Florida Senate - 2020                             CS for SB 1440
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
       Senator Powell
       
       
       
       
       586-03119-20                                          20201440c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to children’s mental health; amending
    3         s. 394.493, F.S.; requiring the Department of Children
    4         and Families and the Agency for Health Care
    5         Administration to identify certain children and
    6         adolescents who use crisis stabilization services
    7         during specified fiscal years; requiring the
    8         department and agency to collaboratively meet the
    9         behavioral health needs of such children and
   10         adolescents and submit a quarterly report to the
   11         Legislature; amending s. 394.495, F.S.; including
   12         crisis response services provided through mobile
   13         response teams in the array of services available to
   14         children and adolescents; requiring the department to
   15         contract with managing entities for mobile response
   16         teams to provide certain services to certain children,
   17         adolescents, and young adults; providing requirements
   18         for such mobile response teams; providing requirements
   19         for managing entities when procuring mobile response
   20         teams; creating s. 394.4955, F.S.; requiring managing
   21         entities to develop a plan promoting the development
   22         of a coordinated system of care for certain services;
   23         providing requirements for the planning process;
   24         requiring each managing entity to submit such plan by
   25         a specified date; requiring the entities involved in
   26         the planning process to implement such plan by a
   27         specified date; requiring that such plan be reviewed
   28         and updated periodically; amending s. 394.9082, F.S.;
   29         revising the duties of the department relating to
   30         priority populations that will benefit from care
   31         coordination; requiring that a managing entity’s
   32         behavioral health care needs assessment include
   33         certain information regarding gaps in certain
   34         services; requiring a managing entity to promote the
   35         use of available crisis intervention services;
   36         amending s. 409.175, F.S.; revising requirements
   37         relating to preservice training for foster parents;
   38         amending s. 409.967, F.S.; requiring the agency to
   39         conduct, or contract for, the testing of provider
   40         network databases maintained by Medicaid managed care
   41         plans for specified purposes; amending s. 409.988,
   42         F.S.; revising the duties of a lead agency relating to
   43         individuals providing care for dependent children;
   44         amending s. 985.601, F.S.; requiring the Department of
   45         Juvenile Justice to participate in the planning
   46         process for promoting a coordinated system of care for
   47         children and adolescents; amending s. 1003.02, F.S.;
   48         requiring each district school board to participate in
   49         the planning process for promoting a coordinated
   50         system of care; amending s. 1004.44, F.S.; requiring
   51         the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute
   52         to develop, in consultation with other entities, a
   53         model response protocol for schools; amending s.
   54         1006.04, F.S.; requiring the educational multiagency
   55         network to participate in the planning process for
   56         promoting a coordinated system of care; amending s.
   57         1011.62, F.S.; revising the elements of a plan
   58         required for school district funding under the mental
   59         health assistance allocation; requiring the Department
   60         of Children and Families and the Agency for Health
   61         Care Administration to assess the quality of care
   62         provided in crisis stabilization units to certain
   63         children and adolescents; requiring the department and
   64         agency to review current standards of care for certain
   65         settings and make recommendations; requiring the
   66         department and agency to jointly submit a report to
   67         the Governor and the Legislature by a specified date;
   68         providing an effective date.
   69          
   70  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   71  
   72         Section 1. Subsection (4) is added to section 394.493,
   73  Florida Statutes, to read:
   74         394.493 Target populations for child and adolescent mental
   75  health services funded through the department.—
   76         (4)Beginning with fiscal year 2020-2021 through fiscal
   77  year 2021-2022, the department and the Agency for Health Care
   78  Administration shall identify children and adolescents who are
   79  the highest utilizers of crisis stabilization services. The
   80  department and agency shall collaboratively take appropriate
   81  action within available resources to meet the behavioral health
   82  needs of such children and adolescents more effectively, and
   83  shall jointly submit to the Legislature a quarterly report
   84  listing the actions taken by both agencies to better serve such
   85  children and adolescents.
