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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to behavioral health teaching 2
hospitals; creating part VI of ch. 395, F.S., entitled 3
"Behavioral Health Teaching Hospitals"; creating s. 4
395.901, F.S.; providing definitions; providing 5
legislative findings and intent; creating s. 395.902, 6
F.S.; specifying the manner in which licensed 7
hospitals may seek designation as a behavioral health 8
teaching hospital; specifying criteria that a hospital 9
must meet to receive and maintain such designation; 10
requiring the Agency for Health Care Administratio n to 11
award a hospital certain funds upon designation, 12
subject to appropriation; requiring a designated 13
behavioral health teaching hospital to submit an 14
annual report containing specified information; 15
providing for terms and a renewal process for a 16
hospital designation; authorizing the agency to deny, 17
revoke, or suspend the designation; establishing a 18
grant program for the purpose of funding designated 19
behavioral health teaching hospitals; providing an 20
administrative process to receive, evaluate, and rank 21
applications that request grant funds; authorizing the 22
agency to submit a budget amendment to the Legislature 23
requesting the release of grant funds to make awards; 24
providing a carry forward term of years for obligated 25
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funds not disbursed in the same year in which the 26
funds were appropriated; authorizing the agency to 27
adopt rules; amending s. 1004.44, F.S.; establishing 28
the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce 29
within the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health 30
Institute within the University of South Florida for a 31
specified purpose; specifying the goals and 32
requirements for the center; authorizing the center to 33
request, and requiring certain boards to provide, 34
certain information regarding behavioral health 35
professionals licensed or practicing in this state; 36
requiring the center to submit an annual report to the 37
Governor and the Legislature; requiring the Board of 38
Governors and the State Board of Education to adopt 39
any necessary regulations and rules in an expeditious 40
manner; requiring the Department o f Children and 41
Families to contract for a study of the current and 42
projected future demand for inpatient treatment 43
services, the state's current and projected future 44
ability to meet that demand, and to make certain 45
recommendations; specifying requirements for the 46
study; providing effective dates. 47
48
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 49
50
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Section 1. Part VI of chapter 395, Florida Statutes, 51
consisting of ss. 395.901 and 395.902, Florida Statutes, is 52
created and entitled "Behavioral Health Teaching Hospitals." 53
Section 2. Section 395.901, Florida Statutes, is created 54
to read: 55
395.901 Definitions; findings and intent. — 56
(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this part, the term: 57
(a) "Agency" means the Agency for Health Care 58
Administration. 59
(b) "Behavioral health" means the prevention, treatment 60
of, and recovery from any or all substance use disorders, mental 61
health disorders, or co -occurring disorders. 62
(c) "Behavioral health professions" means licensed or 63
certified professionals servin g the needs of patients with 64
behavioral health disorders, including, but not limited to, 65
psychiatrists licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459, 66
psychologists licensed under chapter 490, psychiatric nurses 67
licensed under chapter 464, and social workers, m arriage and 68
family therapists, or mental health counselors licensed under 69
chapter 491. 70
(d) "Behavioral health teaching hospital" means a hospital 71
licensed under this chapter and designated as a behavioral 72
health teaching hospital by the agency under s. 3 95.902. 73
(e) "Department" means the Department of Children and 74
Families. 75
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(2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT. — 76
(a) The Legislature finds that there is a critical 77
shortage of behavioral health professionals and recognizes the 78
urgent need to expand the existing behavioral health workforce, 79
prepare for an aging workforce, incentivize entry into 80
behavioral health professions, and train a modernized workforce 81
in innovative integrated care. 82
(b) The Legislature finds there is a specific need to 83
support a behavioral health education system that not only 84
trains the next generation of professionals in innovative and 85
integrated care for those with behavioral health needs, but also 86
works to modernize the state's overall behavioral health system 87
of care. 88
(c) The Legislature intends to identify and designate 89
multiple behavioral health teaching hospitals that work to 90
provide the necessary research, education, and services to 91
enhance the state's behavioral health workforce and make that 92
workforce and system of care the national standard. 93
(d) The Legislature intends to create the Florida Center 94
