| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to transitional services for young adults |
| 3 | with disabilities; creating the Health and Transition |
| 4 | Services Program; assigning the program for administrative |
| 5 | purposes to Children's Medical Services in the Department |
| 6 | of Health; authorizing the department to enter into |
| 7 | certain contracts, contingent upon an appropriation; |
| 8 | providing purposes of the program; delineating the target |
| 9 | population; describing participating service providers and |
| 10 | the services that they are to provide; creating an |
| 11 | operational site in a designated locality in the state; |
| 12 | providing for expansion of program sites; providing for an |
| 13 | evaluation of the program; providing an effective date. |
| 14 |
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| 15 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 16 |
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| 17 | Section 1. Health and Transition Services Program; |
| 18 | creation; purposes; participating agencies and services |
| 19 | provided; evaluation.-- |
| 20 | (1) A Health and Transition Services Program is created |
| 21 | for the purpose of assisting adolescents and young adults who |
| 22 | have chronic special health care needs in making a smooth |
| 23 | transition from the child health care and educational systems to |
| 24 | the adult health care system and to employment. |
| 25 | (2) For administrative purposes, the program is located in |
| 26 | Children's Medical Services in the Department of Health. The |
| 27 | department may enter into contracts, contingent upon a specific |
| 28 | appropriation provided in the General Appropriations Act for |
| 29 | this purpose, with local health and transition services programs |
| 30 | that meet the requirements of this act. |
| 31 | (3) The target population for the program consists of |
| 32 | persons who are 14 through 26 years of age and who have chronic |
| 33 | special health care needs. |
| 34 | (4) The program structure and design must be adapted to |
| 35 | the needs of the local community and health services delivery |
| 36 | system; however, the following elements should be in place in |
| 37 | order to ensure the success of a local health and transition |
| 38 | services program: |
| 39 | (a) A consultative partnership between adult and pediatric |
| 40 | health care providers in a major medical health care |
| 41 | organization or academic medical setting for the purpose of |
| 42 | training and transferring adolescents and young adults to adult |
| 43 | health care services. |
| 44 | (b) A primary care clinic established in a major medical |
| 45 | health care organization for the purpose of fostering a |
| 46 | partnership between adult and pediatric health care providers. |
| 47 | (c) Community-based health care services that are provided |
| 48 | under agreements with major health care organizations or |
| 49 | academic medical centers for the purpose of providing |
| 50 | consultation concerning the management of special health care |
| 51 | needs. |
| 52 | (d) Community-based support organizations that can provide |
| 53 | assistance with services such as supported living and |
| 54 | employment, health insurance, and support services to maintain |
| 55 | the young adult in the community. |
| 56 | (5) The following services may be offered by the local |
| 57 | health and transition services program to individuals who are |
| 58 | served in the local health and transition services program: |
| 59 | (a) An assessment of health needs, educational and |
| 60 | vocational status and needs, and health insurance status. |
| 61 | (b) In coordination with the educational system, |
| 62 | community-based organizations, and the vocational system, a plan |
| 63 | for transition which includes adult health care services, |
| 64 | education, habilitative services, independent living, adult |
| 65 | employment, and health insurance. |
| 66 | (c) A medical home that provides for coordinated and |
| 67 | multidisciplinary care and focuses on engaging adult health care |
| 68 | providers in the care and treatment of adolescents or young |
| 69 | adults. |
| 70 | (d) Disease self-management programs. |
| 71 | (6) The local health and transition services program must |
| 72 | be directed by a medical director having experience in |
| 73 | adolescent health. A project coordinator shall assist the |
| 74 | medical director in developing and implementing the program. |
| 75 | Other staff may be included in order to provide a full range of |
| 76 | health and transition services. |
| 77 | (7) There may be up to 11 sites statewide, with the |
| 78 | Jacksonville program (JaxHATS) being the first site. Each |
| 79 | additional site must be organized in a substantially similar |
| 80 | manner as the JaxHATS program and have flexibility with regard |
| 81 | to staffing and costs in rural areas of the state. |
| 82 | (8) The local health and transition services program must |
| 83 | be evaluated by an organization or university that has expertise |
| 84 | and experience in evaluating health care programs. The |
| 85 | evaluation must be formative and cumulative and must include |
| 86 | program process and outcome measures as well as client outcomes. |
| 87 | The results of the evaluation may be used to improve and develop |
| 88 | other local health and transition services programs. |
| 89 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |