Sunshine Health Highlights Behavioral Health Initiatives and Programs during National Suicide Prevention Month

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of National Suicide Prevention Month, Sunshine Health is highlighting the critical steps it's taking to address a person's whole health, including its recently launched predictive risk model, Choose Tomorrow, used to identify at-risk individuals and offer evidence-based suicide prevention interventions. Sunshine Health also partners with leading national and local organizations to support community events focused on mental wellbeing and equips members and the communities they live in with behavioral health resources.

"Through our innovative, evidence-based approaches to care, such as the Choose Tomorrow program, and active involvement with our behavioral health community partners, Sunshine Health is committed to helping people experiencing a behavioral health crisis year-round, because one life lost is too many," said Nathan Landsbaum, Sunshine Health CEO. "Mental health is a key component of physical health."

Sunshine Health has embarked on a critical mission to reduce the risk of suicide for at-risk young adults through Choose Tomorrow, a suicide prevention program. Through a collaborative effort between Sunshine Health and Zero Suicide, the Choose Tomorrow framework is an effort to reduce the number of deaths by suicide to zero.

Through an innovative, predictive risk model, Child Welfare Specialty Plan members who may be at risk are identified before a crisis occurs. Sunshine Health equips trained staff to offer evidence-based interventions – vetted by suicide prevention experts – with demonstrated clinical efficacy. As this initiative moves forward, Sunshine Health aims to expand the program to make a more meaningful impact on the lives of at-risk members.

Volunteer Florida's Healthy Minds Teen Summit

In April, Sunshine Health sponsored a two-day conference with teen leaders at Volunteer Florida's Healthy Minds Teen Summit, where 75 Florida middle and high school students gathered in Orlando to talk about normalizing mental health. Breaking the stigma was the number one topic among teen leaders, who learned about strategies and resources to take back to their peers to help deal with everything from the stresses of everyday life to dealing with severe trauma. At the summit, they also heard inspiring stories around mental health from Olympic gymnast Dominque Dawes, former college basketball star turned business owner Iman MacFarland and basketball superstar Magic Johnson.

Partnering with the National Alliance on Mental Illness

Sunshine Health partners with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) local chapters throughout the state to bring mental health awareness and resources to local communities, including hosting groups in Sunshine Health Welcome Rooms to promote access to mental health resources and fostering connections between attendees. Sunshine Health is also a featured sponsor at the upcoming 2022 NAMI Florida Annual Conference on Sept. 15-17 in Orlando.  

Florida Behavioral Health Association Conference

Sunshine Health is a long-time sponsor of the annual Florida Behavioral Health Association (FBHA) Conference, which brings together mental health and substance abuse providers from across the state to share best practices and discuss advancements and innovations in behavioral healthcare.

Behavioral Health Crisis Resources Available on SunshineHealth.com

Sunshine Health offers behavioral health resources on its website including What to Do in Mental Health Crisis and After a Behavioral Health Crisis, where members and the general public can access information on behavioral health resources and learn what is available to them across the state.

Support of the 988 Suicide Crisis Lifeline

Sunshine Health supports the nationwide effort to inform its members and the public about the National 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline that is available to anyone, anytime. This three-digit number will connect anyone experiencing behavioral health-related distress to the existing National Suicide Prevention Line for care and support. Sunshine Health spread awareness on the main landing page of SunshineHealth.com, through dedicated communications to members and providers, and sharing social media posts on the health plan's social media channels.

Headquartered in Broward County and with offices across the state, Sunshine Health is among the largest healthcare plans in Florida. Offering coordinated care and a network of support for our members, Sunshine Health is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. Sunshine Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise. It offers government-sponsored managed care through Medicaid, Long Term Care, the Health Insurance Marketplace (Ambetter), and Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans (Wellcare). Its specialty plans include the Child Welfare Specialty Plan serving children in or adopted from the state's Child Welfare system; the Serious Mental Illness Specialty Plan for people living with serious mental illness; and the Children's Medical Services Health Plan, operated by Sunshine Health on behalf of the Florida Department of Health for children and adolescents with special healthcare needs. For more information, visit SunshineHealth.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @SunHealthFL.

SOURCE Sunshine Health