TAMPA, Fla. — In August, Tampa Bay 28 anchor Wendy Ryan attended the annual Florida Behavioral Health Conference in Orlando.
It’s where licensed therapists and others in the mental health field learned the newest, cutting-edge techniques in helping others with mental health issues and substance abuse.
“It is an opportunity for 1700 people to come together to be able to learn and share with each other,” said Melanie Brown-Woofter.
Brown- Woofter is the President and CEO of FBHA, and she sat down with Wendy Ryan to talk about the annual conference. It’s the largest behavioral health conference in the Southeast, serving clinicians from across the state.
“We try to look at topics that are of interest to the clinical community based on demand for services. Always mental health, always substance use services, certainly suicide. And then, looking at individuals in recovery, what are their needs? What are some new trends that are out there? So, we really tried to look at the whole continuum,” said Brown-Woofter.
Along with over 1,700 professionals attending, there were 17 sponsors, 144 exhibitors, 192 speakers, and 119 evidence-based training sessions.
Brown-Woofter said the conference focused on several areas of interest.
“This is an opportunity for us to think about innovations, what's new in the field, what has come down through research, through medical technology, through the use of AI,” explained Brown-Woofter.
But she’s most grateful for the success of their suicide prevention hotline, 988.
“Just in the last year alone, the last fiscal year ending in May, there's been over 135,000 calls to 988. Of those, approximately 1269 were actual suicides in progress, and the calls resulted in no fatalities,” said Brown-Woofter.
She’s also hopeful lawmakers will continue to support the behavioral health industry and its programs.
“I think that there's a very strong awareness among our legislators and our leadership of the importance of suicide prevention. The importance of mental health and substance use treatment. So, I, you know, again, while it'll be competitive, I think that we are in a very good position, and we certainly hope that that funding will continue,” explained Brown-Woofter.
If you need mental health assistance in Florida and don’t have access to care, and if you’re uninsured, underinsured, or on Medicaid, reach out to The Florida Behavioral Health Association here.
Share Your Story with Wendy
Tampa Bay 28 Anchor Wendy Ryan is dedicated to helping our neighbors navigate the important topic of mental health. For years, she’s been connecting people to resources, listening to their challenges, and sharing their stories to decrease the stigma. You can connect with Wendy by using the form below.
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