The Florida Senate

394.66  Legislative intent with respect to substance abuse and mental health services.--It is the intent of the Legislature to:

(1)  Recognize that mental illness and substance abuse impairment are diseases that are responsive to medical and psychological interventions and management that integrate treatment, rehabilitative, and support services to achieve quality and cost-efficient outcomes for clients and for community-based treatment systems.

(2)  Promote and improve the mental health of the citizens of the state by making substance abuse and mental health treatment and support services available to those persons who are most in need and least able to pay, through a community-based system of care.

(3)  Involve local citizens in the planning of substance abuse and mental health services in their communities.

(4)  Ensure that the department and the Agency for Health Care Administration work cooperatively in planning and designing comprehensive community-based substance abuse and mental health programs that focus on the individual needs of clients.

(5)  Ensure that all activities of the Department of Children and Family Services and the Agency for Health Care Administration, and their respective contract providers, involved in the delivery of substance abuse and mental health treatment and prevention services are coordinated and integrated with other local systems and groups, public and private, such as juvenile justice, criminal justice, child protection, and public health organizations; school districts; and local groups or organizations that focus on services to older adults.

(6)  Provide access to crisis services to all residents of the state with priority of attention being given to individuals exhibiting symptoms of acute mental illness or substance abuse.

(7)  Ensure that services provided to persons with co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse problems be integrated across treatment systems.

(8)  Ensure continuity of care, consistent with minimum standards, for persons who are released from a state treatment facility into the community.

(9)  Provide accountability for service provision through statewide standards for treatment and support services, and statewide standards for management, monitoring, and reporting of information.

(10)  Include substance abuse and mental health services as a component of the integrated service delivery system of the Department of Children and Family Services.

(11)  Ensure that the districts of the department are the focal point of all substance abuse and mental health planning activities, including budget submissions, grant applications, contracts, and other arrangements that can be effected at the district level.

(12)  Organize and finance community substance abuse and mental health services in local communities throughout the state through locally administered service delivery programs that are based on client outcomes, are programmatically effective, and are financially efficient, and that maximize the involvement of local citizens.

History.--s. 2, ch. 70-109; s. 30, ch. 75-48; s. 1, ch. 76-221; s. 11, ch. 84-285; s. 101, ch. 99-8; s. 1, ch. 99-396; s. 5, ch. 2000-349.