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Florida Mental Health Act Baker Act
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Course #:

Total CEs:
*CE Type:  
CE Hours:  
General 
CE Hours:  
State Specific:
Florida

*Some Boards distinguish between general CEs and other types.  Please review your specific state requirements to learn more.

Price:

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Course Description

This Course requires the Participant to read and understand the attached statutory excerpts, overview of the Florida Mental Health Act, Baker Act flow chart, and Certification form describing the nature and purpose of the Florida Mental Health Act, better known as the “Baker” Act, and the procedures followed in the application of this law. The Florida Mental Health Act of 1972, sponsored by former State Representative from Miami, Maxine Baker, substantially strengthened the due process and the civil rights of persons with mental health disabilities in mental health facilities. It does not substitute for any law that may permit the provision of medical or substance abuse care to persons who lack the capacity to request such care. 

 

By providing the statute, Participants can read and understand the legal definitions of the terms used to shape the Florida Mental Health Act, helping to distinguish legal terms from their more widely-used common definitions and putting the Participant in the legal frame of mind. 

 

This course is designed to alert the Participants to the differences between mental health care provided voluntarily and involuntarily through the Baker Act and to make Participants aware of the proper procedural and substantive application of the law to ensure the rights of patients are upheld while being provided with the care necessary to ensure their health and safety. This course could be helpful to professionals working with populations of mentally ill persons such as Judges, General Magistrates, attorneys, therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists, physicians and physician assistants, and nurses. The course may also be useful to family and friends of persons suffering from mental health diseases that may be otherwise unable to prevent self-neglect of mentally ill loved ones. 

Approved by the Following State Boards
  • Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Counseling, and Mental Health Counseling (CE Broker #50-23449)

  • Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (License #197.000302)

Learning Objectives
  • To be aware of the nature, purpose, and intent of the Florida Mental Health Act

  • To  understand what is considered a mental illness under the Act and what is not 

  • To be familiar with the process of clinically assessing persons for purposes of treatment pursuant to a Baker Act

  • To recognize the three criteria necessary for a person to be taken to a facility

  • To identify the procedural steps necessary for an involuntary assessment to be initiated

  • To know and differentiate the Baker Act definitions of various professionals 

  • To understand the process of certifying professionals to meet statutory requirements

  • To learn about telemedicine and its role in mental health treatment

  • To be familiar with the process of transporting patients to facilities and timeframes of treatment and process for continuation of treatment or discharge

  • To realize the impact of other disorders on the Florida Mental Health Act, such as substance abuse and Autism

Requirements

You will be expected to review all materials provided and pass the poset-test with a minimum of 70%, in order to receive your certificate of completion.  You will also be required to complete a course evaluation.  Once you have satisfactorily completed the post-test and submitted your evaluation, your certificate will be emailed to you.

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