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| 1 | A bill to be entitled | ||
| 2 | An act relating to supportive housing services for | ||
| 3 | mentally ill persons; providing legislative intent; | ||
| 4 | requiring the provision of supportive housing programs or | ||
| 5 | equivalent services to persons with mental illness under | ||
| 6 | certain circumstances; requiring the Department of | ||
| 7 | Children and Family Services to adopt rules; providing | ||
| 8 | rule criteria and requirements; providing an effective | ||
| 9 | date. | ||
| 10 | |||
| 11 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: | ||
| 12 | |||
| 13 | Section 1.(1) The Legislature intends to promote and | ||
| 14 | produce stable housing for persons with a mental illness. The | ||
| 15 | Legislature intends to ensure that residents of this state with | ||
| 16 | a mental illness shall have access to supportive housing | ||
| 17 | programs or equivalent services which shall be made available | ||
| 18 | equally to all individuals with a serious mental illness | ||
| 19 | irrespective of their location, type of residence, or living | ||
| 20 | situation. | ||
| 21 | (2) Supportive housing programs or equivalent services | ||
| 22 | shall be provided or made available to persons with a mental | ||
| 23 | illness living in their own home, a rental apartment, a licensed | ||
| 24 | limited mental health assisted living facility, or other living | ||
| 25 | arrangement of the person’s choice. | ||
| 26 | (3) The Department of Children and Family Services shall | ||
| 27 | adopt rules to implement the provisions of this act no later | ||
| 28 | than December 1, 2003. Such rules shall include, at a minimum: | ||
| 29 | (a) A definition of state-funded supportive housing for | ||
| 30 | persons with a serious mental illness. | ||
| 31 | (b) Provider certification procedures and oversight | ||
| 32 | responsibilities. | ||
| 33 | (c) Provider training and educational requirements. | ||
| 34 | (d) Standards relating to individual rights and the health | ||
| 35 | and safety of consumers. | ||
| 36 | (e) Standards relating to the use of state funds for | ||
| 37 | rental subsidies and other support services. | ||
| 38 | (f) Standards for the provision of state-funded supportive | ||
| 39 | housing services. | ||
| 40 | (g) Standards relating to appropriateness of placement and | ||
| 41 | procedures for addressing a crisis and after-hours care needs. | ||
| 42 | (h) A requirement for district planning. | ||
| 43 | (i) Provision for a single statewide complaint grievance | ||
| 44 | system. | ||
| 45 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. | ||
| 46 | |||