The Florida Senate

394.4985  Districtwide information and referral network; implementation.--

(1)  Each service district of the Department of Children and Family Services shall develop a detailed implementation plan for a districtwide comprehensive child and adolescent mental health information and referral network to be operational by July 1, 1999. The plan must include an operating budget that demonstrates cost efficiencies and identifies funding sources for the district information and referral network. The plan must be submitted by the department to the Legislature by October 1, 1998. The district shall use existing district information and referral providers if, in the development of the plan, it is concluded that these providers would deliver information and referral services in a more efficient and effective manner when compared to other alternatives. The district information and referral network must include:

(a)  A resource file that contains information about the child and adolescent mental health services as described in s. 394.495, including, but not limited to:

1.  Type of program;

2.  Hours of service;

3.  Ages of persons served;

4.  Program description;

5.  Eligibility requirements; and

6.  Fees.

(b)  Information about private providers and professionals in the community which serve children and adolescents with an emotional disturbance.

(c)  A system to document requests for services that are received through the network referral process, including, but not limited to:

1.  Number of calls by type of service requested;

2.  Ages of the children and adolescents for whom services are requested; and

3.  Type of referral made by the network.

(d)  The ability to share client information with the appropriate community agencies.

(e)  The submission of an annual report to the department, the Agency for Health Care Administration, and appropriate local government entities, which contains information about the sources and frequency of requests for information, types and frequency of services requested, and types and frequency of referrals made.

(2)  In planning the information and referral network, the district shall consider the establishment of a 24-hour toll-free telephone number, staffed at all times, for parents and other persons to call for information that concerns child and adolescent mental health services and a community public service campaign to inform the public about information and referral services.

History.--s. 10, ch. 98-5.