CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — Melissa Bowermaster is the executive director of Jessie’s Place — a child advocacy center in Citrus County. It’s a facility that helps gives kids experiencing abuse a place to feel safe and for treatment.
What You Need To Know
- Citrus County is facing a shortage of mental health clinicians
- County officials are looking at ways to address the growing mental health problem
- Local nonprofits are short-staffed and need more funding
“We have full-time advocates, and we have mental health. So we provide the support services and provide collaboration in our facility and that child may be engaged in our services for years,” Bowermaster said.
She says the need is always growing, but she is facing a clinician shortage. She only has four on staff. Her facility treats as many as 90 kids a week and there are more on a waiting list.
“The waiting list is the one thing that keeps me up at night. There’s a lot of stressors that come with running a nonprofit organization, but the one thing that really bothers me because I know what that means. I know it’s kids that have been through horrific traumas and they’re waiting for services and that is the worst,” Bowermaster said.
Some local politicians are taking notice of the mental health crisis in the county, including Citrus County Commissioner Rebecca Bays. She is working with local organizations like Jessie’s Place. County health officials and the state are working to come up with better ideas to tackle the issue.
“I am willing to listen to anybody. What’s working for you? What did you try that was wrong and didn’t work? How do we find the blend and really get to the bottom of this?” Bays said.
Jeff Van Sant
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