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I’ve just been diagnosed with a mental illness. What should I do?

If you’ve been diagnosed with a mental health condition, know you are not alone. One in 5 American adults experiences some form of mental illness in any given year.

Learn as much as you can about your mental illness. Having a good understanding of what you're experiencing can be a good step forward. Learn about Mental Health Conditions and Related Components. NAMI Jax offers a free 8-week class called “Peer-to-Peer” that can help you understand your illness, and find support and compassion from people who can relate to your experiences.
Find support. Mental illness makes it very tempting to isolate, which can worsen mental illness. NAMI Jax can help you build a support system of people who can provide emotional support and practical help. Our free Connection Recovery Support Groups are for adults (over age 18) living with mental health conditions and co-occurring substance use disorders. We offer several Connection Recovery groups in the Northeast Florida area, and an online Connection Recovery group for young adults, ages 18-30.

How do I find a NAMI Jax support group that's right for me?

NAMI support groups follow a structured model to ensure you and others in the group have an opportunity to be heard and to get what you need.

NAMI Jacksonville offers three types of support groups:

NAMI Connection Recovery Support Groups are for adults (over age 18) living with mental health conditions and co-occurring substance use disorders. These free support groups are led by NAMI-trained facilitators who live in recovery and who’ve been there. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others. We offer several Connection Recovery groups in the Northeast Florida area, and an online Connection Recovery group for young adults, ages 18-30.
NAMI Family Support Groups are for family members, caregivers and loved ones of individuals living with mental illness. These free support groups are led by trained facilitators, who also are family members with lived experience of supporting a loved one with mental illness. You will gain insight from the challenges and successes of others facing similar circumstances. We offer several Family Support Groups in the Northeast Florida area.
Our Teen Support Group is for teens (ages 13-18). This is a free, activity-based group that provides support, compassion, and education about well-being and mental wellness, to young people on any kind of mental health journey. A formal diagnosis is not required. Learn more about our Teen Support Group.

My loved one is in crisis/refuses to take medication/accept treatment, etc. What can I do?

Learn as much as you can about mental illness, how to be prepared for a mental health crisis, and how to support someone in crisis.
Find support for yourself. NAMI Jax Family-to-Family classes, and Family Support Groups provide support for you, information about how to cope when a loved one does not comply with treatment, and techniques that can help you support and communicate more effectively with your loved one.
Injectable Medication. Depending on the mental illness, injectable medication may be an option. You and your loved one should talk to their doctor.
Ex-Parte Proceeding for Involuntary Evaluation, also known as a Baker Act. If your loved one has psychosis or delusions, you can consider an ex-parte proceeding for involuntary evaluation, which is a Baker Act. This is a mechanism by which a person suffering a mental health crisis can be taken involuntarily to a crisis stabilization unit for evaluation. Learn more about a Baker Act and how to initiate one.
Legal Guardianship. A guardianship is a legal proceeding in the circuit courts of Florida, in which a guardian (an individual, or an institution such as a nonprofit corporation or bank trust department) is appointed to care for/exercise the legal rights of a person who has been determined to be incapacitated. Mental illness can be a reason for incapacitation. The legal guardianship process is governed by Chapter 744, Florida Statutes.

Anyone petitioning the court to deem an individual incapacitated and in need of a guardian must be represented by an attorney. NAMI cannot recommend lawyers, but we suggest you search for a lawyer who works with families in Jacksonville or in the State of Florida to help them become Guardian Advocates for loved ones who are incapacitated, including disabled or elder adults with dementia.

Lisa DiFranza at DiFranza Law
Rebecca Berg at Berg Bryant Elder Law Group PLLC

‍Learn more about guardianship in Florida.

My loved one is acting erratically and I’m fearful for their safety and mine.
I don’t want to have them arrested; they just need help. Who can I call?

First, it’s important that both you and your loved one are safe. If there is immediate danger, call 911, and say that you believe your loved one is a danger to themself or others, and you want to initiate a Baker Act. Learn more about the Baker Act.

