(1)(a) When the court finds that the conditions for involuntary treatment services have been proved by clear and convincing evidence, it may order the respondent to receive involuntary treatment services from a publicly funded licensed service provider for a period not to exceed 90 days. The court may also order a respondent to undergo treatment through a privately funded licensed service provider if the respondent has the ability to pay for the treatment, or if any person on the respondent’s behalf voluntarily demonstrates a willingness and an ability to pay for the treatment. If the court finds it necessary, it may direct the sheriff to take the respondent into custody and deliver him or her to the licensed service provider specified in the court order, or to the nearest appropriate licensed service provider, for involuntary treatment services. When the conditions justifying involuntary treatment services no longer exist, the individual must be released as provided in s. 397.6971. When the conditions justifying involuntary treatment services are expected to exist after 90 days of treatment services, a renewal of the involuntary services order may be requested pursuant to s. 397.6975 before the end of the 90-day period.

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Terms Used In Florida Statutes 397.697

  • component: means a discrete operational entity within a service provider which is subject to licensing as defined by rule. See Florida Statutes 397.311
  • Court: means the court of legal jurisdiction in the context in which the term is used in this chapter. See Florida Statutes 397.311
  • Department: means the Department of Children and Families. See Florida Statutes 397.311
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Identifying information: means the name, address, social security number, fingerprints, photograph, and similar information by which the identity of an individual can be determined with reasonable accuracy directly or by reference to other publicly available information. See Florida Statutes 397.311
  • Individual: means a person who receives alcohol or other drug abuse treatment services delivered by a service provider. See Florida Statutes 397.311
  • Involuntary treatment services: means an array of behavioral health services that may be ordered by the court for persons with substance abuse impairment or co-occurring substance abuse impairment and mental health disorders. See Florida Statutes 397.311
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Licensed service provider: means a public agency under this chapter, a private for-profit or not-for-profit agency under this chapter, a physician or any other private practitioner licensed under this chapter, or a hospital that offers substance abuse services through one or more licensed service components. See Florida Statutes 397.311
  • Outpatient treatment: is a service that provides individual, group, or family counseling by appointment during scheduled operating hours for individuals who meet the placement criteria for this component. See Florida Statutes 397.311
  • person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • Physician: means a person licensed under chapter 458 to practice medicine or licensed under chapter 459 to practice osteopathic medicine, and may include, if the context so indicates, an intern or resident enrolled in an intern or resident training program affiliated with an approved medical school, hospital, or other facility through which training programs are normally conducted. See Florida Statutes 397.311
  • provider: means a public agency, a private for-profit or not-for-profit agency, a person who is a private practitioner, or a hospital licensed under this chapter or exempt from licensure under this chapter. See Florida Statutes 397.311
  • Qualified professional: means a physician or a physician assistant licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459; a professional licensed under chapter 490 or chapter 491; an advanced practice registered nurse licensed under part I of chapter 464; or a person who is certified through a department-recognized certification process for substance abuse treatment services and who holds, at a minimum, a bachelor's degree. See Florida Statutes 397.311
(b) To qualify for involuntary outpatient treatment, an individual must be supported by a social worker or case manager of a licensed service provider, or a willing, able, and responsible individual appointed by the court who shall inform the court and parties if the respondent fails to comply with his or her outpatient program. In addition, unless the respondent has been involuntarily ordered into inpatient treatment under this chapter at least twice during the last 36 months, or demonstrates the ability to substantially comply with the outpatient treatment while waiting for residential placement to become available, he or she must receive an assessment from a qualified professional or licensed physician expressly recommending outpatient services, such services must be available in the county in which the respondent is located, and it must appear likely that the respondent will follow a prescribed outpatient care plan.
(2) In all cases resulting in an order for involuntary treatment services, the court shall retain jurisdiction over the case and the parties for the entry of such further orders as the circumstances may require, including, but not limited to, monitoring compliance with treatment, changing the treatment modality, or initiating contempt of court proceedings for violating any valid order issued pursuant to this chapter. Hearings under this section may be set by motion of the parties or under the court’s own authority, and the motion and notice of hearing for these ancillary proceedings, which include, but are not limited to, civil contempt, must be served in accordance with relevant court procedural rules. The court’s requirements for notification of proposed release must be included in the original order.
(3) An involuntary treatment services order also authorizes the licensed service provider to require the individual to receive treatment services that will benefit him or her, including treatment services at any licensable service component of a licensed service provider.
(4) If the court orders involuntary treatment services, a copy of the order must be sent to the managing entity, the department, and the Louis de la Parte Florida Institute established under s. 1004.44, within 1 working day after it is received from the court. Documents may be submitted electronically through existing data systems, if applicable.
(5) The department and the institute established under s. 1004.44, shall also receive and maintain copies of the involuntary assessment and treatment orders issued pursuant to ss. 397.68151, 397.6818, and 397.6957; the qualified professional assessments; the professional certificates; and the law enforcement officers’ protective custody reports. The institute established under s. 1004.44 shall use such documents to prepare annual reports analyzing the data the documents contain, without including patients’ personal identifying information, and the institute shall post such reports on its website and provide copies of the reports to the department, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by December 31 of each year.