BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Right now, the future is uncertain for a halfway home in Brevard County that treats young girls with criminal pasts and substance abuse problems, Eyewitness News has learned.
Channel 9’s Len Kiese found out the facility, Frances S. Walker Halfway House, could soon be without Aspire Health Partners, its health provider, for the first time in more than a decade.
The Frances S. Walker Halfway House helps 13-to 18-year-old girls who are sent there by the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Anna Vita, a mental health counselor, told Eyewitness News that she has a passion for helping teens, some of whom deal with substance abuse.
"Crystal meth, Oxycontin and many, many other ones they are exposed to and we don't even know that they are,” Vita said.
Vita is not affiliated with the home, but she stresses the importance of addicted or abusing teens getting help early.
"They are going to have long-term results and effects if they're exposed over and over and over again to it,” Vita said to Eyewitness News.
But Eyewitness News learned a 13-year professional relationship is ending because of differing views on future treatment services for those kinds of teens at Frances Walker.
Aspire Health Partners, which has been the provider for the Department of Juvenile Justice since 2003, told Eyewitness News "the department made significant changes to the population and scope of services … and the board decided not to submit a proposal for a new contract."
The report done by the DJJ said in December that Aspire did not meet satisfactory compliance in areas such as mental health and substance abuse treatment, suicide prevention and crisis assessments.
DJJ said the expectation is that youth currently receiving services will complete their treatment plans with no interruption.
DJJ said the girls will be eligible to move on when Aspire's contract ends Sept. 30. If not, the teens will be transferred to another state facility.
Contact Len Kiese for more on this story.