If you are sure that you or your loved one is not in danger, call the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and ask for a Co-Responder Unit to come help de-escalate the situation. Duval County Co-Responder Units consist of a law enforcement officer and a mental health clinician who respond in a marked patrol car, to calls involving people who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. These responders understand the nature of mental health challenges that people face and they can help to calm situations that may otherwise become tense. A key component of the program involves a warm hand-off from the Co-Responders to the MHRC Comprehensive Services Centers and outreach care coordination services, thereby diverting individuals from potential incarceration or Baker Act when appropriate.

If a Co-Responder Unit is not available, ask for a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) member. These are specially trained officers who handle mental health crises and can issue a Baker Act if necessary.

My loved one has access to firearms and is threatening violence. What can I do?

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act is designed to enhance public safety by restricting firearm and ammunition possession by a person who poses a danger to themself or others.

If you believe someone poses a danger to themself or others if they have access to firearms or ammunition, contact the police department or sheriff's office about a Risk Protection Order (RPO). Only law enforcement can ask a court to enter a Risk Protection Order against someone who may be a danger to themself or others.

Learn more about Risk Protection Orders.

A loved one with serious mental illness is missing. What can I do?

Contact the police immediately and give them all the information you can. If the person remains missing more than three days, ask the police to place them on the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) list as an “endangered adult.”

If you make it clear to police that the missing person has a serious mental illness, they may be able to place them on the NCIC more quickly. If a missing person with mental illness over age 21 is located, they cannot be held against their will if they have not committed a crime and are not a danger to themself or others.
Register them with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), a centralized database for missing person cases across the United States. Learn more about NamUs and how to use it.
Check Nearby Hospitals, Churches, Homeless Shelters and Libraries. Keep in mind that some of these places may have confidentiality restrictions and be unable to confirm if your loved one is there. You can, however, give the facility your contact information and ask them to let your loved one know that you are looking for them and they can contact you.
Check Out social media or create a website. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media accounts of your loved one may provide clues to their location. Look at their friends’ social media accounts as well. Create a Facebook page or website for the missing person, using a heading like “Find John Doe” or “Missing Jane Smith.”

What should I do if my child is missing or runs away?

Call your local police immediately. Federal law prohibits police from imposing a waiting period before accepting a missing child report. Police must add the information to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center Missing Person File within two hours of receiving a missing child report.

If your child has a mental health condition, and is between the ages of 18 and 20 and legally considered an adult, police are required by Suzanne’s Law (a provision in the PROTECT Act of 2003) to extend the same level of effort and resources as they would for a child under the age of 18.
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Call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (CMEC), 1-800-843-5678. CMEC will provide technical and case management assistance to help ensure all available search and recover methods are used.
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‍Resources for Finding Missing Children
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Center for Missing and Exploited Children - 24-Hour Hotline: 1-800-843-5678
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Faces of the Lost - 24-Hour Helpline: 1-800-566-5688
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National Runaway Safeline - 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929)

What is a Baker Act? How do I initiate a Baker Act?

A Baker Act is a legal means by which a person suffering a mental health crisis can be taken involuntarily to a crisis stabilization unit for evaluation.

The criteria for a Baker Act is that the person must be a danger to themselves or others. Learn more about the Baker Act on the Duval County Civil Court Services for Mental Health web page.

There are several ways to initiate a Baker Act:

‍Have a mental health professional issue a Baker Act. If your loved one has a doctor, psychiatrist, or therapist, call them and tell them that you feel your loved one is a danger to themself or others. These professionals can issue a Baker Act.
‍Have the police issue a Baker Act. Call 911 and tell them that you believe your loved one is a danger to themself or others, and you want to initiate a Baker Act. Ask for a member of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). These are specially trained officers who handle mental health crises and can issue a Baker Act.
‍Take your loved one to a hospital. Drive your loved one to a Baker Act receiving facility. See the list of Baker Act receiving facilities in Jacksonville.
‍Petition the court. Under the Baker Act, a family member can file an Ex Parte petition to ask the court to bring a loved one to a Baker Act receiving facility, much like if a doctor or the police call for a Baker Act. The grounds are similar, in that the person needs treatment, but because of their illness they are unable to get or receive treatment, and this lack of treatment will result in harm to them.

To file an Ex Parte petition, you must go to the Duval County Mental Health Court and attest to an affidavit in person. This will be reviewed by a judge. If the judge approves the petition, law enforcement will be notified to bring the individual to the closest Baker Act receiving facility for evaluation. If the individual does not have a permanent place of residence or cannot be located, a family member must locate the individual and then call law enforcement to initiate the Ex Parte Baker Act that was approved by the Judge. This can take longer to execute.

