Florida Statutes 394.47865 – South Florida State Hospital; privatization
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(1) The Department of Children and Families shall, through a request for proposals, privatize South Florida State Hospital. The department shall plan to begin implementation of this privatization initiative by July 1, 1998.
(a) Notwithstanding s. 287.057(14), the department may enter into agreements, not to exceed 20 years, with a private provider, a coalition of providers, or another agency to finance, design, and construct a treatment facility having up to 350 beds and to operate all aspects of daily operations within the facility. The department may subcontract any or all components of this procurement to a statutorily established state governmental entity that has successfully contracted with private companies for designing, financing, acquiring, leasing, constructing, and operating major privatized state facilities.
Terms Used In Florida Statutes 394.47865
- Department: means the Department of Children and Families. See Florida Statutes 394.455
- 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. See Florida Statutes 394.455
- Hospital: means a hospital licensed under chapter 395 and part II of chapter 408. See Florida Statutes 394.455
- 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. See Florida Statutes 394.455
(b) The selected contractor is authorized to sponsor the issuance of tax-exempt bonds, certificates of participation, or other securities to finance the project, and the state is authorized to enter into a lease-purchase agreement for the treatment facility.
(2) The contractor shall operate South Florida State Hospital as a mental health treatment facility that serves voluntarily and involuntarily committed indigent adults who meet the criteria of part I of this chapter and who reside in the South Florida State Hospital service area.
(a) South Florida State Hospital shall remain a participant in the mental health disproportionate share program so long as the residents receive eligible services.
(b) The department and the contractor shall ensure that the treatment facility is operated as a part of a total continuum of care for persons who are mentally ill. The contractor shall have as its primary goal for the treatment facility to effectively treat and assist residents to return to the community as quickly as possible.
(3)(a) Current South Florida State Hospital employees who are affected by the privatization shall be given first preference for continued employment by the contractor. The department shall make reasonable efforts to find suitable job placements for employees who wish to remain within the state Career Service System.
(b) Any savings that result from the privatization of South Florida State Hospital shall be directed to the department’s service districts 9, 10, and 11 for the delivery of community mental health services.