HB 179 Summary

• Establishes the Florida Veterans' Care Coordination Program administered by the Department of Children and Families in consultation with the Florida Alliance of Information and Referral Services

• Program provides behavioral health care referral and care coordination services to veterans and their families statewide through Florida 211 Network participants, modeled after a 2014 pilot program in Tampa Bay area counties

• Program goals include preventing veteran suicides, increasing use of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs programs, and expanding community-based services

• Services include telephonic peer support, crisis intervention, suicide risk assessment, treatment coordination, resource coordination, and immediate needs assessments with follow-up tracking

• Requires Florida 211 Network participants to submit program data to the department for a report due to the Governor and Legislature by December 15, 2019, and appropriates $2,000,155 for fiscal year 2018-2019