HB 0897

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to suicide prevention; creating the Office
3	for Suicide Prevention within the Office of Drug Control;
4	providing a purpose; providing duties and responsibilities
5	of the office; authorizing the director of the Office of
6	Drug Control to hire a coordinator as head of the Office
7	for Suicide Prevention; providing minimum qualifications;
8	providing duties and responsibilities; creating the
9	Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council within the Office
10	of Drug Control; providing a purpose; providing duties and
11	responsibilities; providing for membership qualification
12	and guidelines; providing for appointment of members by
13	the director of the office and the Governor; providing for
14	compensation and funding; providing an appropriation;
15	providing an effective date.
16
17	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19	Section 1.  Office for Suicide Prevention.--
20	(1)  The Office for Suicide Prevention is created within
21	the Office of Drug Control for the purpose of developing a
22	network of community-based programs for suicide prevention,
23	including groups advocating suicide prevention or related areas,
24	nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, law
25	enforcement agencies and first responders, community coalitions,
26	schools and universities, and mental health agencies, to
27	identify and address the barriers that interfere with providing
28	services to persons who are at risk of suicide, including
29	adolescents, elderly persons, persons with Alzheimer?s disease
30	or other chronic diseases, residents of multicultural and rural
31	communities, and other high-risk groups.
32	(2)  Within available resources, the Office for Suicide
33	Prevention must:
34	(a)  Implement the statewide plan developed by the Suicide
35	Prevention Coordinating Council.
36	(b)  Build community networks to integrate initiatives
37	across organizations.
38	(c)  Create public awareness for issues relating to suicide
39	prevention.
40	(d)  Coordinate education and training programs for suicide
41	prevention for law enforcement personnel, providers of health
42	care, school employees, and other persons who have contact with
43	persons at risk of suicide.
44	(e)  Coordinate an interagency workgroup that is a subset
45	of the council to streamline programs and develop a
46	communication plan across agencies.
47	(3)  Contingent upon an appropriation, the director of the
48	Office of Drug Control shall employ a coordinator of the Office
49	for Suicide Prevention. Unless waived by the director of Office
50	of Drug Control, the coordinator must:
51	(a)  Have the following education and experience:
52	1.  A bachelor?s degree in social work, psychology,
53	sociology, or counseling, or a closely related field, and 5
54	years or more of work experience in behavioral health or a
55	closely related field; or
56	2.  A master?s or doctoral degree in social work,
57	psychology, sociology, counseling, or public health, or a
58	closely related field, and 2 years or more of work experience in
59	behavioral health or a closely related field.
60	(b)  Demonstrate the following skills:
61	1.  Significant professional experience in social services,
62	mental health, or a closely related field.
63	2.  Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, methods of
64	facilitation, community development, behavioral health treatment
65	and prevention programs, and community-based behavioral health
66	problems.
67	3.  Experience in working with diverse community groups and
68	constituents.
69	4.  Experience in writing grants and technical reports.
70	(4)  The coordinator of the Office for Suicide Prevention
71	shall work under the direction of the director of the Office of
72	Drug Control to meet the purpose of the office. To the extent
73	that funding is available, the coordinator shall:
74	(a)  Staff an interagency workgroup to incorporate agency
75	programs into the statewide plan.
76	(b)  Conduct a best practices review on local, state, and
77	national innovative suicide prevention programs for possible
78	statewide implementation to be evaluated by the Suicide
79	Prevention Coordinating Council.
80	(c)  Develop and maintain an Internet or network site with
81	links to appropriate resource documents, suicide hotlines, state
82	and local mental health agencies, and appropriate national
83	organizations.
84	(d)  Identify and disseminate information regarding crisis
85	services relating to suicide prevention.
86	(e)  Work to develop public awareness and media campaigns
87	in each county targeting groups of persons who are at risk of
88	suicide.
89	(f)  Coordinate educational activities for the general
90	public relating to suicide prevention.
91	(g)  Work with school districts to develop suicide
92	prevention training and counseling program in schools and
93	develop an evaluation of the program.
94	(h)  Work with representatives of organizations, including,
95	but not limited to, providers of health care, mental health
96	agencies, social service agencies, faith-based organizations,
97	public health clinics, organizations that represent the elderly,
98	and community organizations to coordinate education and training
99	relating to suicide prevention.
