Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare

08/21/2025

It’s National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day™.

Discover how to recognize signs of an overdose, the dangers of mixing drugs, how naloxone and fentanyl test strips can save lives, and steps to recovery.

At Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare, we offer a range of programs, treatment services, and treatment groups to adults and youth 17 and younger with mental health and substance use disorders.

Our program's primary goal is to attain client stability by promoting health and wellness. Get started today at www.spbh.org/how-to-get-support.

Learn more at www.cdc.gov/overdose-prevention/php/toolkits/fentanyl-prevention-awareness-day.html.

08/19/2025

Please join us this week at our Fentanyl Awareness Events at the Hilliard Pharmacy & Gifts, Callahan Methodist Church, and Barnabas Center.

Tour our Mobile Clinic, meet our friendly outreach team, and learn about our new on-the-go services.

Fentanyl is causing deadly overdoses in our neighborhoods. It only takes one pill or one moment. And it only takes one person to save a life. Learn how to be that one person.

We’ll be offering cookies, snacks, and conversation. Ask questions, hear stories, and learn how to prevent an overdose.

Learn something that could save a life. You’ll learn what Fentanyl is, signs of an overdose, how to use Narcan (Naloxone), and we’ll have free info and resources.

At Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare, we offer a range of programs, treatment services, and treatment groups to adults and youth 17 and younger with mental health and substance use disorders.

Our program's primary goal is to attain client stability by promoting health and wellness. Get started today at www.spbh.org/how-to-get-support.

08/16/2025

Learn six steps to manage your phone use and cultivate a healthy relationship with your phone.

"One reason our cellphones can be so compelling is because smartphone usage — especially social media — activates our dopamine pathways. The neurotransmitter dopamine reinforces the anticipation of rewards. Our phones are full of rewards!

Social media is designed to keep you scrolling in anticipation of the ‘hit’ that makes you feel good, and dopamine makes that scrolling feel good too. While you can’t quite be addicted to dopamine, it does act as a motivator for many habits."

At Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare, we offer a range of programs, treatment services, and treatment groups to adults and youth 17 and younger with mental health and substance use disorders.

Our program's primary goal is to attain client stability by promoting health and wellness. Get started today at www.spbh.org/how-to-get-support.

https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/2025/07/6-steps-to-a-healthy-relationship-with-your-phone/

These six steps can help with managing your phone use and cultivating a healthy relationship with your phone.

08/16/2025

We appreciate the support of the Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida (HPCNEF) for their support in our efforts to conduct the 2025 Certified Community Behavioral Healthcare Clinic (CCBHC) Community Needs Assessment (CNA).

The 2025 Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Community Needs Assessment (CNA) for Nassau County is now available! 📢

Thanks to the voices of Nassau County residents and our partnership with Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare, this report highlights local behavioral health priorities and opportunities for action.

🔗 Read the full report and see what matters most to our community: https://hpcnef.org/2025-ccbhc-nassau-cna-announcement/

Your input is shaping the future of behavioral health in Nassau County — thank you!

08/14/2025

Recovery is possible. We’re here to help.

Our Medication Assisted Recovery (MAR) program is a four-phased, highly structured program providing a medically managed approach to recovering from dependence on opiates or alcohol.

Each phase has specific treatment objectives and requirements necessary to progress to the next. The client, with support from our medical and treatment team, is responsible for their own progress. Completing this program requires a genuine commitment to recovery.

At Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare, we offer a range of programs, treatment services, and treatment groups to adults and youth 17 and younger with mental health and substance use disorders.

Our program's primary goal is to attain client stability by promoting health and wellness. Get started today at www.spbh.org/how-to-get-support.

08/12/2025

Group therapy at Starting Point provides a safe, supportive space to connect with others, share experiences, and grow together.

Whether you're looking for support with anxiety, depression, trauma, or recovery, we have a group for you. We have 16 group options, and each one has info about what to expect, where it meets, and how to join.

Learn more at www.spbh.org/support-groups.

08/10/2025

At Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare, we are here when you are ready. Walk in whenever you are ready to start your recovery journey.

