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Human services warns meals and sexual‑assault service funding at risk; recommends marketing funds for County’s coordinated access model
Summary
Human Services outlined FY26 budget changes, signaled possible cuts to home-delivered meals due to federal reductions, and urged using opioid-settlement funds to market the county’s CAM behavioral‑health access line to increase referrals and reduce downstream costs.
Human Services officials told the Board of County Commissioners that federal and state grant reductions are forcing program adjustments and that several high‑demand services face potential cuts if replacement funding is not found.
Tony Merrill, county budget staff, reviewed Human Services’ FY26 request and said the general fund budget increases about $1.3 million to $67.1 million, while department personnel count decreases modestly to 97 FTEs through normal attrition and lower starting wages. Merrill said the department found about $346,000 in cost reductions for FY26 through program adjustments including termination of the SOAR outreach program and reductions in pharmacy and Care Connect allocations.
Commissioners focused on two areas: Neighborly Cares (county-supported meal delivery for homebound residents) and the county’s coordinated access model (CAM) for mental‑health and substance‑use treatment.
Karen Yatcham, Human Services director, said area agency and federal funding cuts are straining the Neighborly Cares program and that, without county support, the service would be reduced — for example from five delivery days to three in some cases — and staff layoffs could be required. She said Congressman Bilirakis has advocated on the county’s behalf but that the situation remains “dire.”
On the CAM, which launched in May of the previous year to centralize referrals to behavioral‑health and substance‑use treatment, Yatcham said call volume has been lower than early consultant estimates (about 1,600 callers total versus KPMG’s 1,000-per‑month estimate). However, the program has produced tangible clinical outcomes: staff reported 202 psychotherapy appointments completed, 27 inpatient detox admissions, 19 outpatient detox admissions and 24 intensive‑outpatient placements over the first year. Yatcham and commissioners said low public awareness is a major barrier to achieving intended uptake.
Yatcham proposed using roughly $675,000 in one‑time opioid‑settlement dollars (separate from the regional settlement pot) to run a countywide marketing campaign to boost CAM awareness — not a general‑fund ask. Commissioners discussed partnerships for outreach (2‑1‑1, sheriff’s public service announcements, athletic influencers, sports broadcasts) and asked staff to examine the cost‑per‑appointment and referral conversion metrics to evaluate program value. Several commissioners supported a one‑year marketing push before deciding whether to continue or restructure CAM.
The department also proposed a nonrecurring $205,000 request to close a gap in sexual‑assault forensic nurse (SANE) standby pay at Suncoast Center. Yatcham said the SANE provider increased standby pay to match regional market rates, creating a shortfall; Juvenile Welfare Board funding reduced the county portion to about $160,000, and staff said they were seeking alternative funding rather than county recurring funds. Commissioners warned that reducing SANE staffing would increase exam wait times and might force residents to seek exams out of county.
No formal votes were taken; commissioners directed staff to return with refined budget options and additional details on funding sources and performance metrics.
