Behavioral Health Teaching Hospital Grant Program

Agency for Health Care Administration

Health Care Regulation/Health Care Regulation

68700700

Chapter 2024-12, Florida Law established by Committee Substitute for Senate Bill No. 330 

133525

Section 395.903, Florida Statutes

For purposes of this Request for New CSFA Project Number, the following terms are used to reference the entities as described in Sections 395.901, F.S. and 395.902, F.S.

	"Agency" means the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).
	"Department" means the Department of Children and Families (DCF).
	"Office" means the Office of Reimagining Education and Career Health(REACH).

The Objectives for the Project are as follows:

1) To expand the existing behavioral health workforce, prepare for an aging workforce, incentivize entry into behavioral health professions, and train a modernized workforce in innovative integrated care.
2) To support a behavioral health education system that not only trains the next generation of professionals in innovative and integrated care for those with behavioral health needs, but also works to modernize the state's overall behavioral health system of care.
3) To identify and designate multiple behavioral health teaching hospitals that work to provide the necessary research, education, and services to enhance the state's behavioral health workforce and make that workforce and system of care the national standard.
4) To create the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce within the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute at the University of South Florida to address issues of workforce supply and demand in behavioral health professions, including issues of recruitment, retention, and workforce resources.
5) For designated behavioral health teaching hospitals to:
	A. Conduct state-of-the-art behavioral health research.
	B. Provide leading-edge education and training in innovative and integrated care for the state's behavioral health workforce.
	C. Collaborate with other university colleges and schools of medicine, nursing, psychology, social work, public health, and other relevant disciplines to promote and enhance a modernized behavioral health system of care.
	D. Develop, implement, and promote public-private partnerships throughout this state to support and enhance the intent of this part.
	E. Partner with the state to provide behavioral health care, address regional and systemwide behavioral health needs, and support the state in providing treatment and care for those whose need and acuity has resulted in the need for long-term voluntary services or involuntary civil commitment.

