Fla. Stat. § 394.455 — Florida Code / Title XXIX / Chapter 394 / Part I / Section 394.455
394.455 Definitions.
Status: in_force

As used in this part, the term:

(1) “Access center” means a facility that has medical, mental health, and substance abuse professionals to provide emergency screening and evaluation for mental health or substance abuse disorders and may provide transportation to an appropriate facility if an individual is in need of more intensive services.

(2) “Addictions receiving facility” is a secure, acute care facility that, at a minimum, provides emergency screening, evaluation, detoxification, and stabilization services; is operated 24 hours per day, 7 days per week; and is designated by the department to serve individuals found to have substance abuse impairment who qualify for services under this part.

(3) “Administrator” means the chief administrative officer of a receiving or treatment facility or his or her designee.

(4) “Adult” means an individual who is 18 years of age or older or who has had the disability of nonage removed under chapter 743.

(5) “Clinical psychologist” means a person licensed to practice psychology under chapter 490 or a psychologist employed by a facility operated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs that qualifies as a receiving or treatment facility under this part.

(6) “Clinical record” means all parts of the record required to be maintained and includes all medical records, progress notes, charts, and admission and discharge data, and all other information recorded by facility staff which pertains to the patient’s hospitalization or treatment.

(7) “Clinical social worker” means a person licensed as a clinical social worker under s. 491.005 or s. 491.006.

(8) “Community facility” means a community service provider that contracts with the department to furnish substance abuse or mental health services under part IV of this chapter.

(9) “Community mental health center or clinic” means a publicly funded, not-for-profit center that contracts with the department for the provision of inpatient, outpatient, day treatment, or emergency services.

(10) “Coordinated specialty care program” means an evidence-based program for individuals who are experiencing the early indications of serious mental illness, especially symptoms of a first psychotic episode, and which includes, but is not limited to, intensive case management, individual or group therapy, supported employment, family education and supports, and the provision of appropriate psychotropic medication as needed.

(11) “Court,” unless otherwise specified, means the circuit court.

(12) “Department” means the Department of Children and Families.

(13) “Designated receiving facility” means a facility approved by the department which may be a public or private hospital, crisis stabilization unit, or addictions receiving facility; which provides, at a minimum, emergency screening, evaluation, and short-term stabilization for mental health or substance abuse disorders; and which may have an agreement with a corresponding facility for transportation and services.

(14) “Detoxification facility” means a facility licensed to provide detoxification services under chapter 397.

(15) “Electronic means” means a form of telecommunication which requires all parties to maintain visual as well as audio communication when being used to conduct an examination by a qualified professional.

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

(17) “Facility” means any hospital, community facility, public or private facility, or receiving or treatment facility providing for the evaluation, diagnosis, care, treatment, training, or hospitalization of persons who appear to have or who have been diagnosed as having a mental illness or substance abuse impairment. The term does not include a program or an entity licensed under chapter 400 or chapter 429.

(18) “Guardian” means the natural guardian of a minor, or a person appointed by a court to act on behalf of a ward’s person if the ward is a minor or has been adjudicated incapacitated.

(19) “Guardian advocate” means a person appointed by a court to make decisions regarding mental health treatment on behalf of a patient who has been found incompetent to consent to treatment pursuant to this part.

(20) “Hospital” means a hospital licensed under chapter 395 and part II of chapter 408.

(21) “Incapacitated” means that a person has been adjudicated incapacitated pursuant to part V of chapter 744 and a guardian of the person has been appointed.

(22) “Incompetent to consent to treatment” means a state in which a person’s judgment is so affected by a mental illness or a substance abuse impairment that he or she lacks the capacity to make a well-reasoned, willful, and knowing decision concerning his or her medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment.

(23) “Involuntary examination” means an examination performed under s. 394.463, s. 397.6772, s. 397.679, s. 397.6798, or s. 397.6957 to determine whether a person qualifies for involuntary services.

(24) “Involuntary services” means court-ordered outpatient services or inpatient placement for mental health treatment pursuant to s. 394.4655 or s. 394.467.

(25) “Law enforcement officer” has the same meaning as provided in s. 943.10.

(26) “Marriage and family therapist” means a person licensed to practice marriage and family therapy under s. 491.005 or s. 491.006.

(27) “Mental health counselor” means a person licensed to practice mental health counseling under s. 491.005 or s. 491.006.

(28) “Mental health overlay program” means a mobile service that provides an independent examination for voluntary admission and a range of supplemental onsite services to persons with a mental illness in a residential setting such as a nursing home, an assisted living facility, or an adult family-care home or a nonresidential setting such as an adult day care center. Independent examinations provided through a mental health overlay program must only be provided under contract with the department or be attached to a public receiving facility that is also a community mental health center.

(29) “Mental illness” 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. For the purposes of this part, the term does not include a developmental disability as defined in chapter 393, intoxication, or conditions manifested only by dementia, traumatic brain injury, antisocial behavior, or substance abuse.

(30) “Minor” means an individual who is 17 years of age or younger and who has not had the disability of nonage removed pursuant to s. 743.01 or s. 743.015.

(31) “Mobile crisis response service” or “mobile response team” means a nonresidential behavioral health crisis service available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week which provides immediate intensive assessments and interventions, including screening for admission into a mental health receiving facility, an addictions receiving facility, or a detoxification facility, for the purpose of identifying appropriate treatment services.

(32) “Patient” means any person, with or without a co-occurring substance abuse disorder, who is held or accepted for mental health treatment.

