Experts: 1400+ mental health professionals needed on Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast

Sheridan Chester had a hard childhood. She grew up in an abusive home. At just 12 years old, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. “My sister attempted suicide when she was 7 for the first time,” Chester said. “We knew we were in trouble. We always knew we were in trouble.” Over the years, Gulf Coast News has shared stories of people like Sheridan: people living with mental illness, but struggling to find the help they so badly need. The latest data from the National Institute of Mental Health shows more than 1 in 5 adults are living with a mental illness. Only half of those people received treatment in the past year. In 2022, in our 5-county region along the Gulf Coast, there was a rate of just 88.3 behavioral or mental health professionals per 100,000 residents. The target rate from experts in the area is 188.5 professionals per 100,000 residents. That means the region needs to add about 1,450 licensed professionals to meet the need. “The impact is life or death,” Dawn Belamarich said. “The suicide rates go up. We have kids who sit on a waitlist for months to be seen by a provider. And, quite frankly
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