| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to suicide prevention; amending s. |
| 3 | 14.2019, F.S.; requiring the Statewide Office for Suicide |
| 4 | Prevention to establish a Veterans' Suicide Prevention and |
| 5 | Services Program; creating s. 14.20193, F.S.; establishing |
| 6 | the Veterans' Suicide Prevention and Services Program; |
| 7 | specifying the tasks for the office in implementing the |
| 8 | program; providing minimum standards for community-based |
| 9 | providers of services to veterans at risk for suicide; |
| 10 | providing an appropriation; providing an effective date. |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 13 |
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| 14 | Section 1. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (2) of |
| 15 | section 14.2019, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 16 | 14.2019 Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention.-- |
| 17 | (2) The statewide office shall, within available |
| 18 | resources: |
| 19 | (e) Establish a Veterans' Suicide Prevention and Services |
| 20 | Program as provided in s. 14.20193. |
| 21 | Section 2. Section 14.20193, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 22 | to read: |
| 23 | 14.20193 Veterans' Suicide Prevention and Services |
| 24 | Program.-- |
| 25 | (1) The statewide office shall establish the Veterans' |
| 26 | Suicide Prevention and Services Program and, in cooperation |
| 27 | with the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the Department of |
| 28 | Military Affairs, and the United States Department of Veterans |
| 29 | Affairs, shall: |
| 30 | (a) Coordinate suicide prevention and related services and |
| 31 | resources for veterans that are currently provided by or |
| 32 | available through state agencies and community behavioral health |
| 33 | service providers. |
| 34 | (b) Develop a network of community-based programs to |
| 35 | address suicide prevention for veterans and suicide prevention |
| 36 | services available to veterans. |
| 37 | (c) Generate guidelines and standards for behavioral |
| 38 | service providers serving veterans at risk for suicide and |
| 39 | develop a list of community behavioral health service providers |
| 40 | who meet those standards. |
| 41 | (d) Increase public awareness about the risk of suicide |
| 42 | among veterans. |
| 43 | (e) Coordinate education and training for a variety of |
| 44 | professionals who may have contact with veterans at risk for |
| 45 | suicide. |
| 46 | (2) Guidelines and standards for community behavioral |
| 47 | health services providers shall, at a minimum, address: |
| 48 | (a) A requirement that the provider be a nonprofit |
| 49 | organization under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, be |
| 50 | community-based, and have at least 5 years of experience |
| 51 | providing behavioral health treatment services in the community. |
| 52 | (b) The provider's capability and experience as a |
| 53 | community-based organization providing suicide-related services |
| 54 | to the community and to the veteran population. |
| 55 | (c) The provider's linkages to the veteran population, |
| 56 | community-based veterans services organizations, the United |
| 57 | States Department of Veterans Affairs, and other entities that |
| 58 | serve and are familiar with the culture and needs of veterans. |
| 59 | At a minimum, the provider must have four cooperative agreements |
| 60 | with such organizations. |
| 61 | (d) The provider's accreditation by a state-recognized |
| 62 | accrediting organization, such as the Commission on |
| 63 | Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, the Joint Commission |
| 64 | on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, or the Council on |
| 65 | Accreditation, particularly with respect to the service |
| 66 | components that serve veterans at risk for suicide. |
| 67 | (e) The adequacy and professional qualifications of the |
| 68 | provider's staff to meet the needs of veterans at risk for |
| 69 | suicide. |
| 70 | (f) The provider's resources, including facilities, |
| 71 | equipment, and capacity, to ensure that services are adequate |
| 72 | and provided in a location that ensures maximum access by the |
| 73 | veteran population, including veterans with disabilities. |
| 74 | (g) The privacy and confidentiality of client records, |
| 75 | data collected, interview information, and transcripts of group |
| 76 | discussions, including the manner in which confidential |
| 77 | information will be stored and safeguarded and who will have |
| 78 | access to the information. |
| 79 | (h) The provider's ability to collect, document, and |
| 80 | report data on performance measures and the ways in which the |
| 81 | data will be used to manage the program and ensure continuous |
| 82 | quality improvement. |
| 83 | Section 3. The sum of $1.3 million in nonrecurring funds |
| 84 | is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Statewide |
| 85 | Office for Suicide Prevention for the 2008-2009 fiscal year for |
| 86 | the purpose of funding the Veterans' Suicide Prevention and |
| 87 | Services Program created by this act. |
| 88 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |