Mental Health

Thousands of Palm Beach County residents struggle to access critical mental health care, leading to the highest suicide rate in the state and overwhelming our ERs and law enforcement. After relentless advocacy by PEACE, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) launched a full review of local FACT teams in 2025 to ensure proper staffing and services. Because of PEACE’s efforts, DCF is also investigating leadership misconduct, committing to statewide reforms, and taking action to hold providers accountable. These victories mark real progress toward a stronger, more compassionate mental health system. PEACE will continue fighting until every resident can access the care they need and deserve.

The Problem

Florida ranks 40th in the nation for access to mental health services. Too many people in crisis are treated in emergency rooms and then discharged without follow-up care, leaving them and their families confused, scared, and unsupported.

The Proven Solution

Why Assertive Community Treatment Teams Work: 

While there are several types of services within the mental health continuum, one that many individuals have a  hard time accessing is step-down treatment. Step-down care is the transition stage of treatment when a client  leaves a higher level of care (i.e. in-patient hospitalization) and moves to a lower one (i.e. out-patient treatment).  Many individuals are simply discharged from the hospital with little to no guidance, leaving themselves and  their families confused and scared. This often leads to relapses and other negative consequences. 

One nationwide best practice that aims to bridge this gap is called Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), This  model is unique for several reasons:

  • Small Caseload,

  • Services Come to the Client,

  • Multidisciplinary Team, 24/7

  • Crisis Management,

  • Cost-savings

  • Increased housing stability

2026 Update

Since 2024, PEACE has been working to understand the mental health crisis in Palm Beach County. Along the way we uncovered gaps in the system and identified Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams as our solution. At our 2025 Nehemiah Action, PEACE pushed the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to investigate Palm Beach County’s ACT teams after discovering they were not meeting their contractual obligations.

This year, DCF updated us: not only did they follow through, but because of PEACE’s advocacy, they launched a statewide monitoring program for all ACT teams. While this is an important step, the two ACT teams currently in Palm Beach County are still not enough.

That’s why PEACE brought our voices to the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, a local government agency that is funded mostly by taxpayers. We  provide over 70% of their budget. For months, PEACE tried to engage the District, only to be ignored, pushed aside, and even silenced. But we refused to let that stop us.

While the CEO could not attend the 2026 Nehemiah Action, our persistence worked. The Health Care District knew we were about to speak in front of 1,600 people and wanted to report progress. We are proud to announce that PEACE now has a meeting with the Health Care District on April 28th to discuss next steps. While the meeting is closed, we need everyone united in prayer. Together, our people power and prayers can make better mental health care in Palm Beach County a reality.