Duval County Clerk of the Court, Mental Health Services (Visit their website)
501 West Adams Street, Room 1038
Jacksonville, FL 32202

Office hours: Monday - Friday (except holidays): 8 am – 4 pm
Phone: 904-255-2000

How can I support a loved one who is hospitalized under the Baker Act?

It can be helpful to share information about your loved one's mental health history with their treatment team. Treatment centers can legally accept this information even without a formal release of information.

First, get in touch with the facility's discharge planner to facilitate communication. They will tell you the best way to share this information with them. Faxing is usually the most reliable method to ensure delivery.
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Then prepare a one-page summary of the individual’s mental health history and send it to the facility. This summary can include:

Initial diagnosis and treatment history.
Prior hospitalizations and time between episodes.
Medication adherence and reasons for nonadherence (e.g., side effects, lack of efficacy).
Work history, history of violence, substance use (including medical marijuana), and any history of incarceration.
Housing status and family goals for this hospitalization (e.g., interest in SRT or residential treatment).
Relevant physical health conditions.

Will a Baker Act be on my permanent record?

A Baker Act is a legal mechanism for a person suffering a mental health crisis to be taken involuntarily to a crisis stabilization unit for evaluation. Just because the police may be involved, it is not a criminal offense.

Baker Act information is treated like a medical record and should not show up as an arrest record. Everyone involved in a Baker Act (including police) is bound by HIPAA law to treat the Baker Act record as Personal Health Information (PHI).

An officer responding to an incident with an individual who has previously been Baker Acted will be able to access that record if needed, but no one outside of the arresting agency can have access to the information unless the individual who has been Baker Acted grants permission.

I have been arrested, and I have mental health issues that were a factor in the arrest.

Mental Health Court may be an option to avoid charges, probation, or fees. To qualify for Mental Health Court, you must have a primary diagnosis of anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia as chronic, serious mental illness, with medical records to support it. A recommendation must be made from a judge, attorney, or family member. Program requirements include case management, support group attendance, drug screening, and court appearances.

Violent crimes, sex crimes, and 1st degree felonies are not eligible for the Mental Health Court program. Mental Health Court cannot help with transportation or housing.

Find more information and request forms.

Duval County Clerk of the Court, Mental Health Services (Visit their website)
501 West Adams Street, Room 1038
Jacksonville, FL 32202

Office hours: Monday - Friday (except holidays): 8 am – 4 pm
Phone: 904-255-2000

My loved one, who has a mental illness, has just been arrested and put in jail, and I’m scared.
What should I do?

It’s important that both the jail and your loved one’s attorney are aware that your loved one has a mental health condition. Make a call to each right away.

The Duval County Jail has a psychiatrist on staff and will provide medications. You can contact the Duval County Jail Mental Health Coordinator at 904-630-5826.

My loved one has been in and out of jail due to their chronic serious mental illness.
They have just been arrested again. How can I help them?

Duval County's Mental Health Offenders Program can help individuals with serious mental illness and numerous misdemeanor charges stay out of jail, and instead receive intensive wrap-around care with case management, food, housing, transportation, disability benefits, medications, and therapy.

Only individuals flagged as mental health repeat offenders are eligible for the program, and they must be recommended by the State Attorney and the Judge at First Appearance. Individuals will be assigned to a case manager run by the Sulzbacher Center.

My loved one has a Public Defender.
How do I contact them to share information about my loved one’s mental health?

Public Defenders are much more likely to respond to an email than a phone call. To communicate with the Public Defender via email, you will need to know the Public Defender's name and email address.

1. To find which Public Defender is assigned to your loved one:
- Go to the Public Defender’s website.
- Click on “Public Defender Client Information”.
- Enter the word “public” as both the username and the password.
- Then search by the last and first name of your loved one.
- Once you find their name, click on it and it will take you to an information page. In the Client/Attorney Information box, find the line titled County/Attorney. The last name of the Public Defender is in the second box. 

2. Once you know the Public Defender's last name, you can get their email address.
- Go to the Florida Bar website.
- On the home page, you will see “Find a Lawyer.”
- Type in the Public Defender's last name and click "Search" to get their email address.