   86         Section 2. Paragraph (q) is added to subsection (4) of
   87  section 394.495, Florida Statutes, and subsection (7) is added
   88  to that section, to read:
   89         394.495 Child and adolescent mental health system of care;
   90  programs and services.—
   91         (4) The array of services may include, but is not limited
   92  to:
   93         (q)Crisis response services provided through mobile
   94  response teams.
   95         (7)(a)The department shall contract with managing entities
   96  for mobile response teams throughout the state to provide
   97  immediate, onsite behavioral health crisis services to children,
   98  adolescents, and young adults ages 18 to 25, inclusive, who:
   99         1.Have an emotional disturbance;
  100         2.Are experiencing an acute mental or emotional crisis;
  101         3.Are experiencing escalating emotional or behavioral
  102  reactions and symptoms that impact their ability to function
  103  typically within the family, living situation, or community
  104  environment; or
  105         4.Are served by the child welfare system and are
  106  experiencing or are at high risk of placement instability.
  107         (b)A mobile response team shall, at a minimum:
  108         1.Respond to new requests for services within 60 minutes
  109  after such requests are made.
  110         2.Respond to a crisis in the location where the crisis is
  111  occurring.
  112         3.Provide behavioral health crisis-oriented services that
  113  are responsive to the needs of the child, adolescent, or young
  114  adult and his or her family.
  115         4.Provide evidence-based practices to children,
  116  adolescents, young adults, and families to enable them to
  117  independently and effectively deescalate and respond to
  118  behavioral challenges that they are facing and to reduce the
  119  potential for future crises.
  120         5.Provide screening, standardized assessments, early
  121  identification, and referrals to community services.
  122         6.Engage the child, adolescent, or young adult and his or
  123  her family as active participants in every phase of the
  124  treatment process whenever possible.
  125         7.Develop a care plan for the child, adolescent, or young
  126  adult.
  127         8.Provide care coordination by facilitating the transition
  128  to ongoing services.
  129         9.Ensure there is a process in place for informed consent
  130  and confidentiality compliance measures.
  131         10.Promote information sharing and the use of innovative
  132  technology.
  133         11.Coordinate with the managing entity within the service
  134  location and other key entities providing services and supports
  135  to the child, adolescent, or young adult and his or her family,
  136  including, but not limited to, the child, adolescent, or young
  137  adult’s school, the local educational multiagency network for
  138  severely emotionally disturbed students under s. 1006.04, the
  139  child welfare system, and the juvenile justice system.
  140         (c)When procuring mobile response teams, the managing
  141  entity must, at a minimum:
  142         1.Collaborate with local sheriff’s offices and public
  143  schools in the planning, development, evaluation, and selection
  144  processes.
  145         2.Require that services be made available 24 hours per
  146  day, 7 days per week, with onsite response time to the location
  147  of the referred crisis within 60 minutes after the request for
  148  services is made.
  149         3.Require the provider to establish response protocols
  150  with local law enforcement agencies, local community-based care
  151  lead agencies as defined in s. 409.986(3), the child welfare
  152  system, and the Department of Juvenile Justice. The response
  153  protocol with a school district shall be consistent with the
  154  model response protocol developed under s. 1004.44.
  155         4.Require access to a board-certified or board-eligible
  156  psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner.
  157         5.Require mobile response teams to refer children,
  158  adolescents, or young adults and their families to an array of
  159  crisis response services that address individual and family
  160  needs, including screening, standardized assessments, early
  161  identification, and community services as necessary to address
  162  the immediate crisis event.
  163         Section 3. Section 394.4955, Florida Statutes, is created
  164  to read:
  165         394.4955Coordinated system of care; child and adolescent
  166  mental health treatment and support.—
  167         (1)Pursuant to s. 394.9082(5)(d), each managing entity
  168  shall develop a plan that promotes the development and effective
  169  implementation of a coordinated system of care which integrates
  170  services provided through providers funded by the state’s child
  171  serving systems and facilitates access by children and
  172  adolescents, as resources permit, to needed mental health
  173  treatment and services at any point of entry regardless of the
  174  time of year, intensity, or complexity of the need, and other
  175  systems with which such children and adolescents are involved,
  176  as well as treatment and services available through other
  177  systems for which they would qualify.
