Mental Health and Homeless Issues Division
The Orange County Mental Health and Homeless Division ensures that quality mental health services for individuals
and families, children and adults, are available and accessible in this community. The division ensures that
there are dedicated resources available through a network of community partners, providers and advocacy groups.
Orange County continues to lead community conversations in a continuous effort to identify better solutions and
stronger outcomes for those experiencing homelessness and mental health/behavioral needs.
Mental Health Services for Adults
Community services in Orange County are provided by Aspire Health Partners, the designated community provider of
public behavioral health and substance abuse services. Aspire offers inpatient crisis stabilization and follow
up services such as case management, counseling, medication management and medication assistance.
In partnership with the Florida Department of Children and Families and Orange County Government, the Belvin
Perry, Jr. Central Receiving Center (CRC) serves individuals engaged by local law enforcement who are
experiencing a mental health and/or substance abuse crisis.
Mental Health Services for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults
Orange County provides the leadership for Wraparound Orange, a federally supported project comprised of a
community collaborative of partner agencies contracted to provide wraparound services to children, adolescents
and young adults. Wraparound is a nationally recognized model, provides intensive care coordination and
management for children, adolescents, and young adults experiencing a behavioral/emotional/mental health and/or
substance abuse disorder and their families. Wraparound Orange provides services to those ages 0-21 and is
effective in keeping children, adolescents and young adults in their home, school and community.
Additionally, Wraparound Orange contracts with Devereux, Florida, to provide mobile crisis services within our
community. The service is available for children/youth, ages 0-17 who need immediate assistance because they are
experiencing a mental health or substance abuse crisis. Anyone can call and request the service and there is no
cost to families. Services can be accessed via the Heart of Florida United Way helpline by dialing “211”.
In 2015, Wraparound Orange launched a campaign aimed to reduce the stigma often times associated with asking for
help. The purpose of the “This Is My Story” campaign was to create a community conversation for teens and young
adults, allowing them to share their personal experiences with mental health. “This is My Story” is a traveling
story-board exhibit and is displayed at events on various college campuses and other community venues where
young adults gather. The exhibit encourages participants to share personal experiences or read about how mental
illness has affected others. Through the experience, teens and young adults have the opportunity to learn how
others may have similar feelings and that it is OK to get help.
YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION
In 2014, Orange County convened a twenty-member Commission comprised of elected officials, law enforcement and
community leaders to develop new strategies and initiatives to address the system of care issues in children’s
mental health in Orange County. The Commission was tasked with examining the resources, values, accessibility
and stigma associated with early identification and interventions available to children and families in Orange
County. View a copy of the final
Committee
reports and the Board presentation
.
Advocacy, Education and Support
Ensuring that the appropriate direct services are in place within a community is crucial. In addition to those
direct services, Orange County partners with local and national organizations that offer support and educational
services, as well as advocates for those individuals and families living with mental illness.
Where To Get Help
Mental Health
If you or a family member is in crisis due to a mental health crisis, please call 911 and request the assistance of
a CIT Officer or contact
Aspire Health Partners
at (407) 875-3700.
Other Mental Health Resources
Adult Substance Abuse Services
If you or a family member is in crisis due to substance abuse, please call 911 and request the assistance of a
CIT Officer or contact the Aspire Health Partners at (407) 245-0012.
ENTRY INTO HOMELESS SERVICES
Here in Central Florida, the Homeless Services Network of
Central Florida
is the lead organization that manages a coordinated system of care to serve Orange,
Osceola and Seminole counties. This coordinated entry system includes a network of affiliated providers working
together to mitigate homelessness. The prerequisite to services begins with an initial assessment that ensures
the individual is captured in the local Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). This coordinated approach
is crucial because it helps minimize the duplication of services among social services organizations, as well as
tracks the status of services to an individual and documents previous or currently offered services. HMIS is a
confidential system, which access only granted to authorized social service providers.
HOW TO HELP AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS HOMELESS
If you are homeless, or know someone who is experiencing homelessness, there are several ways to help. The H.O.P.E. Team, a team comprised
of caring individuals with specialized backgrounds, conducts homeless outreach services in Central Florida. This
team goes to the woods, camps, streets and other locations where homeless individuals gather. They also canvass
streets in search of individuals without shelter. The H.O.P.E. team proactively works to locate individuals, but
also responds to concerned citizens who believe an individual is homeless and in need of help.
HOW TO FIND HOMELESS HELP
If you are homeless, or assisting someone who is homeless, there are several ways to enter the system of care
which assesses, identifies and tracks assistance.
