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   Pinellas Data Collaborative A Resource to
Inform Programs and Policy Makers  
Paul Stiles, J.D., Ph.D. Vijaya Sampath, M.A.,
M.S. Policy and Services Research Data
Center Department of Mental Health Law
Policy Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health
Inst. University of South Florida
Tim Burns Dept of Justice and Consumer
Services Pinellas County
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Pinellas County Data Collaborative

• Established in the fall of 1999 as a result of
  Chapter 163.6 of the Florida Statutes, which
  allowed governmental and certain private agencies
  to share information.
• Mission
• To enhance the delivery of mental health and
  substance abuse programs to Pinellas County
  residents by encouraging communication and
  collaboration among all related community
  providers, organizations, interested government
  agencies, and educational institutions.

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Pinellas County Data CollaborativePrimary
Membership

• Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners
• Pinellas Clerk of Circuit Court
• Pinellas Office of County Attorney
• Pinellas County Sheriff Office
• Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
• Pinellas Department of Human Services
• Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County
• Florida Dept of Children Families Suncoast
  Region
• Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute

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Pinellas County Data CollaborativeTypes of Data

• Criminal Justice (courts, sheriff)
• Dept of Human Services
• Emergency Medical Services
• Juvenile Welfare Board Providers
• State Mental Health Authority Demog Events
• Medicaid Claims and Eligibility
• Civil Commitment
• Others by request Child Welfare, Dept of
  Juvenile Justice, Corrections
• Possibly in future School Data, 211 Data

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Pinellas County Data CollaborativeStudy Examples

• G. Pierce Woods State Mental Hospital Closing
  Impact to Pinellas County
• Incarceration and The Impact of Medicaid
  Eligibility Status for Those with a Seriously
  Mental Illness

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GPW Closure Impact on Pinellas County

• Study Questions
• What is the impact of the closure of GPW on
  Pinellas county?
• What is the net gain (or loss) of individuals
  leaving GPW and settling in Pinellas county?
• Method
• State Hospital data was integrated with Medicaid
  and state MH/SA authority community service data
  to determine how many individuals were admitted
  from Pinellas and how many moved to Pinellas
  after discharge.

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GPW Closure Impact on Pinellas County

• Findings

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GPW Closure Impact on Pinellas County

• Other Findings
• The persons admitted from outside Pinellas who
  moved to Pinellas after discharge tended to be
  younger adults.
• The net gains to Pinellas came from both civil
  wards of GPW and forensic wards.
• Implications
• Pinellas may have sufficient evidence to request
  a greater proportion of state funds to assist
  this disproportionate distribution of GPW
  dischargees.
• The county may want to take into account this
  migration pattern as it plans for future service
  provision.

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Incarceration and Medicaid Status

• Study Questions
• What is the extent of Medicaid disenrollment when
  an individual is admitted to Pinellas County
  Jail?
• Does Medicaid enrollment improve access and
  receipt of community based services for SMI
  persons released from jail?
• Method
• Medicaid, State MH/SA data, and Criminal Justice
  data (county CJIS system) were linked to examine
  enrollment and service use within 90 days of
  release from jail.

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Incarceration and Medicaid Status

• Findings
• Persons released from jail who are enrolled in
  Medicaid have higher access and more timely
  services following the release, however once
  there (receiving services), they receive the same
  intensity of services.
• Implications
• Medicaid is important for SMI persons leaving
  jail Pinellas may want to make sure that SMI
  releasees from county jail are enrolled as soon
  as feasible into Medicaid.
• Future
• Does Medicaid enrollment decrease jail recidivism
  (and thus reduce jail costs).

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Pinellas County Data CollaborativeOther
Study/Question Examples

• How many children in Pinellas County are cared
  for through the Baker Act (civil commitment)
  system?
• How many people used services in 3 or more
  Pinellas County service systems?
• What is the impact of seasonal residents
  (snowbirds) on EMS utilization?
• How do persons with substance abuse problems
  interact with the Pinellas County social service,
  emergency medical and criminal justice systems?
• What are the characteristics of children in
  Juvenile Welfare Board programs who interact with
  either the child protective services and/or
  mental health systems?

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Pinellas County Data Collaborative

• Process
• Proposed analyses are sent out to all member
  representatives via e-mail.
• FMHI staff will help clarify the questions and
  may suggest minor modifications based on their
  experience with the data sets.
• If no objections within 10 days, FMHI may proceed
  with analyses.
• Upon completion of the analyses, a report
  outlining the findings is sent to all member
  representatives via e-mail.
• Depending upon the questions, the report may be
  fairly informal or it may be in a more formal
  format.

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Next step -- contact one of the following people

• Bruce Stegner Ph.D.
• Department of Mental Health Law Policy
• Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute
• University of South Florida
• 13301 Bruce B Downs Blvd.
• Tampa, FL 33612
• Voice 813-974-6981
• Fax [phone]
• E-mail bstegner_at_fmhi.usf.edu

• Diane Haynes, M.A.
• Department of Mental Health Law Policy
• Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute
• University of South Florida
• 13301 Bruce B Downs Blvd.
• Tampa, FL 33612
• Voice 813-974-2056
• Fax [phone]
• E-mail dhaynes_at_fmhi.usf.edu

Tim Burns Dept of Justice and Consumer
Services 15251 Roosevelt Blvd, Suite
209 Clearwater, FL 33760 Voice 727-453-7441 Fax
727-453-7433 E-mail tburns_at_co.pinellas.fl.us
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