FLORIDA – On June 25, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills aiming to promote mental health and addiction recovery, and one Jacksonville man is applauding the legislation, saying he’s happy that Florida is realizing how important the issue is.
RELATED: Gov. DeSantis signs bills addressing mental health, substance abuse
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Senate Bill 1620, which puts several key recommendations from a state behavioral health commission into action, sets stricter guidelines for treatment plans and increases access to mental health and substance use resources.
For David Sallette, sobriety has been a hard-fought journey.
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” said Sallette, who has been sober for four years. “I’ll never drink again, just because of the health factors and how much better my body feels. I get up in the morning and I’m ready to just kill the day.”
Sallette, a father and recovering alcoholic, founded Sober Dadz, a peer support group built on accountability and open conversation.
He said he hopes the new legislation will make it easier for others to access meaningful support, especially men struggling in silence.
“Honestly, mental health — especially for men — is something that often gets overlooked,” Sallette said. “Men don’t talk as much. They don’t have as many outlets because it can make you look weak. So those issues just build up, and eventually, they explode. That’s just how it happens.”
The new law comes with significant state funding, with more than $123.9 million going toward behavioral health services, including forensic bed capacity and operations at state-run mental health facilities.
Another $194.8 million from the national opioid settlement will fund training for addiction specialists, support prevention programs, and expand the Florida Office of Opioid Recovery, while an additional $31.8 million is earmarked for expanding the state’s Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) Network — a program that has already helped thousands of Floridians struggling with addiction.
“I’m just glad that Florida’s starting to realize how important it is,” Sallette said.
Now four years sober, Sallette hopes the new law gives more people the tools and support they need to begin their recovery journey.
