Springbrook Behavioral Hospital a Mental Health Treatment Center in Brooksville, Florida has sent multiple homeless by Uber or Lyft to Talbot House. Without the knowledge of anyone at Talbot House.
Springbrook Behavioral Hospital is a 66-bed inpatient mental health facility in Hernando County, Florida. We offer 24-hour psychiatric services administered by licensed professionals in various disciplines, including mental health, addiction, and crisis support. With a variety of treatment options and mental health programs, our Florida mental health center can help you regain control over your life.
Springbrook Behavioral Hospital is an hour-and-a-half car ride to Lakeland.
Talbot House recently posted a statement on its LinkedIn page addressing the issue of patient dumping:
“As we continue to advocate for the rights and dignity of the homeless community, it’s disheartening to see the ongoing crisis of hospitals and other healthcare facilities dumping. No one should be discharged from any institution without a safe place to go, especially our most vulnerable populations. Homeless services providers are facing immense challenges in addressing this issue, and it’s crucial that we come together to find sustainable solutions.”
To document the growing problem, Talbot House has been calling Lakeland Police, whose officers turn on their body cameras.
“The majority of the people being dropped off are from out of county … We don’t have the facilities and this is not the setting to provide the level of care that many of them need.” Said MARIA CRUZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TALBOT HOUSE MINISTRIES
Both Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd have said they’re angry that vulnerable people are being misled or manipulated and left outside the shelter with no guidance about where to go or what to do.
Judd said employees of the facilities sending them here and even Uber/ Lyft drivers could face criminal charges.
Maria Cruz is proposing a new type of facility that could bridge indigent people being discharged from hospitals or mental health facilities.
These facilities could do care that would normally be given by family members at home.
The Lakeland Gazette has tried to reach out to Springbrook Behavioral Hospital and their parent company for comment, but emails and phone calls are not being returned. We have also reached out to the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) for a comment.