Baton Rouge Health District Announces Support for Mental Health Proposition

CRISIS STABILIZATION CENTER WILL PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE RIGHT SERVICES AT THE RIGHT TIME

Baton Rouge, LA (October 24, 2018) - The Baton Rouge Health District today announced its support for the mental health proposition, a 1.5 millage property tax that will provide funding for a crisis stabilization center to assist people experiencing mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse crisis. The proposition will be on the ballot on December 8, 2018.

“Research demonstrates that far too often, individuals in mental health crisis end up in local jails and emergency rooms. Local public safety officers and emergency departments throughout the Parish are on the front lines of this critical community issue,” said Suzy Sonnier, health district executive director. “Over the last several years the number of people in mental health crisis continued to grow, especially as our community has experienced natural disasters like the flood of 2016 and advancement of the opioid epidemic. The stabilization center is a progressive solution that benefits everyone, especially individuals in crisis. Educating the public and raising awareness about alternative resources for crisis mental health services is vital.”

The proposed stabilization center will provide centralized access to crisis intervention services, stabilization and treatment initiation, ongoing care management and connections to care that could prevent or mitigate future crisis. “The Health District is committed to improving health outcomes and promoting a healthy and vibrant community and pleased to add our support with law enforcement and city officials,” Sonnier said. “We recognize that this initiative will target critical gaps in services, ensure greater access to appropriate services at the right time, better leverage limited resources and most importantly, save lives.” 

About the Baton Rouge Health District: The Baton Rouge Health District is a coalition of patient-focused, innovative healthcare organizations committed the vision of a world-class, high performing health destination at the heart of a healthy and vibrant community. The district promotes collaboration among healthcare providers, government officials, payors, higher education institutions and others to implement a master plan that will enhance healthcare and economic development in Baton Rouge. For more information about the Baton Rouge Health District go to www.brhealthdistrict.com.