100	(i)  Coordinate education and training for persons who, as
101	part of their usual routine, have face to face contact with
102	persons who may be at risk of suicide, including, but not
103	limited to, law enforcement, health care providers, school
104	personnel, and mental health professionals, training them to
105	recognize persons at risk of suicide and providing information
106	on how to refer those persons for treatment or supporting
107	services, as appropriate.
108	(j)  Review current research to identify at-risk
109	populations, factors relating to suicide and suicide prevention
110	methodology, and disseminate such research to the Suicide
111	Prevention Coordination Council to develop strategies for
112	preventing suicide.
113	(k)  Develop and submit proposals for funding to agencies
114	of the State and Federal Government and nongovernmental
115	organizations.
116	Section 2.  Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council;
117	creation; membership, duties.--
118	(1)  The Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council is created
119	within the Office of Drug Control. The primary purpose of the
120	council is to develop strategies for preventing suicide.
121	(2)  The council shall:
122	(a)  Develop a statewide plan for suicide prevention
123	recognizing suicide as a preventable problem. The plan must
124	address at least the following:
125	1.  Concerns regarding specific populations who are at risk
126	for suicide.
127	2.  A strategy to align and provide direction for statewide
128	suicide prevention initiatives.
129	3.  A strategy to establish partnerships with state and
130	private agencies.
131	4.  A strategy to promote public awareness of suicide
132	prevention.
133	5.  A strategy to improve access to help for persons in
134	acute situations.
135	6.  A strategy to identify the resources to support the
136	implementation of the plan.
137	(b)  Establish an interagency workgroup that is a subset of
138	the council to incorporate agency suicide prevention plans into
139	the statewide plan. The interagency workgroup shall include, but
140	is not limited to, representatives from the Department of
141	Elderly Affairs, the Department of Health, the Department of
142	Education, the Agency for Health Care Administration, the
143	Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Department of Children
144	and Family Services.
145	(c)  Meet as least quarterly and at other times upon the
146	call of the chair. The council meetings may be held via
147	teleconference or other electronic means.
148	(d)  Assemble committees with membership outside the
149	council on an as-needed basis in order to obtain advice and
150	assistance in carrying out its duties.
151	(e)  Advise the Office for Suicide Prevention.
152	(f)  Make recommendations regarding suicide prevention to
153	the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and
154	the President of the Senate, in the form of an annual report, no
155	later than January 1, 2005, and each year thereafter. The report
156	must address the status of initiatives identified in the
157	statewide plan for suicide prevention.
158	(3)  The council shall consist of 20 members.
159	(a)  Eighteen members shall be appointed by the director of
160	the Office of Drug Control and represent the following entities:
161	the Florida Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation, Inc.,
162	identified in s. 394.655, the Florida Association of School
163	Psychologists, the Florida Sheriff?s Association, the Suicide
164	Prevention Action Network USA, the Florida Initiative of Suicide
165	Prevention, the Alzheimer?s Association, the Department of
166	Education, the Agency for Health Care Administration, the
167	Department of Health, the Department of Elderly Affairs, the
168	Department Children and Family Services, the Department of
169	Juvenile Justice, the Department of Corrections, the Department
170	of Veterans? Affairs, and a representative from the Governor?s
171	Mentoring Initiative.
172	(b)  The Governor may appoint five additional members who
173	have expertise critical to the issue of suicide prevention or
174	who represent organizations that are not already represented by
175	the membership.
176	(4)  The director of the Office of Drug Control shall serve
177	as chair of the council.
178	(a)  Members of the council shall be appointed by the
179	organizations identified for membership unless otherwise
180	specified.
181	(b)  Members shall serve without compensation. Any member
182	of the committee who is a public employee is entitled to
183	reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses by his or her
184	employer, and the cost of each member's participation must be
185	borne by the organization that appointed the member.
186	(c)  Public organizations shall participate and cooperate
187	with the council.
188	(5)  The council may seek and accept grants or funds from
189	any source, federal, state, or local, to support its operation
190	and defray the expenses incurred in its operation and
191	implementation of this section.
192	Section 3.  For the 2004-2005 fiscal year, the sum of
193	$100,000 in recurring general revenue and 1 FTE position is
194	appropriated to the Office of Drug Control for the purpose of
195	paying salaries and other administrative expenses necessary to
196	carry out the provisions of this act.
197	Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.