Grants

Local Government; Non-Profit; For-Profit

395.902 Behavioral health teaching hospitals.
(1) Beginning July 1, 2025, a licensed hospital may apply to the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) for designation as a behavioral health teaching hospital by submitting a form furnished by the agency and providing documentation establishing eligibility.
(2) To be designated as a behavioral health teaching hospital, a hospital must meet all of the following criteria:
(a) Operate as a teaching hospital as defined in s. 408.07, Florida Statutes.
(b) Offer a psychiatric residency program accredited through the Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education and offer, or have filed an application for approval to establish, an accredited postdoctoral clinical psychology fellowship program.
(c) Provide behavioral health services.
(d) Establish and maintain an affiliation with a university in this state with one of the accredited Florida-based medical schools listed under s. 458.3145(1)(i)1.-6., 8., or 10., Florida Statutes to create and maintain integrated workforce development programs for students of the university's colleges or schools of medicine, nursing, psychology, social work, or public health related to the entire continuum of behavioral health care, including, at a minimum, screening, therapeutic and supportive services, community outpatient care, crisis stabilization, short-term residential treatment, and long-term care. Notwithstanding paragraphs (4)(b) and (c), a university may affiliate with only one hospital.
(e) Develop a plan to create and maintain integrated workforce development programs with the affiliated university's colleges or schools and to supervise clinical care provided by students participating in such programs.
(3) A designated behavioral health teaching hospital must: (a) Within 90 days after receiving the designation, develop and maintain a consultation agreement with the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce within the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute to establish best practices related to integrated workforce development programs for the behavioral health professions.
(b) Collaborate with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and managing entities as defined in s. 394.9082(2), Florida Statutes to identify gaps in the regional continuum of behavioral health care which are appropriate for the behavioral health teaching hospital to address, either independently or in collaboration with other organizations providing behavioral health services, and which will facilitate implementation of the plan developed under paragraph (2)(e).
(c) Within 90 days after receiving the designation, enter into an agreement with the department to provide state treatment facility beds when determined necessary by the department.
(d) Provide data related to the hospital's integrated workforce development programs and the services provided by the hospital to the AHCA, the DCF, and the Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help created under s. 14.36, Florida Statutes as determined by the AHCA, DCF, or the office.
(4) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2), within 30 days after this act becomes a law, the AHCA shall designate the following hospitals as behavioral health teaching hospitals:
(a) Tampa General Hospital, in affiliation with the University of South Florida.
(b) UF Health Shands Hospital, in affiliation with the University of Florida.
(c) UF Health Jacksonville, in affiliation with the University of Florida.
(d) Jackson Memorial Hospital, in affiliation with the University of Miami.
Within 90 days after receiving the designation, each behavioral health teaching hospital designated under this subsection shall submit documentation to the AHCA establishing compliance with the requirements of paragraphs (2)(a)-(d) and submit the plan required by paragraph (2)(e).
(5) Beginning July 1, 2025, the agency may designate additional behavioral health teaching hospitals which meet the criteria of subsection (2).
(6) Upon designating a behavioral health teaching hospital under this section, the agency shall award the hospital funds as follows:
(a) For up to 10 resident positions through the Slots for Doctors Program established in s. 409.909. Florida Statutes. Notwithstanding that section, the agency shall allocate $150,000 for each such position.
(b) Through the Training, Education, and Clinicals in Health Funding Program established in s. 409.91256, Florida Statutes to offset a portion of the costs of maintaining integrated workforce development programs.
(7) By December 1 of each year, a designated behavioral health teaching hospital must submit a report to the agency and the department on the designated behavioral health teaching hospital program, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(a) The number of psychiatric residents.
(b) The number of postdoctoral clinical psychology fellows.
(c) The status and details of the consultation agreement with the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce within the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute.
(d) The implementation status of the plan required by paragraph (2)(e).
(e) Activities, agreements, and accomplishments of the collaboration required by paragraph (3)(b).
(f) The number of any facility beds and patients served under paragraph (3)(c).
(8) A behavioral health teaching hospital designation is valid for 2 years. To renew the designation, a hospital must submit an application for renewal to the AHCA on a form established by the AHCA at least 90 days before the expiration of the designation. The renewal process is subject to the time periods and tolling provisions of s. 120.60, Florida Statutes. The agency may deny, revoke, or suspend a designation at any time if a behavioral health teaching hospital is not in compliance with the requirements of this section.

395.903 Behavioral Health Teaching Hospital grant program.
(1) There is established within the AHCA a grant program for the purpose of funding designated behavioral health teaching hospitals, subject to legislative appropriation. Grant funding may be used for operations and expenses and for fixed capital outlay, including, but not limited to, facility renovation and upgrades.
(a)1. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the AHCA shall hold a 30-day, open application period beginning November 1, 2024, to accept applications from the behavioral health teaching hospitals designated under s. 395.902(4), Florida Statutes in a manner determined by the AHCA. Applicants must include a detailed spending plan with the application.
2. For the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 fiscal years, the AHCA shall hold a 30-day, open application period beginning October 1 of each year to accept applications from behavioral health teaching hospitals designated under s. 395.902, Florida Statutes in a manner determined by the AHCA. Applicants must include a detailed spending plan with the application. On or before January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026, hospitals desiring to apply for designation in the next fiscal year shall submit letters of intent to the AHCA.
(b) The AHCA, in consultation with the DCF, shall evaluate and rank grant applications based on compliance with s. 395.902(2), Florida Statutes and the quality of the plan submitted under 
s. 395.902(2)(e), Florida Statutes or plan implementation, as applicable, related to achieving the purposes of the behavioral health teaching hospital program. The AHCA, in consultation with the DCF, shall make recommendations for grant awards and distribution of available funding for such awards. The AHCA shall submit the evaluation and grant award recommendations to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives within 90 days after the open application period closes.
(c) Notwithstanding ss. 216.181 and 216.292, Florida Statutes the AHCA may submit budget amendments, subject to the notice, review, and objection procedures under s. 216.177, Florida Statutes requesting the release of the funds to make awards. The AHCA is authorized to submit budget amendments relating to expenses under subsection (1) under the grant program only within the 90 days after the open application period closes.
(2) Notwithstanding s. 216.301 and pursuant to s. 216.351, Florida Statutes the balance of any appropriation from the General Revenue Fund for the program which is not disbursed but which is obligated pursuant to contract or committed to be expended by June 30 of the fiscal year for which the funds are appropriated may be carried forward for up to 8 years after the effective date of the original appropriation.

