63N-1.0093. Assessment of Suicide Risk and Follow-Up Assessment Procedures

(1) Assessment of Suicide Risk.

(a) An Assessment of Suicide Risk shall be conducted within 24 hours of referral, or immediately if the youth is in Crisis.

1. Any youth with current Suicide Ideation shall be immediately referred to a Mental Health Clinical Staff Person who will confer with a Licensed Mental Health Professional to determine whether an Assessment of Suicide Risk is to be conducted in the facility or program within 24 hours or immediately. If the youth is an imminent threat of suicide, the youth must be transported for emergency mental health services as set forth in Rule 63N-1.011, F.A.C.

2. Any youth who makes a Suicide Attempt or attempts Serious Self-Inflicted Injury shall receive an immediate Assessment of Suicide Risk in the facility or be transported for emergency mental health services.

(b) An Assessment of Suicide Risk shall be documented on the Assessment of Suicide Risk Form (MHSA 004, August 2006) which is incorporated by reference and is available at http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-03787 or may be obtained by contacting: DJJ, Office of Health Services, 2737 Centerview Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32399.

1. An Assessment of Suicide Risk conducted by a non-licensed Mental Health Clinical Staff Person must be reviewed by a licensed mental health professional within 24 hours of the referral.

2. If an Assessment of Suicide Risk conducted by a non-licensed Mental Health Clinical Staff Person indicates the youth is not a Potential Suicide Risk, documentation of the Licensed Mental Health Professional’s concurrence with the Assessment of Suicide Risk findings is required prior to the youth’s removal from Suicide Precautions.

(c) Youths determined to be a Potential Suicide Risk through an Assessment of Suicide Risk must be maintained on Suicide Precautions until a Follow-Up Assessment of Suicide Risk determines that the youth is not a Potential Suicide Risk.

(d) The Assessment of Suicide Risk Form (MHSA 004) must be filed in the Active Mental Health/Substance Abuse Treatment File until permanently filed in the youth’s Individual Healthcare Record.

(2) Follow-Up Assessment of Suicide Risk.

(a) When a youth has received an Assessment of Suicide Risk and has been determined to be a Potential Suicide Risk and is being maintained on Suicide Precautions, a Follow-Up Assessment of Suicide Risk must be conducted by a Mental Health Clinical Staff Person prior to a youth’s removal from Suicide Precautions.

(b) Documentation of Follow-Up Assessment of Suicide Risk shall be provided by the Mental Health Clinical Staff Person on the Follow-Up Assessment of Suicide Risk Form (MHSA 005, August 2006) which is incorporated by reference and is available at http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-03788 or may be obtained by contacting: DJJ, Office of Health Services, 2737 Centerview Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32399.

If a Follow-Up Assessment of Suicide Risk conducted by a non-licensed Mental Health Clinical Staff Person indicates the youth is not a Potential Suicide Risk, documentation of the Licensed Mental Health Professional’s concurrence with Follow-Up Assessment of Suicide Risk findings is required prior to the youth’s removal from Suicide Precautions and transition to normal routine.

(c) The Follow-Up Assessment of Suicide Risk Form (MHSA 005) must be filed in the Active Mental Health/Substance Abuse Treatment File until permanently filed in the youth’s Individual Healthcare Record.

(3) Assessment of Suicide Risk or Follow-Up Assessment of Suicide Risk shall be conducted by a Licensed Mental Health Professional or a non-licensed Mental Health Clinical Staff Person working under the direct supervision of a Licensed Mental Health Professional.

(a) A non-licensed Mental Health Clinical Staff Person conducting an Assessment of Suicide Risk or a Follow-Up Assessment of Suicide Risk shall meet the education and training requirements specified in Rule 63N-1.0031, F.A.C., and must have received at least 20 hours training and supervised experience in assessing suicide risk, Mental Health Crisis Intervention and emergency mental health services. The non-licensed Mental Health Clinical Staff Person’s training hours must have included administration of five, individual one-to-one, Assessments of Suicide Risk or Crisis Assessments conducted on-site in the physical presence of a Licensed Mental Health Professional.

(b) The non-licensed Mental Health Clinical Staff Person’s 20 hours of training and supervised experience shall be provided by a Licensed Mental Health Professional and shall be documented on the Documentation of Non-Licensed Mental Health Clinical Staff Person’s Training in Assessment of Suicide Risk Form (MHSA 022) or a form developed by the program which contains all the information required in form MHSA 022. The Documentation of Non-Licensed Mental Health Clinical Staff Person’s Training in Assessment of Suicide Risk Form (MHSA 022, October 2007) is incorporated by reference and is available at http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-03789 or may be obtained by contacting: DJJ, Office of Health Services, 2737 Centerview Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32399.

(c) An Assessment of Suicide Risk and a Follow-Up Assessment of Suicide Risk must include the following:

1. Face-to-face interview of the youth;

2. Review of available collateral information;

3. Details of the information obtained by the assessment, including youth statements, behavioral observations, and collateral information;

(d) The Mental Health Clinical Staff Person conducting the Assessment of Suicide Risk or Follow-Up Assessment of Suicide Risk shall notify the facility superintendent or program director or his/her designee of the assessment findings and any instructions or recommendations made by the Licensed Mental Health Professional.

Rulemaking Authority 985.64(2) FS. Law Implemented 985.601(3)(a), 985.14(3)(a), 985.145(1), 985.18, 985.48(4), 985.64(2) FS. History–New 3-16-14.