(1) Suicide Risk Alerts.

Have a question?
Click here to chat with a criminal defense lawyer and protect your rights.

    (a) A “”Suicide Risk Alert”” designation shall be made by direct care or clinical staff when a youth is identified during screening or by staff observations as having Suicide Risk Factors.
    (b) The youth coded as a Suicide Risk Alert must be placed on Suicide Precautions and maintained on Constant Supervision until an Assessment of Suicide Risk is conducted. If a youth exhibits behaviors which require both a “”Suicide Risk Alert”” and “”Mental Health Alert,”” the procedures for a “”Suicide Risk Alert”” must be followed.
    (c) Youths on Suicide Precautions shall be coded as a “”Suicide Risk Alert”” until Suicide Precautions are removed.
    (d) An exception is provided for residential commitment programs designated for Specialized Treatment Services where a Mental Health Clinical Staff Person conducts mental health screening at admission, and if a youth is identified with Suicide Risk Factors, immediately administers an Assessment of Suicide Risk. Based upon Assessment of Suicide Risk findings, the Mental Health Clinical Staff Person will determine whether a “”Suicide Risk Alert”” will be placed in JJIS.
    (2) Mental Health Alerts.
    (a) A “”Mental Health Alert”” designation shall be made by direct care or clinical staff when a youth is identified as having mental health conditions and factors which may pose a safety or security risk.
    (b) Mental Health Alert indicators include the following:
    1. Recent history of self-injurious behavior such as self-mutilation, carving or cutting self, ingestion of objects, or head banging which required emergency medical services within the previous 3 months,
    2. Recent history of psychosis and symptoms such as auditory or visual hallucinations or delusions which required hospitalization within the previous 3 months,
    3. Recent history of examination or placement under the Baker Act within the previous 3 months,
    4. Recent history of Drug or alcohol detoxification, overdose or withdrawal symptoms within the previous 3 months,
    5. Recent history of evaluation, or admission under the Marchman Act within the previous 3 months,
    6. Severe Developmental Disability.
    (c) An exception is provided for residential commitment programs designated for Specialized Treatment Services where a Mental Health Clinical Staff Person administers mental health screening at admission, and if a youth is identified with mental health conditions or factors which may pose a safety or security risk, immediately administers a Crisis Assessment at admission. In such instances, the Mental Health Clinical Staff Person will determine whether a “”Mental Health Alert”” will be placed in JJIS, based upon the Crisis Assessment findings.
    (d) Youths coded as a “”Mental Health Alert”” must be maintained on one of the following levels of supervision:
    1. One-to-One Supervision.
    2. Constant Supervision.
    3. Close Supervision.
    (e) Documentation of One-to-One supervision or Constant Supervision of youths on Mental Health Alert must be recorded on the Mental Health Alert — Observation Log (MHSA 007), or a form developed by the program which contains all the information required in form MHSA 007. The Mental Health Alert — Observation Log (MHSA 007, August 2006) is incorporated by reference and is available at http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-03776, or may be obtained by contacting: DJJ, Office of Health Services, 2737 Centerview Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32399.
    (f) Documentation of close supervision is recorded on the Close Supervision-Visual Checks Log (MHSA 020) or a form developed by the program which contains all the information required in form MHSA 020. The Close Supervision-Visual Checks Log (MHSA 020, August 2006) is incorporated by reference and is available at http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-03777, or may be obtained by contacting: DJJ, Office of Health Services, 2737 Centerview Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32399.
    (3) A current listing of youths on Suicide Risk Alert or Mental Health Alert in JJIS must be maintained and provided to direct care and clinical staff on a daily basis.
    (4) Direct care or clinical staff may place a youth on Suicide Risk Alert or Mental Health Alert in JJIS.
    (5) A Licensed Mental Health Professional or non-licensed Mental Health Clinical Staff Person must downgrade or discontinue a youth’s alert status.
    (a) If the downgrade of discontinuation of alert status is made by a non-licensed Mental Health Clinical Staff Person, the concurrence of a Licensed Mental Health Professional must be documented by the Mental Health Clinical Staff Person in a progress note and JJIS.
    (b) A copy of the documented concurrence of the Licensed Mental Health Professional must be permanently filed in the youth’s individual healthcare record.
Rulemaking Authority Florida Statutes § 985.64(2). Law Implemented 985.601(3)(a), 985.14(3)(a), 985.145(1), 985.18, 985.48(4), 985.64(2) FS. History-New 3-16-14.