Fla. Stat. § 394.468 — Florida Code / Title XXIX / Chapter 394 / Part I / Section 394.468
394.468 Admission and discharge procedures.
Status: in_force

(1) Admission and discharge procedures and treatment policies of the department are governed solely by this part. Such procedures and policies shall not be subject to control by court procedure rules. The matters within the purview of this part are deemed to be substantive, not procedural.

(2) Discharge planning and procedures for any patient’s release from a receiving facility or treatment facility must include and document the patient’s needs, and actions to address such needs, for, at a minimum: (a) Followup behavioral health appointments; (b) Information on how to obtain prescribed medications, including, but not limited to, administration of long-acting injectable medications. The discharge plan must address any barriers faced by the patient to accessing long-acting injectable medications after discharge if such medication is part of the patient’s plan; (c) Information pertaining to: 1. Available living arrangements. 2. Transportation; (d) Referral to: 1. Care coordination services. The patient must be referred for care coordination services if the patient meets the criteria as a member of a priority population as determined by the department under s. 394.9082(3)(c) and is in need of such services. 2. Recovery support opportunities under s. 394.4573(2)(l), including, but not limited to, connection to a peer specialist; and (e) Administration of long-acting injectable medication before discharge if such medication is available to treat the patient’s diagnosed behavioral health condition and is clinically appropriate for the patient.

(3) During the discharge transition process and while the patient is present unless determined inappropriate by a physician or psychiatric nurse practicing within the framework of an established protocol with a psychiatrist a receiving facility shall coordinate, face to face or through electronic means, discharge plans to a less restrictive community behavioral health provider, a peer specialist, a case manager, or a care coordination service. The transition process must, at a minimum, include all of the following criteria: (a) Implementation of policies and procedures outlining strategies for how the receiving facility will comprehensively address the needs of patients who demonstrate a high use of receiving facility services to avoid or reduce future use of crisis stabilization services. For any such patient, policies and procedures must include, at a minimum, a review of the effectiveness of previous discharge plans created by the facility for the patient, and the new discharge plan must address problems experienced with implementation of previous discharge plans. (b) Developing and including in discharge paperwork a personalized crisis prevention plan that identifies stressors, early warning signs or symptoms, and strategies to deal with crisis. (c) Requiring a staff member to seek to engage a family member, legal guardian, legal representative, or natural support in discharge planning and meet face to face or through electronic means to review the discharge instructions, including prescribed medications, follow-up appointments, and any other recommended services or follow-up resources, and document the outcome of such meeting. When the recommended level of care at discharge is not immediately available to the patient, the receiving facility must, at a minimum, initiate a referral to an appropriate provider to meet the needs of the patient to continue care until the recommended level of care is available.

History: s. 9, ch. 77-312; s. 21, ch. 96-169; s. 7, ch. 2022-36; s. 12, ch. 2024-245; s. 38, ch. 2025-6; s. 3, ch. 2025-184.