for Behavioral Health Workforce within the Louis de la Parte 95
Florida Mental Health Institute to address issues of workforce 96
supply and demand in behavioral health professions , including 97
issues of recruitment, retention, and workforce resources. 98
(e) The Legislature intends for designated behavioral 99
health teaching hospitals to: 100
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1. Conduct state-of-the-art behavioral health research. 101
2. Provide leading-edge education and t raining in 102
innovative and integrated care for the state's behavioral health 103
workforce. 104
3. Collaborate with other university colleges and schools 105
of medicine, nursing, psychology, social work, public health, 106
and other relevant disciplines to promote and e nhance a 107
modernized behavioral health system of care. 108
4. Develop, implement, and promote public -private 109
partnerships throughout this state to support and enhance the 110
intent of this part. 111
5. Partner with the state to provide behavioral health 112
care, address regional and system -wide behavioral health needs, 113
and support the state in providing treatment and care for those 114
whose need and acuity has resulted in the need for long -term 115
voluntary services or involuntary civil commitment. 116
Section 3. Section 39 5.902, Florida Statutes, is created 117
to read: 118
395.902 Behavioral health teaching hospitals. — 119
(1) A licensed hospital may apply to the agency for 120
designation as a behavioral health teaching hospital by 121
submitting an application and documentation establis hing 122
eligibility in a manner determined by the agency. 123
(2) To be designated as a behavioral health teaching 124
hospital, a hospital must: 125
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(a) Operate as a teaching hospital as defined in s. 126
408.07. 127
(b) Offer a psychiatric residency program accredited 128
through the Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation 129
Council of Graduate Medical Education, and an accredited 130
postdoctoral clinical psychology fellowship program. 131
(c) Provide behavioral health services. 132
(d) Affiliate with a university in this stat e to create 133
and maintain integrated workforce development programs for 134
students of the university's colleges or schools of medicine, 135
nursing, psychology, social work, and public health related to 136
the entire continuum of behavioral health care, including, a t a 137
minimum, screening, therapeutic and supportive services, 138
community outpatient care, crisis stabilization, short -term 139
residential treatment, and long -term care. 140
(e) Develop a plan to create and maintain integrated 141
workforce development programs with t he affiliated university's 142
colleges or schools and to supervise clinical care provided by 143
students participating in such programs. 144
(3) A designated behavioral health teaching hospital must: 145
(a) Within 90 days after designation, develop and maintain 146
a consultation agreement with the Florida Center for Behavioral 147
Health Workforce within the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental 148
Health Institute to establish best practices related to 149
integrated workforce development programs for the behavioral 150
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health professions. 151
(b) Collaborate with the department and managing entities 152
as defined in s. 394.9082(2) to identify gaps in the regional 153
continuum of behavioral health care that are appropriate for the 154
behavioral health teaching hospital to address, either 155
independently or in collaboration with other organizations 156
providing behavioral health services, and which will facilitate 157
implementation of the plan developed under paragraph (2)(e). 158
(c) Within 90 days after designation, enter into an 159
agreement with the department to provide state treatment 160
facility beds, when determined necessary by the department. 161
(d) Provide data related to the hospital's integrated 162
workforce development programs and the services provided by the 163
hospital to the agency, the department, or the O ffice of 164
Reimagining Education and Career Help, as determined by the 165
agency, department, or the Office of Reimagining Education and 166
Career Help. 167
(4) Upon designating a behavioral health teaching hospital 168
pursuant to this section, the agency shall, subjec t to 169
legislative appropriation, award the hospital funds: 170
(a) For up to 10 newly created resident positions through 171
the Slots for Doctors Program established in s. 409.909. 172
(b) Through the Training, Education, and Clinicals in 173
Health (TEACH) Funding Pr ogram established in s. 409.91256 to 174
offset the costs of maintaining integrated workforce development 175
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
programs. 176
(5) A designated behavioral health teaching hospital must 177
annually report to the agency and the department by December 1 178
the current status of the designated behavioral health teaching 179
hospital program, including, but not limited to, the: 180
(a) Number of psychiatric residents. 181
