I. When there is a student crisis situation, school or law enforcement personnel must make a reasonable attempt to contact, either in person or using telehealth, a mental health professional who may initiate an involuntary examination pursuant to section 394.463, unless the child poses an imminent danger to themselves or others.

II. The principal or designee shall exercise reasonable diligence and care to make contact with the parent, as defined by law, before the student who is removed from school, school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity is to be taken to a receiving facility for an involuntary examination.

A. Methods of communication to contact the student’s parent or other known emergency contact include but are not limited to, telephone calls, text messages, e-mails, and voicemail messages following the decision to initiate an involuntary examination of the student.

B. The method and number of attempts made to contact the student’s parent or other known emergency contact and the outcome of each attempt must be documented.

C. If an emergency contact is notified, the principal/designee may only share the information necessary to alert such contact that the parent must be contacted.

III. The principal or designee may delay the required notification to the parent for up to twenty-four (24) hours provided a report has been submitted to the central abuse hotline due to knowledge or suspicion of abuse, abandonment, or neglect and:

A. the delay is considered in the student’s best interest or

B. the delay is considered in the student’s best interest or

IV. Before contacting a law enforcement officer, a principal or designee must verify that de-escalation strategies have been utilized and outreach to a mobile response team has been initiated unless the principal or designee reasonably believes that any delay in removing the student will increase the likelihood of harm to the student or others.

V. The Superintendent shall develop procedures for the notification of parents and for reporting, if appropriate, alleged child abuse, abandonment, or neglect to the central abuse hotline when a student is taken to a facility for an involuntary examination. The procedures shall be contained in the Health Services Manual. The Superintendent shall annually report to the Department of Education the number of involuntary examinations, as defined in section 394.455, F.S., initiated at a school, on school transportation, or at a school-sponsored activity.

NEFEC
New: 08/02/21