397.6957 Hearing on petition for involuntary treatment services.—
(1)(a) The respondent must be present at a hearing on a petition for involuntary treatment services unless the court finds that he or she knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waives his or her right to be present or, upon receiving proof of service and evaluating the circumstances of the case, that his or her presence is inconsistent with his or her best interests or is likely to be injurious to self or others. The court shall hear and review all relevant evidence, including testimony from individuals such as family members familiar with the respondent’s prior history and how it relates to his or her current condition, and the results of the assessment completed by the qualified professional in connection with this chapter. The court may also order drug tests. Witnesses may remotely attend and, as appropriate, testify at the hearing under oath via audio-video telecommunications technology. A witness intending to remotely attend and testify must provide the parties with all relevant documents by the close of business on the day before the hearing.
(b) A respondent may not be involuntarily ordered into treatment under this chapter without a clinical assessment being performed, unless he or she is present in court and expressly waives the assessment. In nonemergency situations, if the respondent was not, or had previously refused to be, assessed by a qualified professional and, based on the petition, testimony, and evidence presented, it reasonably appears that the respondent qualifies for involuntary treatment services, the court shall issue an involuntary assessment and stabilization order to determine the appropriate level of treatment the respondent requires. Additionally, in cases where an assessment was attached to the petition, the respondent may request, or the court on its own motion may order, an independent assessment by a court-appointed or otherwise agreed upon qualified professional. The respondent shall be informed by the court of the right to an independent assessment. If an assessment order is issued, it is valid for 90 days, and if the respondent is present or there is either proof of service or his or her location is known, the involuntary treatment hearing shall be continued for no more than 10 court working days. Otherwise, the petitioner must inform the court that the respondent has been assessed so that the court may schedule a hearing as soon as is practicable. The assessment must occur before the new hearing date, and if there is evidence indicating that the respondent will not voluntarily appear at the forthcoming hearing or is a danger to self or others, the court may enter a preliminary order committing the respondent to an appropriate treatment facility for further evaluation until the date of the rescheduled hearing. However, if after 90 days the respondent remains unassessed, the court shall dismiss the case.
(c)1. The respondent’s assessment by a qualified professional must occur within 72 hours after his or her arrival at a licensed service provider unless the respondent shows signs of withdrawal or a need to be either detoxified or treated for a medical condition, which shall extend the amount of time the respondent may be held for observation until such issue is resolved but no later than the scheduled hearing date, absent a court-approved extension. If the respondent is a minor, such assessment must be initiated within the first 12 hours of the minor’s admission to the facility. The service provider may also move to extend the 72 hours of observation by petitioning the court in writing for additional time. The service provider must furnish copies of such motion to all parties in accordance with applicable confidentiality requirements, and after a hearing, the court may grant additional time. If the court grants the service provider’s petition, the service provider may continue to hold the respondent, and if the original or extended observation period ends on a weekend or holiday, including the hours before the ordinary business hours of the following workday morning, the provider may hold the respondent until the next court working day.
2. No later than the ordinary close of business on the day before the hearing, the qualified professional shall transmit, in accordance with any applicable confidentiality requirements, his or her clinical assessment to the clerk of the court, who shall enter it into the court file. The report must contain a recommendation on the level of substance abuse treatment the respondent requires, if any, and the relevant information on which the qualified professional’s findings are based. This document must further note whether the respondent has any co-occurring mental health or other treatment needs. For adults subject to an involuntary assessment, the report’s filing with the court satisfies s. 397.6758 if it also contains the respondent’s admission and discharge information. The qualified professional’s failure to include a treatment recommendation, much like a recommendation of no treatment, shall result in the petition’s dismissal.
(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) Testimony in the hearing must be taken under oath, and the proceedings must be recorded. The respondent may refuse to testify at the hearing.
(4) If at any point during the hearing the court has reason to believe that the respondent, due to mental illness other than or in addition to substance abuse impairment, meets the involuntary commitment provisions of part I of chapter 394, the court may initiate involuntary examination proceedings under such provisions.
(5) At the conclusion of the hearing the court shall either dismiss the petition or order the respondent to receive involuntary treatment services from his or her chosen licensed service provider if possible and appropriate. Any treatment order must include findings regarding the respondent’s need for treatment and the appropriateness of other less restrictive alternatives.
History.—s. 6, ch. 93-39; s. 753, ch. 95-148; s. 38, ch. 2016-241; s. 34, ch. 2024-245.