(b) Number of postdoctoral clinical psychology fellows. 182
(c) Status and details of the consultation agreement with 183
and Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce within the 184
Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute. 185
(d) Implementation status of the plan required by 186
paragraph (2)(e). 187
(e) Activities, agreements, and accomplishments of the 188
collaboration required by paragraph (3)(b). 189
(f) Number of facility beds and patients served under 190
paragraph (3)(c). 191
(6) A behavioral health teaching hospital designation is 192
valid for 2 years. To renew the designation, a hospital must 193
submit an application for renewa l to the agency on a form 194
established by the agency at least 90 days before the expiration 195
of the designation. The renewal process is subject to the time 196
periods and tolling provisions of s. 120.60. The agency may 197
deny, revoke, or suspend a designation at any time if a 198
behavioral health teaching hospital is not in compliance with 199
the requirements of this section. 200
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(7) There is established within the agency a grant program 201
for the purpose of funding designated behavioral health teaching 202
hospitals, subject t o legislative appropriation. Grant funding 203
may be used for operations and expenses and fixed capital 204
outlay, including, but not limited to, facility renovation and 205
upgrades. 206
(a) Beginning October 1, 2024, and subject to the 207
availability of funds, the age ncy shall hold an annual open 208
application period to accept applications from designated 209
behavioral health teaching hospitals on a form established by 210
the agency. Applicants must include a detailed spending plan 211
with the application. 212
(b) The agency, in co nsultation with the department, shall 213
evaluate and rank grant applications based on the quality of the 214
plan submitted under paragraph (2)(e), or the quality of plan 215
implementation, as applicable, related to achieving the purposes 216
of the behavioral health t eaching hospital program and make 217
recommendations for grant awards and distribution of available 218
funding for such awards. The agency shall submit the evaluation 219
and grant award recommendations to the President of the Senate 220
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives within 90 days 221
after the close of the open application period. 222
(c) Notwithstanding ss. 216.181 and 216.292, the agency 223
may submit budget amendments, subject to the notice, review, and 224
objection procedures under s. 216.177, requesting the release of 225
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the funds to make awards. The agency is authorized to submit 226
budget amendments relating to capital improvement projects under 227
the grant program only within 90 days after the close of the 228
open application period. 229
(8) Notwithstanding s. 216.301 and pursuant to s. 216.351, 230
the balance of any appropriation from the General Revenue Fund 231
for the program which is not disbursed but which is obligated 232
pursuant to contract or committed to be expended by June 30 of 233
the fiscal year in which the funds are a ppropriated may be 234
carried forward for up to 5 years after the effective date of 235
the original appropriation. 236
(9) The agency may adopt rules necessary to implement this 237
section. 238
Section 4. Subsections (6) and (7) are added to section 239
1004.44, Florida Statutes, to read: 240
1004.44 Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health 241
Institute.—There is established the Louis de la Parte Florida 242
Mental Health Institute within the University of South Florida. 243
(6)(a) There is established, within the institute, the 244
Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce. The purpose of 245
the center is to support an adequate, highly skilled, resilient, 246
and innovative workforce that meets the current and future human 247
resources needs of the state's behavioral health system in order 248
to provide high-quality care, services, and supports to 249
Floridians with, or at risk of developing, behavioral health 250
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conditions through original research, policy analysis, 251
evaluation, and development and dissemination of best practices. 252
The goals of the cent er are, at a minimum, to research the 253
state's current behavioral health workforce and future needs; 254
expand the number of clinicians, professionals, and other 255
workers involved in the behavioral health workforce; and enhance 256
the skill level and innovativenes s of the workforce. The center 257
shall, at a minimum: 258
1. Describe and analyze the current workforce and project 259
possible future workforce demand, especially in critical roles, 260
and develop strategies for addressing any gaps. The center's 261
efforts may include, but need not be limited to, producing a 262
statistically valid biennial analysis of the supply and demand 263
of the behavioral health workforce. 264
2. Expand pathways to behavioral health professions 265
through enhanced educational opportunities and improved facul ty 266
