(1) Subject to an appropriation, the department may develop, maintain, and coordinate the services of one or more multidisciplinary adult protection teams in each of the districts of the department. As used in this section, the term “multidisciplinary adult protection team” means a team of two or more persons who are trained in the prevention, identification, and treatment of abuse of elderly persons, as defined in s. 430.602, or of dependent persons and who are qualified to provide a broad range of services related to abuse of elderly or dependent persons.

(2) Such teams may be composed of, but need not be limited to:

(a) Psychiatrists, psychologists, or other trained counseling personnel;

(b) Police officers or other law enforcement officers;

(c) Medical personnel who have sufficient training to provide health services;

(d) Social workers who have experience or training in preventing the abuse of elderly or dependent persons; and

(e) Public and professional guardians as described in part II of chapter 744.

(3) The department shall utilize and convene the teams to supplement the protective services activities of the protective services program of the department.

(4) This section does not prevent a person from reporting under s. 415.1034 all suspected or known cases of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult. The role of the teams is to support activities of the protective services program and to provide services deemed by the teams to be necessary and appropriate to abused, neglected, and exploited vulnerable adults upon referral. Services must be provided with the consent of the vulnerable adult or that person’s guardian, or through court order.

(5) If an adult protection team is providing certain services to abused, neglected, or exploited vulnerable adults, other offices and units of the department shall avoid duplicating those services.

History.—s. 32, ch. 89-294; s. 48, ch. 90-306; s. 109, ch. 95-418; s. 6, ch. 98-182; s. 71, ch. 2000-153; s. 39, ch. 2000-349; s. 2, ch. 2003-262; s. 35, ch. 2016-40.