Randy Colman and board member Mike Masarek recently joined representatives from Alpert JFS (Palm Beach County) and Jewish Community Services (Miami-Dade County) on a trip to Tallahassee, where they requested essential funding to support low-income, underprivileged individuals, seniors, and Holocaust survivors in need of mental healthcare.
The proposed funds will enable Goodman JFS to support a range of vital initiatives, including mental health first-aid training and the establishment of an emergency response team. This team will be equipped with the necessary skills to provide grief and trauma counseling and respond promptly to those in need. According to Mental Health America, Florida ranks 48th nationwide on access to mental health care. The study also reported that 633,000 Florida adults with mental illness and 116,000 youth with depression had unmet treatment needs.
Through the leadership and legislative sponsorship of State Sen. Shevrin Jones and State Rep. Mike Caruso, the Collaboration was awarded $998,400 last year which aided our mission of expanding behavioral health services for low-income individuals.