Florida Statutes
Part I - Florida Mental Health Act (Ss. 394.451-394.47892)
394.4599 - Notice.

(1) VOLUNTARY ADMISSION.—Notice of an individual’s voluntary admission shall be given only at the request of the individual, except that, in an emergency, notice shall be given as determined by the facility.
(2) INVOLUNTARY ADMISSION.—
(a) Whenever notice is required to be given under this part, such notice shall be given to the individual and the individual’s guardian, guardian advocate, health care surrogate or proxy, attorney, and representative.
1. When notice is required to be given to an individual, it shall be given both orally and in writing, in the language and terminology that the individual can understand, and, if needed, the facility shall provide an interpreter for the individual.
2. Notice to an individual’s guardian, guardian advocate, health care surrogate or proxy, attorney, and representative shall be given by mail with the date, time, and method of notice delivery documented in the clinical record. Hand delivery by a facility employee may be used as an alternative, with the date and time of delivery documented in the clinical record. If notice is given by a state attorney or an attorney for the department, a certificate of service is sufficient to document service.

(b) A receiving facility shall give prompt notice of the whereabouts of an individual who is being involuntarily held for examination to the individual’s guardian, guardian advocate, health care surrogate or proxy, attorney or representative, or other emergency contact identified through electronic databases pursuant to s. 394.463(2)(a), by telephone or in person within 24 hours after the individual’s arrival at the facility. Contact attempts shall be documented in the individual’s clinical record and shall begin as soon as reasonably possible after the individual’s arrival.

(c)1. A receiving facility shall give notice of the whereabouts of a minor who is being involuntarily held for examination pursuant to s. 394.463 to the minor’s parent, guardian, caregiver, or guardian advocate, in person or by telephone or other form of electronic communication, immediately after the minor’s arrival at the facility. The facility may delay notification for no more than 24 hours after the minor’s arrival if the facility has submitted a report to the central abuse hotline, pursuant to s. 39.201, based upon knowledge or suspicion of abuse, abandonment, or neglect and if the facility deems a delay in notification to be in the minor’s best interest.
2. The receiving facility shall attempt to notify the minor’s parent, guardian, caregiver, or guardian advocate until the receiving facility receives confirmation from the parent, guardian, caregiver, or guardian advocate, verbally, by telephone or other form of electronic communication, or by recorded message, that notification has been received. Attempts to notify the parent, guardian, caregiver, or guardian advocate must be repeated at least once every hour during the first 12 hours after the minor’s arrival and once every 24 hours thereafter and must continue until such confirmation is received, unless the minor is released at the end of the 72-hour examination period, or until a petition for involuntary services is filed with the court pursuant to s. 394.463(2)(g). The receiving facility may seek assistance from a law enforcement agency to notify the minor’s parent, guardian, caregiver, or guardian advocate if the facility has not received within the first 24 hours after the minor’s arrival a confirmation by the parent, guardian, caregiver, or guardian advocate that notification has been received. The receiving facility must document notification attempts in the minor’s clinical record.

(d) The written notice of the filing of the petition for involuntary services for an individual being held must contain the following:
1. Notice that the petition for:
a. Involuntary inpatient treatment pursuant to s. 394.467 has been filed with the circuit court in the county in which the individual is hospitalized and the address of such court; or
b. Involuntary outpatient 1services pursuant to s. 394.4655 has been filed with the criminal county court, as defined in s. 394.4655(1), or the circuit court, as applicable, in the county in which the individual is hospitalized and the address of such court.

2. Notice that the office of the public defender has been appointed to represent the individual in the proceeding, if the individual is not otherwise represented by counsel.
3. The date, time, and place of the hearing and the name of each examining expert and every other person expected to testify in support of continued detention.
4. Notice that the individual, the individual’s guardian, guardian advocate, health care surrogate or proxy, or representative, or the administrator may apply for a change of venue for the convenience of the parties or witnesses or because of the condition of the individual.
5. Notice that the individual is entitled to an independent expert examination and, if the individual cannot afford such an examination, that the court will provide for one.

(e) A treatment facility shall provide notice of an individual’s involuntary admission on the next regular working day after the individual’s arrival at the facility.
(f) When an individual is to be transferred from one facility to another, notice shall be given by the facility where the individual is located before the transfer.

History.—s. 11, ch. 96-169; s. 13, ch. 2000-263; s. 2, ch. 2015-67; s. 5, ch. 2016-127; ss. 65, 86, ch. 2016-241; s. 4, ch. 2022-36.
1Note.—As amended by s. 86, ch. 2016-241. The amendment by s. 5, ch. 2016-127, uses the word “treatment” instead of the word “services.”