(33) “Physician” means a medical practitioner licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459 who has experience in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness or a physician employed by a facility operated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Department of Defense.

(34) “Physician assistant” means a person licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459 who has experience in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.

(35) “Private facility” means a hospital or facility operated by a for-profit or not-for-profit corporation or association which provides mental health or substance abuse services and is not a public facility.

(36) “Psychiatric nurse” means an advanced practice registered nurse licensed under s. 464.012 who has a master’s or doctoral degree in psychiatric nursing and holds a national advanced practice certification as a psychiatric mental health advanced practice nurse, and has 1 year of post-master’s clinical experience under the supervision of a physician.

(37) “Psychiatrist” means a medical practitioner licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459 for at least 3 years, inclusive of psychiatric residency.

(38) “Public facility” means a facility that has contracted with the department to provide mental health services to all persons, regardless of ability to pay, and is receiving state funds for such purpose.

(39) “Qualified professional” means a physician or a physician assistant licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459; a psychiatrist licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459; a psychologist as defined in s. 490.003(7); or a psychiatric nurse as defined in this section.

(40) “Receiving facility” means a public or private facility or hospital designated by the department to receive and hold or refer, as appropriate, involuntary patients under emergency conditions for mental health or substance abuse evaluation and to provide treatment or transportation to the appropriate service provider. The term does not include a county jail.

(41) “Representative” means a person selected to receive notice of proceedings during the time a patient is held in or admitted to a receiving or treatment facility.

(42) “Restraint” means: (a) A physical restraint, including any manual method or physical or mechanical device, material, or equipment attached or adjacent to an individual’s body so that he or she cannot easily remove the restraint and which restricts freedom of movement or normal access to one’s body. “Physical restraint” includes the physical holding of a person during a procedure to forcibly administer psychotropic medication. “Physical restraint” does not include physical devices such as orthopedically prescribed appliances, surgical dressings and bandages, supportive body bands, or other physical holding when necessary for routine physical examinations and tests or for purposes of orthopedic, surgical, or other similar medical treatment when used to provide support for the achievement of functional body position or proper balance or when used to protect a person from falling out of bed. (b) A drug or medication used to control a person’s behavior or to restrict his or her freedom of movement which is not part of the standard treatment regimen of a person with a diagnosed mental illness.

(43) “Seclusion” means the physical segregation or involuntary isolation of a person in a room or area from which the person is prevented from leaving. The prevention may be by physical barrier or by a staff member who is acting in a manner, or who is physically situated, so as to prevent the person from leaving the room or area. For purposes of this part, the term does not mean isolation due to a person’s medical condition or symptoms.

(44) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Children and Families.

(45) “Service provider” means a receiving facility, a facility licensed under chapter 397, a treatment facility, an entity under contract with the department to provide mental health or substance abuse services, a community mental health center or clinic, a psychologist, a clinical social worker, a marriage and family therapist, a mental health counselor, a physician, a psychiatrist, an advanced practice registered nurse, a psychiatric nurse, or a qualified professional as defined in s. 39.01.

(46) “Substance abuse impairment” means a condition involving the use of alcoholic beverages or any psychoactive or mood-altering substance in such a manner that a person has lost the power of self-control and has inflicted or is likely to inflict physical harm on himself, herself, or another.

(47) “Telehealth” has the same meaning as provided in s. 456.47.

(48) “Transfer evaluation” means the process by which a person who is being considered for placement in a state treatment facility is evaluated for appropriateness of admission to such facility.

(49) “Treatment facility” means a state-owned, state-operated, or state-supported hospital, center, or clinic designated by the department for extended treatment and hospitalization, beyond that provided for by a receiving facility, of persons who have a mental illness, including facilities of the United States Government, and any private facility designated by the department when rendering such services to a person pursuant to the provisions of this part. Patients treated in facilities of the United States Government shall be solely those whose care is the responsibility of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

(50) “Triage center” means a facility that has medical, mental health, and substance abuse professionals present or on call to provide emergency screening and evaluation for mental health or substance abuse disorders for individuals transported to the center by a law enforcement officer.

History: s. 3, ch. 71-131; s. 1, ch. 72-396; s. 1, ch. 73-133; s. 25, ch. 73-334; s. 199, ch. 77-147; s. 2, ch. 79-298; s. 1, ch. 80-398; s. 5, ch. 82-212; s. 46, ch. 83-218; s. 3, ch. 84-285; s. 11, ch. 85-54; s. 11, ch. 86-145; s. 10, ch. 87-238; s. 17, ch. 87-252; s. 41, ch. 89-526; s. 28, ch. 90-306; s. 21, ch. 92-33; s. 65, ch. 93-268; s. 705, ch. 95-148; s. 54, ch. 95-228; s. 2, ch. 96-169; s. 8, ch. 97-82; s. 21, ch. 97-198; s. 213, ch. 97-264; s. 92, ch. 2000-318; s. 1, ch. 2000-349; s. 1, ch. 2004-385; s. 1, ch. 2006-171; s. 17, ch. 2006-197; s. 37, ch. 2006-227; s. 24, ch. 2007-230; s. 2, ch. 2009-38; s. 11, ch. 2013-162; s. 78, ch. 2014-19; s. 1, ch. 2015-111; s. 7, ch. 2016-127; s. 87, ch. 2016-241; s. 22, ch. 2018-106; s. 4, ch. 2020-39; s. 2, ch. 2022-36; s. 14, ch. 2024-15; s. 48, ch. 2024-245.