Elevate Behavioral Health Pinellas

The Pinellas County Integrated Care Alliance (PICA) engaged KPMG in December 2019 to undergo a roughly three-month project to scan the behavioral health system, interview stakeholders and review leading practices. They then brought the County a new vision to improve the system of care around behavioral health in Pinellas County. The strategic report, “Elevate Behavioral Health,” is the foundational step in moving the County in a new direction in patient-centric services, enhanced governance, funding and performance management aimed at improved outcomes for our residents.

Project Recommendations

Establishing a systemic performance management approach in terms of access, quality, capacity, productivity, and outcomes—grounded on a Optimal Data Set (ODS) across all providers, allowing for benchmarking comparison and trend analysis. This requires establishing a contractual MDS requirement for all providers arising from collective development of an MDS with behavioral health funders within the County.
Establishing a robust Coordinated Access Model that allows for increased transparency in how clients, families, caregivers, and professionals can access the right services within the system. This requires various enabling elements including a 1-800 number; standardized screening, triage and scheduling practices; and an evaluation of the current systems in place by providers to ensure interoperability and exchange of information to allow for a consolidated view of consumer demand, level of need, available capacity, and access to care.

Actions Taken

In May of 2024, Pinellas County launched a coordinated access model called Care About Me to help residents access mental health, substance use and addiction treatment services.

Care About Me eliminates the guesswork of searching for local services by creating a space where residents or family members of individuals in non-crisis can call, text or chat in, confidentially speak with an experienced behavioral health specialist who can triage their needs, and get an appointment scheduled with a local provider.