- Call 2-1-1 - The
Heart of Florida United Way's 2-1-1 hotlines serves as a 24-hour resource for individuals experiencing
homelessness. 2-1-1 is designed to connect callers to a multilingual 2-1-1 specialist in the area who can
put them in touch with local organizations that provide critical services to improve and save lives.
- The Hub locations listed below are safe places where people experiencing homelessness can meet with the
Homeless Services Network's triage specialists — trained workers who will explore housing resources.
Unfortunately, most emergency shelters, particularly those for families, are full, and housing programs do
have waiting lists. But Hub workers will do everything possible to help you explore alternatives to being on
the streets. Housing assistance depends on your eligibility, and it is not typically provided at the time of
your initial visit. People will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis until 15 to 20 minutes before
closing to ensure each person has sufficient time with the triage specialist.
You can also visit an “access point,” which are locations staffed by the Homeless Services Network's partner
organizations that operate on additional days, typically during business hours, and one organization that
provides consultations by phone. Note that families do not need all members to be present at this initial
meeting — only the head of household.
HUBS
ORANGE COUNTY | United Against Poverty Orlando
Every Friday, 1:30 p.m. — 4 p.m.
Life Enrichment Center, 150 W. Michigan St., Orlando, 32806
ORANGE COUNTY | Veteran's Hub
First and third Fridays of the month, 9 a.m. — 2 p.m.
Lake Baldwin VA Clinic, 5201 Raymond St, Building 500, Orlando, 32803
SEMINOLE COUNTY | The Sharing Center
Fourth Mondays of the month, 9 a.m. — 10:30 am
The Oasis, 600 N. US Hwy 17-92, #130, Longwood, 32750
OSCEOLA COUNTY | Hope Partnership
First and third Thursdays of the month, 1 p.m. — 3 p.m.
Hope Commons, 122 W. Sproule Ave., Kissimmee, 34741
ACCESS POINTS
Christian Service Center for Central Florida
Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to noon
808 W. Central Blvd., Orlando, 32805
Hope Partnership
Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
122 W. Sproule Ave., Kissimmee, 34741
Rescue Outreach Mission
Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
1701 W. 13th St., Sanford, 32771
The Sharing Center
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Hope Commons, 122 W. Sproule Ave., Kissimmee, 34741
The Transition House (veterans only)
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
8 Broadway, Suite 100, Kissimmee, 34741
SALT Outreach (youth 16-24 only)
Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Dec. 31, 2024. A new location will open in 2025.
808 West Central Blvd., Orlando, 32805
Covenant House (youth and young adults 18-24 only)
Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
711 N. Magnolia Ave., Orlando, 32803
Family Support Network (phone calls only)
Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
407-499-2820
HUB Additional Information:
- HUBs are first come and serve until capacity is reached.
- The entire family does not need to be present, only the head of household.
- Documents to bring, if available:
- Valid Identification (driver’s license, state ID, Passport, etc.) for all adults
- Social Security Card for all adults
- Birth Certificates all children (if family) or proof of guardianship
This is an assessment only and does not guarantee housing.
-
The Orange County Families, Health and Social
Services
programs provide a helping hand in a time of need and are compiled onto a single page for
reference. Visit any of the
24 programs listed
to find information and assistance.
- Orange County’s Great Oaks
Village Youth Shelter
provides temporary housing for youth experiencing a variety of problems. Open
24 hours, 7 days a week, youth at the shelter may be homeless, runaways, lockouts or may be seeking a
cooling off period during a family crisis. The Youth Shelter accepts referrals from families, schools, the
court system, DJJ, DCF, law enforcement and other agencies. The Shelter can be contacted at 407-836-7626,
for additional information.
- Orange County women and children in need of leaving a dangerous living situation are encouraged to contact
Harbor House of Central Florida at 407-886-2856
for immediate assistance, including help preventing homelessness.
- The Belvin Perry Jr. Central
Receiving Center (CRC)
has been a single point of entry for mental health and substance-use
disorders and homelessness since its opening in 2003. The CRC accepts crisis mental health and substance
abuse consumers in need of acute care services in our community.
HOUSING LOCATOR SEARCH
The FloridaHousingSearch.org website was
launched in June of 2006 and is sponsored by the
Florida Housing Finance Corporation. The website
was developed with support from a
number of nonprofit and government organizations in Florida. The housing locator service allows people to locate
available housing that best fits their individual and family needs. The service can be accessed online 24 hours
a day and is supported by a toll-free, bilingual call center Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. EDT.
Individuals can easily search for housing using a wide variety of search criteria with special mapping features
and receive apartment listings that provide a multitude of important information about each unit. In addition,
the site connects people to other housing resources through website links and provides helpful tools for renters
such as an affordability calculator, rental checklist, and renter rights and responsibilities information.