HB 1347 Summary

• Requires county health departments to recruit qualified professionals with expertise in mental health and substance abuse treatment to staff special needs shelters alongside existing health care practitioners.

• Mandates all special needs shelters establish designated shelter areas for persons with mental health or substance use disorders to enable continuation of detoxification and stabilization services.

• Expands the special needs shelter interagency committee membership to include representatives from mental health and substance abuse treatment organizations such as the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association and Florida Council for Community Mental Health.

• Authorizes reimbursement to qualified professionals, access centers, and addictions receiving facilities for services provided during emergencies or disasters, including up to 90 days of care for individuals discharged from shelters.

• Requires department rulemaking to define "person with special needs" to include individuals with substance abuse impairment and establish staffing guidelines, registration standards, and facility participation requirements for special needs shelters; effective July 1, 2018.