  178         (2)(a)The managing entity shall lead a planning process
  179  that includes, but is not limited to, children and adolescents
  180  with behavioral health needs and their families; behavioral
  181  health service providers; law enforcement agencies; school
  182  districts or superintendents; the multiagency network for
  183  students with emotional or behavioral disabilities; the
  184  department; and representatives of the child welfare and
  185  juvenile justice systems, early learning coalitions, the Agency
  186  for Health Care Administration, Medicaid managed medical
  187  assistance plans, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the
  188  Department of Juvenile Justice, and other community partners. An
  189  organization receiving state funding must participate in the
  190  planning process if requested by the managing entity.
  191         (b)The managing entity and collaborating organizations
  192  shall take into consideration the geographical distribution of
  193  the population, needs, and resources, and create separate plans
  194  on an individual county or multi-county basis, as needed, to
  195  maximize collaboration and communication at the local level.
  196         (c)To the extent permitted by available resources, the
  197  coordinated system of care shall include the array of services
  198  listed in s. 394.495.
  199         (d)Each plan shall integrate with the local plan developed
  200  under s. 394.4573.
  201         (3)By July 1, 2021, the managing entity shall complete the
  202  plans developed under this section and submit them to the
  203  department. By July 1, 2022, the entities involved in the
  204  planning process shall implement the coordinated system of care
  205  specified in each plan. The managing entity and collaborating
  206  organizations shall review and update the plans, as necessary,
  207  at least every 3 years thereafter.
  208         (4)The managing entity and collaborating organizations
  209  shall create integrated service delivery approaches within
  210  current resources that facilitate parents and caregivers
  211  obtaining services and support by making referrals to
  212  specialized treatment providers, if necessary, with follow up to
  213  ensure services are received.
  214         (5)The managing entity and collaborating organizations
  215  shall document each coordinated system of care for children and
  216  adolescents through written memoranda of understanding or other
  217  binding arrangements.
  218         (6)The managing entity shall identify gaps in the arrays
  219  of services for children and adolescents listed in s. 394.495
  220  available under each plan and include relevant information in
  221  its annual needs assessment required by s. 394.9082.
  222         Section 4. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) and paragraphs
  223  (b) and (d) of subsection (5) of section 394.9082, Florida
  224  Statutes, are amended, and paragraph (t) is added to subsection
  225  (5) of that section, to read:
  226         394.9082 Behavioral health managing entities.—
  227         (3) DEPARTMENT DUTIES.—The department shall:
  228         (c) Define the priority populations that will benefit from
  229  receiving care coordination. In defining such populations, the
  230  department shall take into account the availability of resources
  231  and consider:
  232         1. The number and duration of involuntary admissions within
  233  a specified time.
  234         2. The degree of involvement with the criminal justice
  235  system and the risk to public safety posed by the individual.
  236         3. Whether the individual has recently resided in or is
  237  currently awaiting admission to or discharge from a treatment
  238  facility as defined in s. 394.455.
  239         4. The degree of utilization of behavioral health services.
  240         5. Whether the individual is a parent or caregiver who is
  241  involved with the child welfare system.
  242         6.Whether the individual is an adolescent, as defined in
  243  s. 394.492, who requires assistance in transitioning to services
  244  provided in the adult system of care.
  245         (5) MANAGING ENTITY DUTIES.—A managing entity shall:
  246         (b) Conduct a community behavioral health care needs
  247  assessment every 3 years in the geographic area served by the
  248  managing entity which identifies needs by subregion. The process
  249  for conducting the needs assessment shall include an opportunity
  250  for public participation. The assessment shall include, at a
  251  minimum, the information the department needs for its annual
  252  report to the Governor and Legislature pursuant to s. 394.4573.
