awareness and access to mental health resources in Escambia County.
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Our goal is to increase access by:
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Funding a marketing and public awareness campaign to increase awareness of 211 and 988 helplines.
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Funding three care coordination positions for the 211 helpline.
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Funding to improve the existing phone and web navigational tools for both 211 and 988 to make them more user-friendly and effective.
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On March 25, 2026, something powerful happened. Our Mental Health Steering Committee and ten clergy leaders stepped boldly into the work of God’s justice and met with Representative Michelle Salzman and 15 members of the Mental Health Task Force of Northwest Florida.
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And here’s the good news: they didn’t just listen, they said yes. They recognized that our mission is aligned, that this is the work our community has been waiting for, and they are supportive of us moving forward together. Together, we are stepping into a new chapter where faith and mental health leaders stand side by side to bring healing, dignity, and justice to those who have been overlooked for far too long.
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Because this is what God requires of us, not just to care, but to act. And now, with the support of the Mental Health Task Force of Northwest Florida, JUST Pensacola is leading the way to expand awareness and access to life-saving resources by strengthening 211 and 988 helplines. This is how we ensure that when someone cries out for help, someone answers.
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This is what it looks like when people of faith come together, build power, and do justice.​
Mental Health Problem Statement
Escambia County has a mental health crisis. One in every two residents identifies mental health as the most important health issue in our community, yet our system remains fragmented, confusing, and difficult for families to navigate (2022 Community Health Needs Assessment Report, Achieve Health EscaRosa).​
Overdose mortality is a well-established indicator of unmet behavioral health needs, especially gaps in prevention, crisis intervention, and continuity of care. Escambia County has the highest overdose mortality rate in all of Florida, 47 deaths per 100,000 people, compared to the state average of 31 per 100,000 (CDC National Vital Statistics System).
While there are resources, there is not a single website or resource that provides a resident a comprehensive understanding of how and when to navigate mental health care services in Escambia County. As a result, individuals often delay care until they are in crisis. This leads to delayed access to care, inappropriate points of entry such as emergency rooms or jails, or no care at all.
Children and teens, along with their families, are paying the highest price. More than one in five teenagers lives with a mental or behavioral health condition, and over 60% of those who are diagnosed cannot access adequate treatment. (Health Resources and Services Administration). Systemic issues play a role, with 80% of health outcomes determined by socioeconomic factors, as opposed to clinical care (Florida Department of Health in Escambia County Reports).
When dysfunction is normalized, parents may avoid acknowledging unmet emotional needs in themselves and their children. Stigma, especially among adults, continues to block youth from getting the help they need. Intergenerational trauma, limited mental health education, and lack of trauma-informed care allow silence and denial to replace healing.
Without immediate action to improve navigation, access, and parental understanding of mental health care, preventable deaths of children will continue, families will suffer, and the social and economic costs will keep rising. Escambia County must act now, because waiting is costing lives.
The Mental Health Steering Committee consists of Bishop George Young, Rev Machelle Easley, Cris Turnage, William Thames, and Peggy Groves.