Senate Bill sb2042
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 2042
By Senator Lynn
7-1464-04
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to suicide prevention; creating
3 s. 397.3335, F.S.; creating the Statewide
4 Office for Suicide Prevention in the Office of
5 Drug Control; providing the goals and
6 objectives of the office; creating the position
7 of statewide coordinator for the statewide
8 office; specifying the education and experience
9 requirements for the position of coordinator;
10 detailing the duties and responsibilities of
11 the coordinator; creating s. 397.3336, F.S.;
12 creating the Suicide Prevention Coordinating
13 Council within the Office of Drug Control;
14 providing the scope of activities for the
15 coordinating council; creating an interagency
16 workgroup for state agencies within the
17 coordinating council in order to coordinate
18 state agency plans for suicide prevention;
19 authorizing the coordinating council to
20 assemble an ad hoc committee to advise the
21 coordinating council; providing for membership
22 on the coordinating council; authorizing the
23 coordinating council to seek and accept grants
24 or funds from any source to support its
25 operation; providing an appropriation and
26 authorizing an additional position; providing
27 an effective date.
28
29 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 2042
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1 Section 1. Section 397.3335, Florida Statutes, is
2 created to read:
3 397.3335 Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention.--
4 (1)(a) The Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention is
5 created in the Office of Drug Control within the Executive
6 Office of the Governor.
7 (b) The statewide office shall develop a network of
8 community-based programs to improve suicide prevention
9 initiatives. The network shall identify and work to eliminate
10 barriers that impede providing suicide prevention services to
11 individuals who are at risk of suicide, including adolescents,
12 elderly persons, persons with Alzheimer's disease, and
13 residents of multicultural and rural communities.
14 (c) The network of community-based programs shall
15 consist of stakeholders advocating suicide prevention,
16 including, but not limited to, not-for-profit suicide
17 prevention organizations, faith-based suicide prevention
18 organizations, law enforcement agencies, first responders to
19 emergency calls, suicide prevention community coalitions,
20 schools and universities, mental health agencies, health care
21 providers, and school personnel.
22 (2) The statewide office shall, within available
23 resources:
24 (a) Implement the statewide plan prepared by the
25 Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council;
26 (b) Build a network of community-based programs to
27 integrate suicide prevention initiatives into the programs'
28 activities;
29 (c) Increase public awareness concerning topics
30 relating to suicide prevention;
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 2042
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1 (d) Coordinate education and training curricula in
2 suicide prevention efforts for law enforcement personnel,
3 first responders to emergency calls, health care providers,
4 school employees, and other persons who may have contact with
5 persons at risk of suicide; and
6 (e) Direct an interagency workgroup within the Suicide
7 Prevention Coordinating Council to prepare a suicide
8 prevention communication plan among state agencies. The
9 communication plan must be incorporated into the council's
10 statewide plan.
11 (3) Contingent upon an appropriation specifically
12 intended for this purpose, the director of the Office of Drug
13 Control shall employ a coordinator for the Statewide Office
14 for Suicide Prevention. Unless waived by the director of the
15 Office of Drug Control, the coordinator must:
16 (a) Have the following education and employment
17 experience:
18 1. A bachelor's degree in social work, psychology,
19 sociology, counseling, public health, or a closely related
20 field and 5 or more years of work experience in behavioral
21 health care or a closely related field; or
22 2. A master's or a doctoral degree in social work,
23 psychology, sociology, counseling, public health, or a closely
24 related field and 2 or more years of work experience in
25 behavioral health or a closely related field.
26 (b) Possess the following skills:
27 1. Significant professional experience in social
28 services, mental health, or a closely related field;
29 2. Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, methods
30 of facilitation, community development, behavioral health
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 2042
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1 treatment and prevention programs, and community-based
2 behavioral health problems;
3 3. Experience in working with community groups and
4 constituents that are diverse and representative of the
5 gender, ethnic, and racial populations in this state; and
6 4. Experience in writing grants and technical reports.