  253  The assessment shall also include a list and descriptions of any
  254  gaps in the arrays of services for children or adolescents
  255  identified pursuant to s. 394.4955 and recommendations for
  256  addressing such gaps. The managing entity shall provide the
  257  needs assessment to the department.
  258         (d) Promote the development and effective implementation of
  259  a coordinated system of care pursuant to ss. 394.4573 and
  260  394.495 s. 394.4573.
  261         (t)Promote the use of available crisis intervention
  262  services by requiring contracted providers to provide contact
  263  information for mobile response teams established under s.
  264  394.495 to parents and caregivers of children, adolescents, and
  265  young adults between ages 18 and 25, inclusive, who receive
  266  safety-net behavioral health services.
  267         Section 5. Paragraph (b) of subsection (14) of section
  268  409.175, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  269         409.175 Licensure of family foster homes, residential
  270  child-caring agencies, and child-placing agencies; public
  271  records exemption.—
  272         (14)
  273         (b) As a condition of licensure, foster parents shall
  274  successfully complete preservice training. The preservice
  275  training shall be uniform statewide and shall include, but not
  276  be limited to, such areas as:
  277         1. Orientation regarding agency purpose, objectives,
  278  resources, policies, and services;
  279         2. Role of the foster parent as a treatment team member;
  280         3. Transition of a child into and out of foster care,
  281  including issues of separation, loss, and attachment;
  282         4. Management of difficult child behavior that can be
  283  intensified by placement, by prior abuse or neglect, and by
  284  prior placement disruptions;
  285         5. Prevention of placement disruptions;
  286         6. Care of children at various developmental levels,
  287  including appropriate discipline; and
  288         7. Effects of foster parenting on the family of the foster
  289  parent; and
  290         8.Information about and contact information for the local
  291  mobile response team as a means for addressing a behavioral
  292  health crisis or preventing placement disruption.
  293         Section 6. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section
  294  409.967, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  295         409.967 Managed care plan accountability.—
  296         (2) The agency shall establish such contract requirements
  297  as are necessary for the operation of the statewide managed care
  298  program. In addition to any other provisions the agency may deem
  299  necessary, the contract must require:
  300         (c) Access.—
  301         1. The agency shall establish specific standards for the
  302  number, type, and regional distribution of providers in managed
  303  care plan networks to ensure access to care for both adults and
  304  children. Each plan must maintain a regionwide network of
  305  providers in sufficient numbers to meet the access standards for
  306  specific medical services for all recipients enrolled in the
  307  plan. The exclusive use of mail-order pharmacies may not be
  308  sufficient to meet network access standards. Consistent with the
  309  standards established by the agency, provider networks may
  310  include providers located outside the region. A plan may
  311  contract with a new hospital facility before the date the
  312  hospital becomes operational if the hospital has commenced
  313  construction, will be licensed and operational by January 1,
  314  2013, and a final order has issued in any civil or
  315  administrative challenge. Each plan shall establish and maintain
  316  an accurate and complete electronic database of contracted
  317  providers, including information about licensure or
  318  registration, locations and hours of operation, specialty
  319  credentials and other certifications, specific performance
  320  indicators, and such other information as the agency deems
  321  necessary. The database must be available online to both the
  322  agency and the public and have the capability to compare the
  323  availability of providers to network adequacy standards and to
  324  accept and display feedback from each provider’s patients. Each
  325  plan shall submit quarterly reports to the agency identifying
  326  the number of enrollees assigned to each primary care provider.
  327  The agency shall conduct, or contract for, systematic and
  328  continuous testing of the provider network databases maintained
  329  by each plan to confirm accuracy, confirm that behavioral health
  330  providers are accepting enrollees, and confirm that enrollees
  331  have access to behavioral health services.
