Fla. Stat. § 945.42 — Florida Code / Title XLVII / Chapter 945 / Section 945.42
945.42 Definitions; ss. 945.40-945.49.
Status: in_force

As used in ss. 945.40-945.49, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them, unless the context shall clearly indicate otherwise:

(1) “Court” means the circuit court.

(2) “Crisis stabilization care” means an inpatient level of care that is less restrictive and intensive than care provided in a mental health treatment facility, that includes a broad range of evaluation and treatment and services provided within a secure and highly structured residential setting, and that is intended for inmates who are experiencing acute psychological distress and who cannot be adequately evaluated and treated in a transitional care unit or infirmary isolation management room. Such treatment and services are more intense than treatment and services provided in a transitional care unit and are devoted principally toward rapid stabilization of acute symptoms and conditions.

(3) “Department” means the Department of Corrections.

(4) “Express and informed consent” means consent voluntarily given in writing, by a competent inmate, after sufficient explanation and disclosure of the subject matter involved, to enable the inmate to make a knowing and willful decision without any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, or other form of constraint or coercion.

(5) “Gravely disabled” means a condition in which an inmate, as a result of a diagnosed mental illness, is: (a) In danger of serious physical harm resulting from the inmate’s failure to provide for his or her essential physical needs of food, clothing, hygiene, health, or safety without the assistance of others; or (b) Experiencing a substantial deterioration in behavioral functioning evidenced by the inmate’s unremitting decline in volitional control over his or her actions.

(6) “Incompetent to consent to treatment” means a state in which an inmate’s judgment is so affected by mental illness that he or she lacks the capacity to make a well-reasoned, willful, and knowing decision concerning his or her medical or mental health treatment and services. The term is distinguished from the term “incompetent to proceed,” as defined in s. 916.106, and only refers to an inmate’s inability to provide express and informed consent for medical or mental health treatment and services.

(7) “In need of care and treatment” means that an inmate has a mental illness for which inpatient services in a mental health treatment facility are necessary and because of the mental illness: (a) But for being isolated in a more restrictive and secure housing environment: 1. The inmate is demonstrating a refusal to care for himself or herself and without treatment is likely to continue to refuse to care for himself or herself, and such refusal poses a real and present threat of substantial harm to his or her well-being; or 2. There is a substantial likelihood that in the near future the inmate will inflict serious bodily harm on himself or herself or another person, as evidenced by recent behavior causing, attempting, or threatening such harm. (b) The inmate is incompetent to consent to treatment and is unable or is refusing to provide express and informed consent to treatment. (c) The inmate is unable to determine for himself or herself whether placement is necessary; and (d) All available less restrictive treatment alternatives that would offer an opportunity for improvement of the inmate’s condition have been clinically determined to be inappropriate.

(8) “Inmate” means any person committed to the custody of the Department of Corrections.

(9) “Involuntary examination” means a psychiatric examination performed at a mental health treatment facility to determine whether an inmate should be placed in the mental health treatment facility for inpatient mental health treatment and services.

(10) “Likelihood of serious harm” means: (a) A substantial risk that the inmate will inflict serious physical harm upon his or her own person, as evidenced by threats or attempts to commit suicide or the actual infliction of serious physical harm on self; (b) A substantial risk that the inmate will inflict physical harm upon another person, as evidenced by behavior which has caused such harm or which places any person in reasonable fear of sustaining such harm; or (c) A reasonable degree of medical certainty that the inmate will suffer serious physical or mental harm, as evidenced by the inmate’s recent behavior demonstrating an inability to refrain from engaging in self-harm behavior.

(11) “Mental health treatment facility” means any extended treatment or hospitalization-level unit within the corrections system which the Assistant Secretary for Health Services of the department specifically designates by rule to provide acute mental health care and which may include involuntary treatment and therapeutic intervention in contrast to less intensive levels of care such as outpatient mental health care, transitional mental health care, or crisis stabilization care. The term does not include a forensic facility as defined in s. 916.106.

(12) “Mental illness” or “mentally ill” means an impairment of the mental or emotional processes that exercise conscious control of one’s actions or of the ability to perceive or understand reality, which impairment substantially interferes with the person’s ability to meet the ordinary demands of living. However, for the purposes of transferring an inmate to a mental health treatment facility, the term does not include a developmental disability as defined in s. 393.063, simple intoxication, or conditions manifested only by antisocial behavior or substance abuse addiction. However, an individual who is developmentally disabled may also have a mental illness.

(13) “Psychiatrist” means a medical practitioner licensed pursuant to chapter 458 or chapter 459 who has primarily diagnosed and treated nervous and mental disorders for a period of not less than 3 years inclusive of psychiatric residency.

(14) “Psychological professional” means a behavioral practitioner who has an approved doctoral degree in psychology as defined in s. 490.003(3)(b) and is employed by the department or who is licensed as a psychologist pursuant to chapter 490.

(15) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Corrections.

(16) “Transitional mental health care” means a level of care that is more intensive than outpatient care, but less intensive than crisis stabilization care, and is characterized by the provision of traditional mental health treatment and services such as group and individual therapy, activity therapy, recreational therapy, and psychotropic medications in the context of a secure, structured residential setting. Transitional mental health care is indicated for an inmate with chronic or residual symptomatology who does not require crisis stabilization care or acute mental health care, but whose impairment in functioning nevertheless renders him or her incapable of adjusting satisfactorily within the general inmate population.

(17) “Treatment” means psychotropic medications prescribed by a medical practitioner licensed pursuant to chapter 458 or chapter 459, including those laboratory tests and related medical procedures that are essential for the safe and effective administration of a psychotropic medication and psychological interventions and services such as group and individual psychotherapy, activity therapy, recreational therapy, and music therapy. The term does not include forensic services for inmate defendants who are incompetent to proceed as defined in s. 916.106.

(18) “Warden” means the warden of a state corrections facility or his or her designee.

History: s. 1, ch. 82-224; s. 29, ch. 84-361; s. 26, ch. 91-225; s. 3, ch. 96-422; s. 1859, ch. 97-102; s. 19, ch. 2000-161; s. 11, ch. 2008-250; s. 13, ch. 2010-64; s. 43, ch. 2013-162; s. 49, ch. 2020-133; s. 9, ch. 2025-81.