Criminal Justice, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Technical Assistance Center.

(1) There is created a Criminal Justice, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Technical Assistance Center at the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute at the University of South Florida, which shall:

(a) Provide technical assistance to counties in preparing a grant application.

(b) Assist an applicant county in projecting the effect of the proposed intervention on the population of the county detention facility.

(c) Assist an applicant county in monitoring the effect of a grant award on the criminal justice system in the county.

(d) Disseminate and share evidence-based practices and best practices among grantees, including, but not limited to, the use of person-first language and trauma-responsive care, to improve patient experiences and outcomes of individuals with behavioral health conditions and encourage cooperative engagement with such individuals. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “person-first language” means language used which emphasizes the individual as a person rather than the individual’s disability, illness, or condition.

(e) Act as a clearinghouse for information and resources related to criminal justice, juvenile justice, mental health, and substance abuse.

(f) Coordinate and organize the process of the state interagency justice, mental health, and substance abuse work group with the outcomes of the local grant projects for state and local policy and budget developments and system planning.

(2) The Criminal Justice, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Technical Assistance Center shall submit an annual report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by January 1 of each year. The report must include:

(a) A detailed description of the progress made by each grantee in meeting the goals described in the application;

(b) A description of the effect the grant-funded initiatives have had on meeting the needs of adults and juveniles who have a mental illness, substance abuse disorder, or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders, thereby reducing the number of forensic commitments to state mental health treatment facilities;

(c) A summary of the effect of the grant program on the growth and expenditures of the jail, juvenile detention center, and prison;

(d) A summary of the initiative’s effect on the availability and accessibility of effective community-based mental health and substance abuse treatment services for adults and juveniles who have a mental illness, substance abuse disorder, or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. The summary must describe how the expanded community diversion alternatives have reduced incarceration and commitments to state mental health treatment facilities; and

(e) A summary of how the local matching funds provided by the county or consortium of counties leveraged additional funding to further the goals of the grant program.