WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Center for Child Counseling (CFCC) has unveiled an innovative new mobile unit designed to deliver essential mental health services directly to youth across Palm Beach County.
This initiative promises to transform access to care, bringing hope and healing where it is most needed.
The newly launched 25-foot mobile unit is not just a mode of transportation; it is a mobile sanctuary equipped to provide trauma-informed care, prevention tools, and critical mental health services. This moving haven aims to eliminate the barriers that often prevent children from receiving the help they need, ensuring that access to support is not determined by a child’s zip code.
In Palm Beach County, recent surveys have shown alarming rates of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts among high school students. The mobile unit is a proactive step towards changing this narrative, offering an integrated approach that spans prevention, early intervention, and intensive mental health services.
PBC Mental Health Statistics (sources below*)
- One in four children** in Florida is experiencing a mental health or behavioral concern.
- 41.5% of high school students in Palm Beach County reported feeling hopeless in 2021.
- 20.7% of high school students in Palm Beach County seriously contemplated suicide in 2021.
- 493 total child and adolescent psychiatrists are available statewide in Florida as of 2022.
- 43 of those psychiatrists are practicing in Palm Beach County.
- One psychiatrist for every 6,553 children under the age of 18 in Palm Beach County.
- An estimated 75-80% of children in need of mental health services do not receive care.
This stats box succinctly summarizes the key statistics related to youth mental health in Florida and Palm Beach County, providing a clear overview of the pressing issues at hand.
The mobile unit will be staffed by trained mental health professionals who are dedicated to creating a safe and supportive environment for children and families. Services will include counseling sessions, workshops on coping strategies, and resources for parents to better understand how to support their children’s mental health.
Sourcing
- Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) or other state health department reports.
- PBC Youth Behavioral Health Survey (2021).
- American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (2022).
- American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (2022).
- Derived from the total number of child psychiatrists and the population of children under 18 in Palm Beach County, based on U.S. Census data.
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) or local health department studies on mental health service gaps.
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