HB 527

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to suicide prevention; creating s.
3397.3335, F.S.; creating the Statewide Office for Suicide
4Prevention in the Office of Drug Control; providing the
5goals and objectives of the office; creating the position
6of statewide coordinator for the statewide office,
7contingent upon a specific appropriation; specifying the
8education and experience requirements for the position of
9coordinator; detailing the duties and responsibilities of
10the coordinator; authorizing the Statewide Office for
11Suicide Prevention to seek and accept grants or funds from
12any source to support its operation; creating s. 397.3336,
13F.S.; creating the Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council
14within the Office of Drug Control; providing the scope of
15activities for the coordinating council; creating an
16interagency workgroup for state agencies within the
17coordinating council in order to coordinate state agency
18plans for suicide prevention; authorizing the coordinating
19council to assemble an ad hoc committee to advise the
20coordinating council; requiring a report to the Governor
21and Legislature; providing for membership on and meetings
22of the coordinating council; providing per diem and travel
23expenses for coordinating council members; providing an
24effective date.
25
26Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
27
28     Section 1.  Section 397.3335, Florida Statutes, is created
29to read:
30     397.3335  Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention.--
31     (1)(a)  The Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention is
32created in the Office of Drug Control within the Executive Office
33of the Governor.
34     (b)  The statewide office shall develop a network of
35community-based programs to improve suicide prevention
36initiatives. The network shall identify and work to eliminate
37barriers that impede providing suicide prevention services to
38individuals who are at risk of suicide.
39     (c)  The network of community-based programs shall consist
40of stakeholders advocating suicide prevention, including, but not
41limited to, not-for-profit suicide prevention organizations,
42faith-based suicide prevention organizations, law enforcement
43agencies, first responders to emergency calls, suicide prevention
44community coalitions, schools and universities, mental health
45agencies, substance abuse agencies, health care providers, and
46school personnel.
47     (2)  The statewide office shall, within available resources:
48     (a)  Implement the statewide plan prepared by the Suicide
49Prevention Coordinating Council.
50     (b)  Build a network of community-based programs to
51integrate suicide prevention initiatives into program activities.
52     (c)  Increase public awareness concerning topics relating to
53suicide prevention.
54     (d)  Coordinate education and training curricula in suicide
55prevention efforts for law enforcement personnel, first
56responders to emergency calls, health care providers, school
57employees, and other persons who may have contact with persons at
58risk of suicide.
59     (e)  Direct an interagency workgroup within the Suicide
60Prevention Coordinating Council to prepare a suicide prevention
61communication plan among state agencies. The communication plan
62must be incorporated into the council's statewide plan.
63     (3)  Contingent upon a specific appropriation, the director
64of the Office of Drug Control shall employ a coordinator for the
65Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention. In selecting the
66coordinator, the director of the Office of Drug Control should
67consider whether a candidate has:
68     (a)  The following education and employment experience:
69     1.  A bachelor's degree in social work, psychology,
70sociology, counseling, public health, or a closely related field
71and 5 or more years of work experience in behavioral health care
72or a closely related field.
73     2.  A master's or a doctoral degree in social work,
74psychology, sociology, counseling, public health, or a closely
75related field and 2 or more years of work experience in
76behavioral health or a closely related field.
77     (b)  The following skills:
78     1.  Significant professional experience in social services,
79mental health, or a closely related field.
80     2.  Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, methods of
81facilitation, community development, behavioral health treatment
82and prevention programs, and community-based behavioral health
83problems.
84     3.  Experience in working with community groups and
85constituents that are diverse and representative of the gender,
86ethnic, and racial populations in this state.
87     4.  Experience in writing grant proposals and technical
88reports.
89     (4)  The coordinator shall work under the direction of the
90director of the Office of Drug Control to achieve the goals and
91objectives set forth in this section. The coordinator shall:
92     (a)  Facilitate an interagency workgroup within the Suicide
93Prevention Coordinating Council to integrate state agency
94programs for suicide prevention into a unified statewide plan.
95     (b)  Review local, state, and national suicide prevention
96programs for examples of innovative suicide prevention models. If
97innovative models are discovered, the coordinator shall prepare a
98report to describe the feasibility of implementing some or all of
99the innovative models in this state. The report must be filed
100with the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
101Representatives, and the Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council
102after review and approval of the report by the director of the
103Office of Drug Control. The innovative models, and the
104feasibility of their implementation in this state, shall be
105evaluated by the Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council, which
106shall file a report with the President of the Senate, the Speaker
107of the House of Representatives, and the Governor if the council
108determines that legislation is necessary to implement an
109innovative model.
110     (c)  Develop and maintain an Internet website with links to
111appropriate suicide prevention resource documents, suicide
112hotlines, state and community mental health agencies, and
113appropriate national suicide prevention organizations.
114     (d)  Identify and disseminate information regarding crisis
115services for suicide prevention.
116     (e)  Join with stakeholders in suicide prevention to develop
117public awareness and media campaigns in each county directed
118towards persons who are at risk of suicide.
119     (f)  Provide technical assistance to educational activities
120for residents of this state relating to suicide prevention.
121     (g)  Cooperate with school districts to develop training and
122counseling programs for school-based suicide prevention
123activities. The coordinator and school districts must also
124develop a method by which to evaluate each prevention training
125and counseling program.
126     (h)  Join with stakeholders in suicide prevention to develop
127education and training programs for suicide prevention. The
128education and training programs must be directed first to persons
129who have face-to-face contact with individuals who may be at risk
130of suicide. The training must assist persons to recognize when an
131individual is at risk of suicide and how to properly refer those
132individuals to treatment or support services.
