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Dow drops 1,100 as US stock market leads a worldwide sell-off following Trump's tariff announcement; 'Uplift Wisconsin' to end service this week due to federal cuts; Advocates rally at AL Statehouse for Medicaid, parole and voting; Portland residents call for ban on cruise ship wastewater discharge.

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President Donald Trump announces worldwide tariffs. Democrats decry 'Liberation Day' as the economy adjusts to the news. And some Republicans break from Trump's trade stance.

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Rural schools face budget woes even as White House aims to dismantle the Department of Education, postal carriers argue against proposed USPS changes, fiber networks to improve rural internet may be supplanted by Musk's satellites, and PLAY BALL!

Florida commission urges statewide mental-health data repository

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Monday, March 3, 2025   

As Florida's legislative session begins on Tuesday, the Florida Commission on Mental Health and Substance Use is urging lawmakers to prioritize the creation of a statewide behavioral health data repository.

The recommendation, highlighted in the commission's Annual Interim Report released in January, aims to centralize data on mental health trends, costs, access and outcomes to improve care quality and ensure Floridians receive the help they need.

Jay Reeve, chair of the commission and CEO of Apalachee Center in Tallahassee, is a clinical psychologist with 40 years of experience and stressed the repository would follow strict federal guidelines to protect patient privacy.

"We're going to have to develop a data governance structure that's very transparent and make sure that there is really no way to breach any of the data we receive that is identified data," Reeve urged.

Reeve is particularly focused on de-identified data, which the proposed repository would use to track mental health trends, improve treatment and guide statewide planning. The commission's work influenced last year's Live Healthy Act and Senate Bill 330. This year, its data repository proposal is gaining traction, with language included in Senate Bill 168.

The recommendation of the repository comes as Florida faces increasing demand for mental health services, particularly among children. Reeve noted while the state has made strides in expanding access to care, such as through mobile crisis response teams, stigma remains a major barrier to treatment.

"Every year I'm increasingly convinced that the biggest barrier to services and service utilization is stigma," Reeve stressed. "I think that's the number one through 50."

Opponents, including some privacy advocates, worry even de-identified data could be reidentified with advanced technology, putting vulnerable populations at risk. Additionally, some mental health advocacy groups have proposed alternative solutions, such as increasing funding for community-based mental health programs rather than investing in a centralized data system.


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