  332         2. Each managed care plan must publish any prescribed drug
  333  formulary or preferred drug list on the plan’s website in a
  334  manner that is accessible to and searchable by enrollees and
  335  providers. The plan must update the list within 24 hours after
  336  making a change. Each plan must ensure that the prior
  337  authorization process for prescribed drugs is readily accessible
  338  to health care providers, including posting appropriate contact
  339  information on its website and providing timely responses to
  340  providers. For Medicaid recipients diagnosed with hemophilia who
  341  have been prescribed anti-hemophilic-factor replacement
  342  products, the agency shall provide for those products and
  343  hemophilia overlay services through the agency’s hemophilia
  344  disease management program.
  345         3. Managed care plans, and their fiscal agents or
  346  intermediaries, must accept prior authorization requests for any
  347  service electronically.
  348         4. Managed care plans serving children in the care and
  349  custody of the Department of Children and Families must maintain
  350  complete medical, dental, and behavioral health encounter
  351  information and participate in making such information available
  352  to the department or the applicable contracted community-based
  353  care lead agency for use in providing comprehensive and
  354  coordinated case management. The agency and the department shall
  355  establish an interagency agreement to provide guidance for the
  356  format, confidentiality, recipient, scope, and method of
  357  information to be made available and the deadlines for
  358  submission of the data. The scope of information available to
  359  the department shall be the data that managed care plans are
  360  required to submit to the agency. The agency shall determine the
  361  plan’s compliance with standards for access to medical, dental,
  362  and behavioral health services; the use of medications; and
  363  followup on all medically necessary services recommended as a
  364  result of early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and
  365  treatment.
  366         Section 7. Paragraph (f) of subsection (1) of section
  367  409.988, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  368         409.988 Lead agency duties; general provisions.—
  369         (1) DUTIES.—A lead agency:
  370         (f) Shall ensure that all individuals providing care for
  371  dependent children receive:
  372         1. Appropriate training and meet the minimum employment
  373  standards established by the department.
  374         2.Contact information for the local mobile response team
  375  established under s. 394.495.
  376         Section 8. Subsection (4) of section 985.601, Florida
  377  Statutes, is amended to read:
  378         985.601 Administering the juvenile justice continuum.—
  379         (4) The department shall maintain continuing cooperation
  380  with the Department of Education, the Department of Children and
  381  Families, the Department of Economic Opportunity, and the
  382  Department of Corrections for the purpose of participating in
  383  agreements with respect to dropout prevention and the reduction
  384  of suspensions, expulsions, and truancy; increased access to and
  385  participation in high school equivalency diploma, vocational,
  386  and alternative education programs; and employment training and
  387  placement assistance. The cooperative agreements between the
  388  departments shall include an interdepartmental plan to cooperate
  389  in accomplishing the reduction of inappropriate transfers of
  390  children into the adult criminal justice and correctional
  391  systems. As part of its continuing cooperation, the department
  392  shall participate in the planning process for promoting a
  393  coordinated system of care for children and adolescents pursuant
  394  to s. 394.4955.
  395         Section 9. Subsection (5) is added to section 1003.02,
  396  Florida Statutes, to read:
  397         1003.02 District school board operation and control of
  398  public K-12 education within the school district.—As provided in
  399  part II of chapter 1001, district school boards are
  400  constitutionally and statutorily charged with the operation and
  401  control of public K-12 education within their school district.
  402  The district school boards must establish, organize, and operate
  403  their public K-12 schools and educational programs, employees,
  404  and facilities. Their responsibilities include staff
  405  development, public K-12 school student education including
  406  education for exceptional students and students in juvenile
  407  justice programs, special programs, adult education programs,
  408  and career education programs. Additionally, district school
  409  boards must:
  410         (5)Participate in the planning process for promoting a
  411  coordinated system of care for children and adolescents pursuant
  412  to s. 394.4955.
  413         Section 10. Present subsection (4) of section 1004.44,
  414  Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (5), and a new
  415  subsection (4) is added to that section, to read:
  416         1004.44 Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute.
