PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — LaDonna Butler says those at The Well in St. Petersburg had a reason to think they were getting more than a million dollars in state funding to help people in the community.
“It passed the House and the Senate. They were responsive to the needs of Florida residents, specifically in St. Petersburg. And understood that we were worthy of investment,” Butler said.
But at the last minute, Butler, The Well’s CEO, found out its funding was part of the nearly $511 million voted from the state budget by Governor Ron Desantis.
Florida’s overall budget is $116.5 billion.
“He had the chance to say at that moment to say that he, too, cared for mental health. And he had the chance to be responsive to what is happening in our community,” Butler said.
Crime and poverty are among the problems many in St. Petersburg’s black community face.
And at The Well, Butler says people have a place to meet with clinicians from the same neighborhoods who have dealt with the same issues.
“When met with stress within the community. When living in conditions where violence is present, it can cause undue stress and have really poor outcomes,” said Butler.
Carla Bristol works with many young people as part of the St. Pete Youth Farm.
She says she knows firsthand what The Well can do.
“33% of the teens that I work with, that live in this area, when I first started working with them, had been Baker Acted. And who would have heard those types of numbers? But through providing mental health support consistently over the past three and a half plus years, those are not the numbers I’m seeing now with different youth all from the same area,” said Bristol.
Butler says The Well will continue its mission but needs more community members to volunteer and donate.
She is expected the city to come through with significant financial support.
“We all need mental wellness. There is not one person that I’ve talked to that can’t see a need for support in one way or another,” said Butler.
