Florida Statutes
Subpart G - Court Involved Admissions;Involuntary Treatment
397.6957 - Hearing on petition for involuntary services.

(1) At a hearing on a petition for involuntary services, the court shall hear and review all relevant evidence, including the review of results of the assessment completed by the qualified professional in connection with the respondent’s protective custody, emergency admission, involuntary assessment, or alternative involuntary admission. The respondent must be present unless the court finds that his or her presence is likely to be injurious to himself or herself or others, in which event the court must appoint a guardian advocate to act in behalf of the respondent throughout the proceedings.
(2) The petitioner has the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that:
(a) The respondent is substance abuse impaired and has a history of lack of compliance with treatment for substance abuse; and
(b) Because of such impairment the respondent is unlikely to voluntarily participate in the recommended services or is unable to determine for himself or herself whether services are necessary and:
1. Without services, the respondent is likely to suffer from neglect or refuse to care for himself or herself; that such neglect or refusal poses a real and present threat of substantial harm to his or her well-being; and that there is a substantial likelihood that without services the respondent will cause serious bodily harm to himself, herself, or another in the near future, as evidenced by recent behavior; or
2. The respondent’s refusal to voluntarily receive care is based on judgment so impaired by reason of substance abuse that the respondent is incapable of appreciating his or her need for care and of making a rational decision regarding that need for care.


(3) One of the qualified professionals who executed the involuntary services certificate must be a witness. The court shall allow testimony from individuals, including family members, deemed by the court to be relevant under state law, regarding the respondent’s prior history and how that prior history relates to the person’s current condition. The testimony in the hearing must be under oath, and the proceedings must be recorded. The patient may refuse to testify at the hearing.
(4) At the conclusion of the hearing the court shall dismiss the petition or order the respondent to receive involuntary services from his or her chosen licensed service provider if possible and appropriate.
History.—s. 6, ch. 93-39; s. 753, ch. 95-148; s. 38, ch. 2016-241.

Structure Florida Statutes