3. Once you have the Public Defender’s email address, you can email them information about your loved one’s mental health condition and diagnosis.  Say that you are a family member/caregiver assisting the Public Defender by providing information. This information can help the Public Defender route your loved one's case to the appropriate court.

 If the Public Defender does not respond, the supervisor should eventually catch it and follow up.  However, be aware that if the original Public Defender has left the office, there is no bounce back email to let you know. 

I have insurance through my employer and need a therapist. Who can I call?

While NAMI doesn't provide mental health services or recommend mental health care providers, we do provide information about the resources available in Northeast Florida. Here are some resources to help you locate a therapist:

Check with your employer to see if they have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). EAPs often give employees free therapy visits.
Call your insurance company or visit their website to see therapists in your area who accept your insurance.
Psychology Today provides a listing of therapists by state, city, or areas of expertise: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/

I am on Medicare and need a therapist. Who can I call?

Psychology Today's has a searchable directory of Medicare therapists. Find a Medicare therapist
On Medicare.gov (the government website) you can search for any type of provider that accepts Medicare. Search for a Medicare provider near you.

While NAMI Jax doesn’t provide therapy, we do offer free support groups that are facilitated by people with lived experience. Learn more about NAMI support groups.

I am uninsured, and I need a therapist. How can I find one?

Sulzbacher Center: mental health treatment center for uninsured - https://sulzbacherjax.org/contact/
Mental Health Resource Center: http://www.mhrcflorida.com/outpatient-services-for-adults--adolescents-and-children.html
Shands Hospital financial evaluation line: 904-244-4015
Jax Beach free clinic: 904-241-6767
24/7 Access to Care Line: 877-229-9098 (This is a warm line, which means you leave a message, and they will call you back.)
WeCare Jax - medical clinic for low income and uninsured: https://wecarejacksonville.org/
CareConnect+ - a network of resources to connect people with social determinants that affect health, including providers, housing, food insecurity, and unemployment: https://www.careconnectplus.com/
United Way information hotline: call 211
Mental Health Resources hotline: 833-848-1762
Medicaid (for low income): 904-723-2000, www.dcf.state.fl.us

Social Security Information
If you are unemployed or unable to work, consider applying for Social Security benefits, which include automatic Medicaid eligibility.

Be aware that it can take months to be approved, and it is common to be turned down the first time, but keep trying if this happens. You may want to consider hiring a Social Security attorney to help you.

To apply, contact the local Social Security Office:
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‍Social Security Administration
7185 Bonneval Road #1
Jacksonville, FL
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904-296-1991
‍http://socialsecurity.gov/applyfordisability

I'm having issues with my Social Security Benefits, Veterans Benefits, or other federal benefits. Who can help me?

Reach out to your local Congressperson for help with federal benefits.

Look up your representative here: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member. Just type in your address and click the search icon.
Then click on your representative’s name for their website, which has information on how to contact their local office.

I am on a limited budget. How can I find affordable housing?

The United Way is the best place to start. They are familiar with the many resources in our community, and can help guide you.

Call the United Way at 211.

These are some of the many organizations the United Way works with:

Catholic Charities: 904-354-3416
Jacksonville Housing Authority: 904-630-3810, www.jaxha.org
Dept of Housing and Urban Development: www.hud.gov
Emergency Assistance Programs: 904-354-3416
Jacksonville Housing Commission: 904-224-8200, www.coj.net
Jacksonville Urban League: 904-366-3470
Builders Care: 904-727-3443
MHRC South Comprehensive Services Center: 904-642-9100, option #1
First Coast Long-Term Care Ombudsmen Council: 4161 Carmichael Ave., #141, Jax, FL 32207
Quality Life Center group homes: 904-398-2020
Ability Housing for SSDI recipients: 904-359-9650
Clay Behavioral Health Center: 904-291-5561 (similar to Ability Housing)
CareConnect+ - a network of resources to connect people with social determinants that affect health, including providers, housing, food insecurity, and unemployment: https://www.careconnectplus.com/

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Finding Support and Support Groups

Helping a Loved One

Baker Act

The Criminal Justice System

Questions About Finding a Therapist

Help With Federal Benefits and Affordable Housing