Learn about our intake process, Open Access, at the link below. Pre-registering before your visit will save you time during your initial visit.

Walk into Starting Point at these locations.

📍Yulee, 463142 SR 200, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

📍Amelia Island, 1541 S. 14th Street, Fernandina Beach, Friday, from 8:00 a.m. until noon.

📍Callahan, 617225 Brandies Ave., Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. until noon.

Open Access is not a therapy session nor a place where you will leave with a prescription for medication. It is the immediate connection to identify what you need. Learn more at www.spbh.org/how-to-get-support.

08/08/2025

Free Naloxone (NARCAN) is now available at all of our office locations!

Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare (SPBH) is proud to announce a significant step in our harm reduction efforts to support individuals affected by substance use.

In collaboration with Rebel Recovery Jacksonville and the Nassau County Coalition for Community Health, we have installed Naloxone vending machines at each of our office locations in Callahan, Yulee, Hilliard, and Fernandina Beach. These machines are free, easy to use, and accessible to everyone—no questions asked.

Saving a life can be as simple as pressing a button.

Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. Whether you’re concerned about a loved one, want to be prepared, or work in the community, you can stop by and pick some up at any time during office hours. Together, we can save lives.

Office Locations:
📍 463142 FL-200, Yulee, FL 32097
📍 1541 S 14th St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
📍 617225 Brandies Ave, Callahan, FL 32011
📍 371015 Eastwood Rd, Hilliard, FL 32046
📍 2528 Sadler Rd, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

08/06/2025

Help kids get ready for school with free checklists, a planner, tips, and activities.

"Consistent routines provide comfort and a sense of safety to young children. Following a schedule each day makes children feel safer and happier, which often leads to better behavior and cooperation.

When they know what to expect, and what’s expected of them, kids feel more comfortable and confident about what lies ahead.”

At Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare, we offer a range of programs, treatment services, and treatment groups to adults and youth 17 and younger with mental health and substance use disorders.

Our program's primary goal is to attain client stability by promoting health and wellness. Get started today at www.spbh.org/how-to-get-support.

08/04/2025

Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare is proud to announce that CEO Dr. Laureen Pagel has been re-elected to serve a second term as the Region IV Board Member for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

The National Council’s Board of Directors represents member organizations across the country and is composed entirely of elected volunteers from mental health and addiction treatment providers.

As one of only twenty regional representatives nationwide, Dr. Pagel will continue to advocate on behalf of providers and communities across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

With decades of experience in behavioral health and a deep commitment to equity, innovation, and access, Dr. Pagel has been a driving force for change both locally and nationally. Under her leadership, Starting Point has expanded community-based care, strengthened crisis response services, and led efforts in prevention and early intervention.

“I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to continue representing Region IV,” said Dr. Laureen Pagel, CEO of Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare. “This work is deeply personal to me. I’ve seen the impact that compassionate, accessible behavioral health care can have on individuals and families—and I’m committed to making sure our region’s voices, challenges, and successes help shape the national conversation.”

08/02/2025

Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare is hiring!

We’re committed and passionate about what we do. Through our wide array of programs, we deliver unmatched behavioral health services, community education, and awareness.

By joining Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare, you don’t just become a part of the organization, but a vital part of our community committed to world-class service and the provider of choice for residents in the North Florida and South Georgia areas.
Join our team of dedicated individuals and be a part of where healing begins.

Learn more and apply at www.spbh.org/join-our-team.

Join Starting Point’s mission-driven team—help promote mental health & recovery across North Florida with great benefits and student loan forgiveness.

07/29/2025

Join us for a Blood Drive with LifeSouth Community Blood Centers on Thursday, July 31st, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare, located at 463142 SR 200 in Yulee.

All blood donors will receive a T-shirt while supplies last. Additionally, donors who give platelets or double red cells will receive a $40 e-gift card. To donate, individuals must be at least 16 years old, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, and present a photo ID. Note that 16-year-olds will require written parental permission.

Schedule your appointment today at https://donors.lifesouth.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/841377.