  417  There is established the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health
  418  Institute within the University of South Florida.
  419         (4)By August 1, 2020, the institute shall develop a model
  420  response protocol for schools to use mobile response teams
  421  established under s. 394.495. In developing the protocol, the
  422  institute shall, at a minimum, consult with school districts
  423  that effectively use such teams, school districts that use such
  424  teams less often, local law enforcement agencies, the Department
  425  of Children and Families, managing entities as defined in s.
  426  394.9082(2), and mobile response team providers.
  427         Section 11. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
  428  1006.04, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  429         1006.04 Educational multiagency services for students with
  430  severe emotional disturbance.—
  431         (1)
  432         (c) The multiagency network shall:
  433         1. Support and represent the needs of students in each
  434  school district in joint planning with fiscal agents of
  435  children’s mental health funds, including the expansion of
  436  school-based mental health services, transition services, and
  437  integrated education and treatment programs.
  438         2. Improve coordination of services for children with or at
  439  risk of emotional or behavioral disabilities and their families
  440  by assisting multi-agency collaborative initiatives to identify
  441  critical issues and barriers of mutual concern and develop local
  442  response systems that increase home and school connections and
  443  family engagement.
  444         3. Increase parent and youth involvement and development
  445  with local systems of care.
  446         4. Facilitate student and family access to effective
  447  services and programs for students with and at risk of emotional
  448  or behavioral disabilities that include necessary educational,
  449  residential, and mental health treatment services, enabling
  450  these students to learn appropriate behaviors, reduce
  451  dependency, and fully participate in all aspects of school and
  452  community living.
  453         5.Participate in the planning process for promoting a
  454  coordinated system of care for children and adolescents pursuant
  455  to s. 394.4955.
  456         Section 12. Paragraph (b) of subsection (16) of section
  457  1011.62, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  458         1011.62 Funds for operation of schools.—If the annual
  459  allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
  460  district for operation of schools is not determined in the
  461  annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
  462  the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
  463  follows:
  464         (16) MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE ALLOCATION.—The mental health
  465  assistance allocation is created to provide funding to assist
  466  school districts in establishing or expanding school-based
  467  mental health care; train educators and other school staff in
  468  detecting and responding to mental health issues; and connect
  469  children, youth, and families who may experience behavioral
  470  health issues with appropriate services. These funds shall be
  471  allocated annually in the General Appropriations Act or other
  472  law to each eligible school district. Each school district shall
  473  receive a minimum of $100,000, with the remaining balance
  474  allocated based on each school district’s proportionate share of
  475  the state’s total unweighted full-time equivalent student
  476  enrollment. Charter schools that submit a plan separate from the
  477  school district are entitled to a proportionate share of
  478  district funding. The allocated funds may not supplant funds
  479  that are provided for this purpose from other operating funds
  480  and may not be used to increase salaries or provide bonuses.
  481  School districts are encouraged to maximize third-party health
  482  insurance benefits and Medicaid claiming for services, where
  483  appropriate.
  484         (b) The plans required under paragraph (a) must be focused
  485  on a multitiered system of supports to deliver evidence-based
  486  mental health care assessment, diagnosis, intervention,
  487  treatment, and recovery services to students with one or more
  488  mental health or co-occurring substance abuse diagnoses and to
  489  students at high risk of such diagnoses. The provision of these
  490  services must be coordinated with a student’s primary mental
  491  health care provider and with other mental health providers
  492  involved in the student’s care. At a minimum, the plans must
  493  include the following elements:
  494         1. Direct employment of school-based mental health services
  495  providers to expand and enhance school-based student services
  496  and to reduce the ratio of students to staff in order to better
  497  align with nationally recommended ratio models. These providers
  498  include, but are not limited to, certified school counselors,
  499  school psychologists, school social workers, and other licensed
  500  mental health professionals. The plan also must identify
  501  strategies to increase the amount of time that school-based
  502  student services personnel spend providing direct services to
  503  students, which may include the review and revision of district
  504  staffing resource allocations based on school or student mental
  505  health assistance needs.
