The Ocala community has been working hard for over a year to develop an integrated approach to addressing mental health needs of families living on the outside of the fences. Early on it was identified that there were two separate issues that needed to be addressed; the issues of crime and drugs, as well as the issues of extreme violence. When addressing these two isolated yet intertwined issues, it was discovered that a multi-faceted program was needed that would help bring all the various facets of the Ocala community together in order to address the key issues at hand. This multi-faceted approach is what was coined as the “Perspectives Integrated Treatment and Sober Living Program.”

The program works by developing and implementing a multi-pronged approach that addresses the key issues at hand while still maintaining the safety of the family unit. It also looks at how the different perspectives can be used to address the key issues at hand. Many times it has been found that when the various perspectives are utilized together it results in a more comprehensive and successful program. It has been found that by looking at each facet of the family and putting them together in the integrated treatment plan it gives the family members hope and confidence that they will one day return home safe and sound.

The goal of this program is to provide families the ability to remain on the outside of the fences while being kept safe. Although some in the community may have concerns about the program, it is important to remember that it was developed as a holistic approach to the safety of the families involved. It is not a punitive system nor does it place blame on anyone. The purpose of the integrated perspective is to take all the factors that may have been responsible for the departure of someone into consideration in order to come up with a more comprehensive solution.