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This World Mental Health Day we celebrate Senator Ileana Garcia (R-Miami-Dade) for her work to expand health care and mental health access for Floridians.
Senator Garcia is a member of The Health Policy Committee and serves as Chair of The Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee and the Senate Rules Committee. We are grateful for her support for behavioral health as she has championed Banyan Community Health mission for accessible health for the most vulnerable.
Mental Health Care Advocacy
Recently, Senator Garcia received The Florida Mental Health Advocacy Coalition’s (FLMAC) “2023 Legislation Award” for championing mental health access and resources for Floridians, expanding access to vulnerable Floridians so they have someone to call, someone to respond and somewhere to go in times of crisis. This summer, Senator Ileana Garcia sponsored Senate Bill 914, directing the Commission on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder to evaluate the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line in Florida, as well as the other essential elements: Mobile Response Teams and Crisis Stabilization Facilities, such as Centralized Receiving Centers. The study will include strategies to improve links between the 988 system and crisis response services and identify sustainable funding sources.
Support for Patients and Caregivers
Senator Garcia was also recently named as the Florida Nursing Association’s “2023 FNA Icon Award winner, Legislator of the Year” for her efforts to secure over $100 million in state funding for infrastructure needs and services for the community and helping pass the “No Patient Left Alone Act” to make certain no one is ever again left alone in a hospital. She was also instrumental in obtaining vital state funding for Public Safety. In 2023, Senator Garcia sponsored the FNA-backed Senate Bill 380 Protection from Surgical Smoke which sought to protect healthcare workers from the harmful effects of surgical smoke.
Additionally, Senator Garcia was recently recognized by AARP for her work in supporting caregivers across the state. She was honored as a 2023 Capitol Caregiver with AARP’s Capitol Caregiver Award, for remarkable leadership by elected officials in states across the country.
Banyan Community Health is honored to work hand in hand with Senator Garcia to build stronger communities by providing all people, especially the most vulnerable, with accessible, quality, and compassionate primary and behavioral care.
Read more about how Senator Garcia is spearheading efforts in our nation’s capital for much needed healthcare reforms and resources to aid the most vulnerable families in Florida here: https://www.flsenate.gov/Media/PressRelease/Show/4479