Beginning July 1, 2025, a licensed hospital may apply to the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) for designation as a behavioral health teaching hospital by submitting a form furnished by the AHCA and providing documentation establishing eligibility.

For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the AHCA shall hold a 30-day, open application period beginning November 1, 2024, to accept applications from the behavioral health teaching hospitals designated under s. 395.902(4), Florida Statutes in a manner determined by the AHCA. Applicants must include a detailed spending plan with the application.

For the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 fiscal years, the AHCA shall hold a 30-day, open application period beginning October 1 of each year to accept applications from behavioral health teaching hospitals designated under s. 395.902, Florida Statutes in a manner determined by the AHCA. Applicants must include a detailed spending plan with the application. On or before January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026, hospitals desiring to apply for designation in the next fiscal year shall submit letters of intent to the AHCA.

The Behavioral Health Teaching Hospital Grant Application shall be made available at the following website: Behavioral Health Teaching Hospital located at https://ahca.myflorida.com/site/health-quality-assurance/bureau-of-health-facility-regulation/hospital-outpatient-services-unit/hospitals/behavioral-health-teaching-hospital.  Completed applications must be submitted to the AHCA at the following address:


Agency for Health Care Administration
Hospital and Outpatient Services Unit
2727 Mahan Drive, MS31
Tallahassee, FL 32308-5407

Questions: Visit the AHCA website: https://ahca.myflorida.com or contact the Hospital and Outpatient Services Unit (850) 412-4549 or Email: hospitals@ahca.myflorida.com include the following in the subject line "Behavioral Health Teaching Hospital Grant Program."

Applications shall be submitted no later than the established due date on the Behavioral Health Teaching Hospital webpage at https://ahca.myflorida.com/health-quality-assurance/bureau-of-health-facility-regulation/hospital-outpatient-services-unit/hospitals/behavioral-health-teaching-hospital.

Applications shall be submitted no later than the due date established on the grant webpage.

Awards will be made following the approval of the grant award recommendations made to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the nonrecurring sum of $300 million from the General Revenue Fund is appropriated to the AHCA for the behavioral health teaching hospital grant program as created in s. 395.903, Florida Statutes. Grant funds shall be awarded over a 3-year period. Notwithstanding s. 216.301, Florida Statutes, and pursuant to s. 216.351, Florida Statutes, funds appropriated for this purpose which are not disbursed by June 30 shall be carried forward for up to 8 years after the effective date of the original appropriation.
(1) For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the AHCA is authorized to award grants in an amount not to exceed $100 million to the behavioral health teaching hospitals designated under s.395.902(4), Florida Statutes, as created by this act.
(2) For the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the AHCA is authorized to award grants in an amount not to exceed $100 million to behavioral health teaching hospitals designated under s. 395.902, Florida Statutes, as created by this act.
(3) For the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the AHCA is authorized to award grants up to the amount of the original appropriation which has not yet been awarded as of June 30, 2026, to behavioral health teaching hospitals designated under s. 395.902, Florida Statutes, as created by this act.

Keisha Woods
Government Analyst II
Health Facility Regulation
2727 Mahan Drive, MS# 28-A, Tallahassee, FL 32308
keisha.woods@ahca.myflorida.com
(850) 412-4413