7 (4) The coordinator shall work under the direction of
8 the director to achieve the goals and objectives set forth in
9 this section. Contingent upon specific appropriations, the
10 coordinator shall:
11 (a) Facilitate an interagency workgroup within the
12 Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council to integrate state
13 agency programs for suicide prevention into a unified
14 statewide plan;
15 (b) Conduct a review of local, state, and national
16 suicide prevention programs for examples of innovative suicide
17 prevention models. If innovative models are discovered, the
18 coordinator shall prepare a presentation to describe the
19 feasibility of implementing some or all of the innovation
20 models in this state. The innovative models, and the
21 feasibility of their implementation in this state, shall be
22 evaluated by the Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council;
23 (c) Develop and maintain an Internet website with
24 links to appropriate suicide prevention resource documents,
25 suicide hotlines, state and community mental health agencies,
26 and appropriate national suicide prevention organizations;
27 (d) Identify and disseminate information regarding
28 crisis services for suicide prevention;
29 (e) Join with stakeholders in suicide prevention to
30 develop public awareness and media campaigns in each county
31 directed towards persons who are at risk of suicide;
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1 (f) Provide technical assistance to educational
2 activities for residents of this state relating to suicide
3 prevention;
4 (g) Cooperate with school districts to develop
5 training and counseling programs for school-based suicide
6 prevention activities. The coordinator and school districts
7 must also develop a method by which to evaluate each
8 prevention training and counseling program;
9 (h) Join with stakeholders in suicide prevention to
10 develop education and training programs for suicide
11 prevention. The education and training programs must be
12 directed first to persons who have face-to-face contact with
13 individuals who may be at risk of suicide. The training must
14 assist persons to recognize when an individual is at risk of
15 suicide and on how to properly refer those individuals to
16 treatment or support services;
17 (i) Review current research data and findings to
18 identify at-risk populations, factors relating to suicide, and
19 suicide prevention activities and disseminate this research to
20 the Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council to develop
21 strategies to prevent suicide; and
22 (j) Develop and submit proposals to agencies of the
23 state and federal government and to nongovernmental
24 organizations to fund suicide prevention activities.
25 Section 2. Section 397.3336, Florida Statutes, is
26 created to read:
27 397.3336 Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council;
28 creation; membership; duties.--There is created within the
29 Office of Drug Control a Suicide Prevention Coordinating
30 Council. The council shall develop strategies for preventing
31 suicide.
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1 (1) SCOPE OF ACTIVITY.--The Suicide Prevention
2 Coordinating Council shall:
3 (a) Develop a statewide plan for suicide prevention
4 with the guiding principal being that suicide is a preventable
5 problem. The statewide plan shall:
6 1. Align and provide direction for statewide suicide
7 prevention initiatives;
8 2. Establish partnerships with state and private
9 agencies to promote public awareness of suicide prevention;
10 3. Address specific populations in this state who are
11 at risk for suicide;
12 4. Improve access to help individuals in acute
13 situations; and
14 5. Identify resources to support the implementation of
15 the statewide plan.
16 (b) Create an interagency workgroup within the council
17 in order to incorporate state agency plans for suicide
18 prevention into the statewide plan. The interagency workgroup
19 must include, but need not be limited to:
20 1. The Secretary of Elderly Affairs, or his or her
21 designee;
22 2. The Secretary of Health, or his or her designee;
23 3. The Commissioner of Education, or his or her
24 designee;
25 4. The Secretary of Health Care Administration, or his
26 or her designee;
27 5. The Secretary of Juvenile Justice, or his or her
28 designee;
29 6. The executive director of the Department of Law
30 Enforcement, or his or her designee; and
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1 7. The Secretary of Children and Family Services, or
2 his or her designee.
3 (c) Assemble an ad hoc advisory committee with
4 membership from outside the council when necessary for the
5 council to receive advice and assistance in carrying out its
6 responsibilities.
