Skip to Navigation | Skip to Main Content | Skip to Site Map

MyFloridaHouse.gov | Mobile Site

Senate Tracker: Sign Up | Login

The Florida Senate

Senate Committee Publications

CBIRS Request 1268
 
Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #1268
Hospice Clergy Education Enhancement Program
 
Requester: David Abrams Organization: Hospice Foundation of America
 
Project Title: Hospice Clergy Education Enhancement Program Date Submitted 1/14/2003 6:09:01 PM
 
Sponsors: Villalobos
 
Statewide Interest:
This program is designed to reduce reliance on expensive, futile care at the end of life for terminally ill persons.
 
Recipient: David Abrams   Contact: David Abrams  
  12000 Biscayne Blvd. #505   Contact Phone: (305) 981-2522  
  Miami 33181
 
Counties: Dade
 
Gov't Entity:   Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): Yes
 
Project Description:
The goal of the Hospice Clergy Education Project is to provide information on the needs of the dying, and their families, to clergy members to enable them to better minister to their family members in the event of terminal illness. Many individuals with a terminal disease or illness which is no longer responding to aggressive care will continue costly and unnecessary treatments because of misinformation or perceptions that their faith would not allow palliative care. This causes them to undergo painful treatment which ahs little or no hope of succeeding; it places a financial and emotional drain on their families; it causes financial stress on the medical system and on the state, in the case of Medicaid recipients. Clergy members receive no formal training in advising, assisting and supporting people through end-of-life crises. Educating faith communities would help in tow ways: 1. It can assist clergy and other leaders to clarify the perspectives and ethical stances on end of life decisions. 2. It can assist faith communities in educating their members in times of non-crises.
 
Is this a water project as described in Chapter 2002-291, Laws of Florida? No
 
Measurable Outcome Anticipated:
Grief has demonstrated negative effects on physical and mental health. Faith communities that can engage in ministry to the bereaved utilizing the latest bereavement techniques will mitigate the deleterious physical and mental effects of loss (depression, morbidity, mortality), returning people more rapidly to a healthier condition. Yet clergy often have little training and limited knowledge of grief. The Hospice Clergy Education Project will increase knowledge about end of life options, increase hospice referrals and incluence the length of stay in hospice. Additionally, clergy communities can often provide volunteer services that supplement and enhance care, making people less dependent on more costly, futile aggressive care, thereby reducing the overall costs of the medical system.
 
Amount requested from the State for this project this year: $350,000
 
Total cost of the project: $350,000
 
Request has been made to fund: Operations
 
What type of match exists for this project? Private
  Cash Amount $   In-kind Amount $25,000
 
Was this project previously funded by the state?   Yes
  Fiscal Year: 2002-2003 Amount: $262,500
 
Is future-year funding likely to be requested?   Unknown
 
Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request?   Unknown
 
Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? Unknown
 
Is there a documented need for this project? Yes
  Documentation: Clergy Understandings of Grief - Living With Grief: At Work, At School, At Worship, 1999
 
Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)?   Yes
  Hearing Body: Miami Dade Legislative Delegation
  Hearing Meeting Date: 12/04/2002