The Florida Senate

985.307  Juvenile assignment centers.--

(1)  Contingent upon specific appropriation, the department shall establish juvenile assignment centers for committed youth who have been ordered by the court for placement in moderate-risk, high-risk, or maximum-risk commitment programs. Juvenile assignment centers shall be residential facilities serving committed youth awaiting placement in a residential commitment program.

(2)  The purpose of juvenile assignment centers shall be:

(a)  To ensure public safety by providing a secure residential facility to hold and process juveniles awaiting placement in commitment programs rather than releasing them to their homes and back into the community.

(b)  To review assessments completed at local juvenile assessment centers and avoid duplication of assessment efforts. Assessments should include medical, academic, psychological, behavioral, sociological, substance abuse and mental health, and vocational testing.

(c)  To determine appropriate treatment needs, programming, and placement decisions, and, when appropriate, to develop a treatment plan for each juvenile.

(d)  To examine a juvenile's need for aftercare and independent living upon release from a commitment program and, when appropriate, include this in the treatment plan.

(3)  Juveniles committed to the department shall be placed in an assignment center following the dispositional hearing and shall be transferred to the designated residential commitment program upon the availability of placement.

(4)  Juvenile assignment centers shall be physically secure residential facilities located in each department region to serve youth in that region who are awaiting placement in commitment programs.

(5)  For each juvenile admitted into an assignment center, the following shall be conducted:

(a)  Review all assessments, diagnostic testing, and screening instruments performed on the juvenile while at an assessment center, in detention, during intake, or in a program or while in school; and also review the juvenile's school records from the school in which the juvenile is enrolled.

(b)  Determine the need for, and provide or contract for, additional evaluation, including, but not limited to: needs assessment, substance abuse screening, physical and mental health screening, behavioral screening, educational assessment, aptitude testing, diagnostic testing, psychological evaluation, and vocational testing.

(c)  Based upon the restrictiveness level ordered by the court and evaluation required in paragraph (b), the department program staff shall make an assignment to a specific commitment program. Program placements shall also take into consideration the geographic location of the juvenile's family in order to facilitate family visits and participation.

(d)  Pending a juvenile's placement in a commitment program:

1.  Initiate appropriate treatment plans, educational plans, performance agreements, and transitional planning based upon the court order and assessments.

2.  Provide or contract for the provision of short-term services, including educational programming, vocational training, mental health services, substance abuse education, conflict resolution training, and impulse control and anger management training. If warranted by a substance abuse screening or a mental or physical health screening performed while the juvenile is in the assignment center, a juvenile may receive treatment while in the assignment center, including, but not limited to, substance abuse, mental health, or physical health treatment.

(e)  To the extent possible, involve the juvenile's parents or guardian and family in the evaluation process and in the provision of services. Staff shall make efforts to contact the parents or guardian and encourage their involvement.

(f)  Ensure that all commitment information is complete and ready for transmittal to the commitment program. This shall include a comprehensive treatment plan that reflects the information gathered through the assessment process and includes planning for aftercare and independent living, if needed.

(6)  Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, this section expires July 1, 2000, unless reenacted by the Legislature. Unless reenacted by the Legislature, any juvenile assignment center created under this section shall be converted to a high-level or maximum-level residential commitment program, subject to availability of funds.

(7)  The department may utilize juvenile assignment centers to the fullest extent possible for the purpose of conducting predisposition and postdisposition assessments and evaluations of youth. Prior to July 1, 1999, the department shall transition any juvenile assignment center to provide the capacity and services necessary to conduct predisposition assessments and evaluations of youth.

History.--s. 41, ch. 95-267; s. 51, ch. 97-238; s. 21, ch. 98-207.

Note.--Former s. 39.0551.