7 (d) Advise the Statewide Office for Suicide
8 Prevention.
9 (e) Make findings and recommendations regarding
10 suicide prevention programs and activities. The council shall
11 prepare an annual report and present it to the Governor, the
12 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
13 Representatives by January 1, 2005, and each year thereafter.
14 The annual report must describe the status of existing and
15 planned initiatives identified in the statewide plan for
16 suicide prevention and any recommendations arising therefrom.
17 (2) MEMBERSHIP.--The Suicide Prevention Coordinating
18 Council shall consist of 23 members.
19 (a) Ten members shall be appointed by the director of
20 the Office of Drug Control and shall represent the following
21 organizations:
22 1. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation,
23 Inc., described in s. 394.655;
24 2. The State of Florida Crisis Center;
25 3. The Florida Association of School Psychologists;
26 4. The Florida Sheriffs Association;
27 5. The Suicide Prevention Action Network USA;
28 6. The Florida Initiative of Suicide Prevention;
29 7. The Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition;
30 8. The Alzheimer's Association;
31 9. The Florida School Board Association; and
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1 10. A representative from the Governor's Mentoring
2 Initiative.
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4 Each identified organization shall recommend three individuals
5 to the director for appointment to membership on the
6 coordinating council.
7 (b) The following state officials shall be appointed to
8 serve on the coordinating council:
9 1. The Secretary of Elderly Affairs, or his or her
10 designee;
11 2. The Secretary of Health, or his or her designee;
12 3. The Commissioner of Education, or his or her
13 designee;
14 4. The Secretary of Health Care Administration, or his
15 or her designee;
16 5. The Secretary of Juvenile Justice, or his or her
17 designee;
18 6. The Secretary of Corrections, or his or her
19 designee;
20 7. The executive director of the Department of Law
21 Enforcement, or his or her designee; and
22 8. The Secretary of Children and Family Services, or
23 his or her designee.
24 (c) The Governor shall appoint 5 additional members to
25 the coordinating council. The appointees shall have expertise
26 critical to the prevention of suicide or represent an
27 organization that is not already represented on the
28 coordinating council.
29 (d) Council members shall be appointed to terms of 4
30 years. Any vacancy on the coordinating council shall be filled
31 in the same manner as the original appointment, and any member
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1 appointed to fill a vacancy occurring because of death,
2 resignation, or ineligibility for membership shall serve only
3 for the unexpired term of the member's predecessor. A member
4 is eligible for reappointment.
5 (e) Members of the coordinating council shall serve
6 without compensation. Any member of the coordinating council
7 who is a public employee is entitled to reimbursement for per
8 diem and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061.
9 (3) MEETINGS.--
10 (a) The director of the Office of Drug Control shall
11 be a nonvoting, ex officio member of the coordinating council
12 and shall act as chair.
13 (b) The coordinating council shall meet at least
14 quarterly or upon the call of the chair. The council meetings
15 may be held via teleconference or other electronic means.
16 (c) Public organizations shall participate and
17 cooperate with the coordinating council.
18 (4) FUNDING.--The coordinating council for suicide
19 prevention may seek and accept grants or funds from any
20 federal, state, or local source to support its operation and
21 defray the expenses incurred in its operation and
22 implementation of this section.
23 Section 3. The sum of $100,000 is appropriated from
24 the General Revenue Fund, and one additional full-time
25 equivalent position is authorized, to the Office of Drug
26 Control for the purpose of implementing this act during the
27 2004-2005 fiscal year.
28 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.
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2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Creates the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention in
the Office of Drug Control. Provides goals and objectives
4 of the office. Creates the position of statewide
coordinator for the statewide office. Details the duties
5 and responsibilities of the coordinator. Creates the
Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council. Provides the
6 scope of activities for the coordinating council.
Establishes an interagency workgroup for state agencies
7 within the coordinating council in order to coordinate
state agency plans for suicide prevention. Authorizes the
8 coordinating council to assemble an ad hoc committee to
advise the coordinating council. Provides for membership
9 on the coordinating council. Authorizes the coordinating
council to seek and accept grants or funds from any
10 source to support its operation.
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