development and retention. The center's efforts may include, but 267
need not be limited to: 268
a. Identifying best practices in the academic preparation 269
and continuing education of behavioral health professionals. 270
b. Facilitating and coordinating the deve lopment of 271
academic-practice partnerships that support behavioral health 272
faculty employment and advancement. 273
c. Developing and implementing innovative projects to 274
support the recruitment, development, and retention of 275
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behavioral health educators, faculty , and clinical preceptors. 276
d. Developing distance learning infrastructure for 277
behavioral health education and the evidence -based use of 278
technology, simulation, and distance learning techniques. 279
3. Promote behavioral health professions. The center's 280
efforts may include, but need not be limited to: 281
a. Conducting original research on the factors affecting 282
recruitment, retention, and advancement of the behavioral health 283
workforce, such as designing and implementing a longitudinal 284
study of the state's beha vioral health workforce. 285
b. Developing and implementing innovative projects to 286
support the recruitment, development, and retention of 287
behavioral health workers. 288
(b) The center may: 289
1. Convene groups, including, but not limited to, 290
behavioral health clinicians, professionals, and workers; 291
employers of such individuals; other health care providers; 292
individuals with behavioral health conditions and their 293
families; business and industry leaders; policymakers; and 294
educators to assist the center in its work . 295
2. Request from any board as defined in s. 456.001, and 296
the board must provide to the center upon its request, any 297
information held by the board regarding a behavioral health 298
professional licensed in this state or holding a multistate 299
license pursuant to a professional multistate licensure compact 300
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or information reported to the board by employers of such 301
behavioral health professionals, other than personal identifying 302
information. 303
(c) By January 10 of each year, the center shall submit a 304
report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the 305
Speaker of the House of Representatives providing details of its 306
activities during the preceding calendar year in pursuit of its 307
goals and in the execution of its duties under paragraph (a). 308
The report submitted in 2025, shall include an initial statewide 309
strategic plan for meeting the goals in subsection (6), which 310
shall be updated in each subsequent report. 311
(7) The Board of Governors and the State Board of 312
Education, in consultation with the center, shall expeditiously 313
adopt any necessary regulations and rules, as applicable, to 314
allow the center to perform its responsibilities under 315
subsection (6) and this subsection beginning in the 2025 -2026 316
fiscal year. 317
Section 5. Effective upon this act becoming a l aw, the 318
Department of Children and Families must contract for a study of 319
the current and projected future demand for inpatient treatment 320
services for adults and children with serious mental illness, 321
the state's current and projected future ability to meet that 322
demand, and recommendations for enhancing the availability of 323
inpatient treatment services and for providing alternatives to 324
such services. The study must consider the demand for both civil 325
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and forensic inpatient placements. The study must be complete d 326
by January 31, 2025, and at a minimum: 327
(1) Describe, by state treatment facility, the current 328
number and allocation of beds for inpatient treatment between 329
forensic and civil placements, number of individuals admitted 330
and discharged annually, types and frequency of diagnoses, and 331
lengths of stay. 332
(2) Describe, by department region, the current number and 333
allocation of beds in receiving facilities for inpatient 334
treatment between forensic and civil placements, number of 335
individuals admitted and discharged annually, types and 336
frequency of diagnoses, and lengths of stay. 337
(3) Specify the current and projected future demand for 338
civil and forensic inpatient placements at state treatment 339
facilities and at receiving facilities, by region; any gaps in 340
current and future availability of these services compared to 341
current service availability; and the number of inpatient beds 342
needed by facility type, region of state, and placement type to 343
meet current and projected future demand. 344
(4) Describe policy rec ommendations for ensuring 345
sufficient bed capacity for longer -term involuntary treatment, 346
either at the state treatment facilities or receiving 347
facilities, and enhancing services that could prevent the need 348
for involuntary inpatient placements. 349
Section 6. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this 350
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act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 351