133     (i)  Review current research data and findings to identify
134at-risk populations, factors relating to suicide, and suicide
135prevention activities and disseminate this research to the
136Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council to develop strategies for
137preventing suicide.
138     (j)  Develop and submit proposals to agencies of the state,
139the Federal Government, and nongovernmental organizations for
140funding suicide prevention activities.
141     (5)  The Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention may seek
142and accept grants or funds from any federal, state, or local
143source to support its operation and defray the expenses incurred
144in its operation and implementation.
145     Section 2.  Section 397.3336, Florida Statutes, is created
146to read:
147     397.3336  Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council; creation;
148membership; duties.--There is created within the Office of Drug
149Control a Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council. The council
150shall develop strategies for preventing suicide.
151     (1)  SCOPE OF ACTIVITY.--The Suicide Prevention Coordinating
152Council is a coordinating council as defined in s. 20.03(9) and
153shall:
154     (a)  Advise the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention
155regarding the development of a statewide plan for suicide
156prevention, with the guiding principle being that suicide is a
157preventable problem. The statewide plan must:
158     1.  Align and provide direction for statewide suicide
159prevention initiatives.
160     2.  Establish partnerships with state and private agencies
161to promote public awareness of suicide prevention.
162     3.  Address specific populations in this state who are at
163risk for suicide.
164     4.  Improve access to help individuals in acute situations.
165     5.  Identify resources to support the implementation of the
166statewide plan.
167     (b)  Create an interagency workgroup within the council in
168order to incorporate state agency plans for suicide prevention
169into the statewide plan. The interagency workgroup must include,
170but need not be limited to:
171     1.  The Secretary of Elderly Affairs, or his or her
172designee.
173     2.  The Secretary of Health, or his or her designee.
174     3.  The Commissioner of Education, or his or her designee.
175     4.  The Secretary of Health Care Administration, or his or
176her designee.
177     5.  The Secretary of Juvenile Justice, or his or her
178designee.
179     6.  The executive director of the Department of Law
180Enforcement, or his or her designee.
181     7.  The Secretary of Children and Family Services, or his or
182her designee.
183     8.  The Secretary of Corrections, or his or her designee.
184     9.  The executive director of the Department of Veterans'
185Affairs, or his or her designee.
186     10.  The director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation, or
187his or her designee.
188     (c)  Assemble an ad hoc advisory committee with membership
189from outside the council when necessary in order for the council
190to receive advice and assistance in carrying out its
191responsibilities.
192     (d)  Advise the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention.
193     (e)  Make findings and recommendations regarding suicide
194prevention programs and activities. The council shall prepare an
195annual report and present it to the Governor, the President of
196the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by
197January 1, 2007, and each year thereafter. The annual report must
198describe the status of existing and planned initiatives
199identified in the statewide plan for suicide prevention and any
200recommendations arising therefrom.
201     (2)  MEMBERSHIP.--The Suicide Prevention Coordinating
202Council shall consist of 25 members.
203     (a)  Eleven members shall be appointed by the director of
204the Office of Drug Control and shall represent the following
205organizations:
206     1.  The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation, Inc.,
207described in s. 394.655.
208     2.  The Florida Association of School Psychologists.
209     3.  The Florida Sheriffs Association.
210     4.  The Suicide Prevention Action Network USA.
211     5.  The Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention.
212     6.  The Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition.
213     7.  The Alzheimer's Association.
214     8.  The Florida School Board Association.
215     9.  Volunteer Florida, Inc.
216     10.  Florida AARP.
217     11.  The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association.
218     (b)  The following state officials shall be appointed to the
219coordinating council:
220     1.  The Secretary of Elderly Affairs, or his or her
221designee.
222     2.  The Secretary of Health, or his or her designee.
223     3.  The Commissioner of Education, or his or her designee.
224     4.  The Secretary of Health Care Administration, or his or
225her designee.
226     5.  The Secretary of Juvenile Justice, or his or her
227designee.
228     6.  The Secretary of Corrections, or his or her designee.
229     7.  The executive director of the Department of Law
230Enforcement, or his or her designee.
231     8.  The executive director of the Department of Veterans'
232Affairs, or his or her designee.
233     9.  The Secretary of Children and Family Services, or his or
234her designee.
235     10.  The director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation, or
236his or her designee.
237     (c)  The Governor shall appoint four additional members to
238the coordinating council. The appointees must have expertise
239critical to the prevention of suicide or represent an
240organization that is not already represented on the coordinating
241council.
242     (d)  Council members shall be appointed to terms of 4 years
243each. Any vacancy on the coordinating council shall be filled in
244the same manner as the original appointment, and any member
245appointed to fill a vacancy occurring because of death,
246resignation, or ineligibility for membership shall serve only for
247the unexpired term of the member's predecessor. A member is
248eligible for reappointment.
249     (e)  Members of the coordinating council shall serve without
250compensation. Any member of the coordinating council who is a
251public employee is entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
252travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061.
253     (3)  MEETINGS.--
254     (a)  The director of the Office of Drug Control shall be a
255nonvoting, ex officio member of the coordinating council and
256shall act as chair.
257     (b)  The coordinating council shall meet at least quarterly
258or upon the call of the chair. The council meetings may be held
259via teleconference or other electronic means.
260     (c)  Public organizations shall participate and cooperate
261with the coordinating council.
262     Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.