Jack Brewer Behavioral Health and NWF Health Partner to Combat Fatherless Crisis in Families

Faith-Based Behavioral Health Solutions Target Criminal Justice-Impacted Communities in Florida’s Panhandle

TALLAHASSEE, FL, UNITED STATES, March 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Today, Jack Brewer Behavioral Health (JBBH) and NWF Health are announcing a strategic partnership to serve families impacted by the criminal justice system across Florida’s panhandle.

With more than 18 million fatherless children in the U.S., our nation is facing an epidemic. In Florida alone, 40% of children—over 1.4 million—grow up without a father in the home. Fatherless children are 20 times more likely to be arrested and face higher risks of academic struggles, mental health issues, and more likely to wind up impacted by in the criminal justice system. Fathers and families impacted by incarceration urgently need specialized cognitive-behavioral health treatment to break the cycle of generational incarceration. Fathers and families impacted by the criminal justice system require specialized cognitive behavioral health treatment to address the root causes that lead to generational incarceration.

“Through The Jack Brewer Foundation, we have been working for nearly 20 years to address the fatherless crisis and support those impacted by the criminal justice system. We are excited to launch Jack Brewer Behavioral Health (JBBH) to fill a crucial gap we've identified in providing comprehensive support for individuals and families affected by incarceration. We recognize that the impact of the criminal justice system extends beyond those who are incarcerated. JBBH is dedicated to delivering faith-based cognitive and behavioral health treatment focused on criminal justice-impacted fathers and their families. We don’t believe that children and families should be punished for the crimes of their fathers. God has called us to bring light into darkness. In partnership with NWF Health, we have the perfect ally to help us make this vision a reality, bringing much-needed healing and support to those who need it most,” said Commissioner Jack Brewer.

This initiative will complement the Florida Legislature's ongoing efforts to prioritize families and improve rehabilitation programs within state and local criminal justice agencies. "Jack Brewer, appointed by the White House as a Commissioner on the Civil Rights Commission focused on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, has been at the forefront of effective faith-based programs tailored to the needs of families impacted by the criminal justice system."

"We are excited to introduce this first of its kind approach to reach men through faith-based treatment. Jack and his team are uniquely qualified for this mission. I've seen it with my own two eyes. They are saving people that have been lost and restoring families that were broken," said the CEO of NWF Health, Mike Watkins.

“Growing up, I didn’t have a dad who was around much, and when he was, he was an abusive drunk, hardly the role model I needed. That void set the stage for 30 years of substance abuse that nearly destroyed me. But for over a decade now, I’ve been free from addiction, and I’m proud to say I haven’t even thought about touching drugs since God set me free. While I was in prison, He was positioning me to help myself and others, preparing me for this season of purpose I’m in today. God told me to let my walk, not my talk, show the world I’ve changed. A place like the Jack Brewer Behavioral Health Center would be a blessing, a tool to further strengthen my sobriety, a space to reconnect with my family, and a chance for my brother and mother to see the role model I’ve become despite the odds,” says Johnnie Jeter, a second-chance employee of The Jack Brewer Foundation. “Drugs once tarnished every relationship I had, but a faith-based center like this would be a great resource to mend those broken bonds, a place to share faith with my family, deepen my personal growth with the Lord, and support the leadership roles I’ve taken on in my life."

JBF is a non-profit corporation that delivers world-class care to families across Florida as well as faith-based programs in Haiti, Guatemala, and Africa. Most recently, JBF provided relief to Madison and Taylor counties following Hurricane Helene's destruction, which left families without adequate food, housing, or assistance with fallen trees. JBF will begin providing behavioral health services through their network of counselors and care coordinators focused on persons approaching release from incarceration and post-release.

NWF Health Network is a non-profit organization that manages behavioral health and child protection services across an 18-county region in northwest Florida. NWF Health maintains the lowest administrative rate in the State of Florida contracted through the Department of Children and Families.

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Jillian Anderson King
The Jack Brewer Foundation
+1 3309803053
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Jack Brewer Launches Jack Brewer Behavioral Health Program to Support Families Affected by the Justice System