  506         2.An interagency agreement or memorandum of understanding
  507  with the managing entity, as defined in s. 394.9082(2), that
  508  facilitates referrals of students to community-based services
  509  and coordinates care for students served by school-based and
  510  community-based providers. Such agreement or memorandum of
  511  understanding must address the sharing of records and
  512  information as authorized under s. 1006.07(7)(d) to coordinate
  513  care and increase access to appropriate services.
  514         3.2. Contracts or interagency agreements with one or more
  515  local community behavioral health providers or providers of
  516  Community Action Team services to provide a behavioral health
  517  staff presence and services at district schools. Services may
  518  include, but are not limited to, mental health screenings and
  519  assessments, individual counseling, family counseling, group
  520  counseling, psychiatric or psychological services, trauma
  521  informed care, mobile crisis services, and behavior
  522  modification. These behavioral health services may be provided
  523  on or off the school campus and may be supplemented by
  524  telehealth.
  525         4.3. Policies and procedures, including contracts with
  526  service providers, which will ensure that:
  527         a.Parents of students are provided information about
  528  behavioral health services available through the students’
  529  school or local community-based behavioral health services
  530  providers, including, but not limited to, the mobile response
  531  team as established in s. 394.495 serving their area. A school
  532  may meet this requirement by providing information about and
  533  Internet addresses for web-based directories or guides of local
  534  behavioral health services as long as such directories or guides
  535  are easily navigated and understood by individuals unfamiliar
  536  with behavioral health delivery systems or services and include
  537  specific contact information for local behavioral health
  538  providers.
  539         b.School districts use the services of the mobile response
  540  teams to the extent that such services are available. Each
  541  school district shall establish policies and procedures to carry
  542  out the model response protocol developed under s. 1004.44.
  543         c. Students who are referred to a school-based or
  544  community-based mental health service provider for mental health
  545  screening for the identification of mental health concerns and
  546  ensure that the assessment of students at risk for mental health
  547  disorders occurs within 15 days of referral. School-based mental
  548  health services must be initiated within 15 days after
  549  identification and assessment, and support by community-based
  550  mental health service providers for students who are referred
  551  for community-based mental health services must be initiated
  552  within 30 days after the school or district makes a referral.
  553         d.Referrals to behavioral health services available
  554  through other delivery systems or payors for which a student or
  555  individuals living in the household of a student receiving
  556  services under this subsection may qualify, if such services
  557  appear to be needed or enhancements in those individuals’
  558  behavioral health would contribute to the improved well-being of
  559  the student.
  560         5.4. Strategies or programs to reduce the likelihood of at
  561  risk students developing social, emotional, or behavioral health
  562  problems, depression, anxiety disorders, suicidal tendencies, or
  563  substance use disorders.
  564         6.5. Strategies to improve the early identification of
  565  social, emotional, or behavioral problems or substance use
  566  disorders, to improve the provision of early intervention
  567  services, and to assist students in dealing with trauma and
  568  violence.
  569         Section 13. The Department of Children and Families and the
  570  Agency for Health Care Administration shall assess the quality
  571  of care provided in crisis stabilization units to children and
  572  adolescents who are high utilizers of crisis stabilization
  573  services. The department and agency shall review current
  574  standards of care for such settings applicable to licensure
  575  under chapters 394 and 408, Florida Statutes, and designation
  576  under s. 394.461, Florida Statutes; compare the standards to
  577  other states’ standards and relevant national standards; and
  578  make recommendations for improvements to such standards. The
  579  assessment and recommendations shall address, at a minimum,
  580  efforts by each facility to gather and assess information
  581  regarding each child or adolescent, to coordinate with other
  582  providers treating the child or adolescent, and to create
  583  discharge plans that comprehensively and effectively address the
  584  needs of the child or adolescent to avoid or reduce his or her
  585  future use of crisis stabilization services. The department and
  586  agency shall jointly submit a report of their findings and
  587  recommendations to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
  588  and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by November 15,
  589  2020.
  590         Section 14. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.