State Spotlight - Florida

Last updated: April 2010

Dr. Michael L. Haney
Florida Department of Health
4052 Bald Cypress Way, BIN A06
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Phone:  (850) 245-4200
Fax: (850) 414-7350
Email Mike_Haney@doh.state.fl.us

Michelle Akins
Quality Assurance Coordinator
State Child Abuse Review Team
Department of Health
1701 S. 23rd
Ft. Pierce, FL 34950
Phone: (772) 467-6000 Ext. 114
Fax: (772) 467-6093
Email: Michelle_Akins@doh.state.fl.us

Website: http://www.flcadr.org/

Tools

Reports
Mortality Statistics Program Description

Administration
The State Child Abuse Death Review Committee was established in Florida in 1999 by statute (Chapter 383.402 F.S.). Case reviews began in 2000 and were expanded in 2004 to include all verified child abuse deaths. The State Committee is a statutorily independent group supported administratively by the Florida Department of Health. The program has an estimated annual budget of $90,000, which is funded by the Florida Legislature through the Department of Health. There is one full time Quality Improvement Coordinator for the State and Local Committees, along with support by the Florida Department of Health Child Abuse Death Review Coordinator.

Teams
Florida has both a state and local review committees.

State Committee Chairperson: Major Connie Shingledecker
The State Child Abuse Death Review Committee has 18 members defined in Florida Statute.  The Committee meets every other month and includes the following subcommittees:

Data Procurement and Analysis Subcommittee
This committee reviews and analyzes data obtained from child abuse death reviews, assists in preparation of annual report and reviews and updates standardized data forms.

Education and Training Subcommittee
The Education and Training Subcommittee provides technical assistance to local teams, and develops plans for community-based education regarding the incidence and causes of child abuse death and the ways by which such deaths may be prevented.

Policy and Protocol Subcommittee
This committee reviews state and local Child Abuse Death Review Team protocols and policies to determine the need for clarification or changes and monitors the protocol procedures, and policies used to conduct statewide child abuse death review activities.

Case Review Subcommittee
This committee reviews all abuse deaths meeting criteria that have occurred in areas without existing local or regional review committees. The committee consists of representatives required for local committees, follows the guidelines of a local committee and presents its findings to the State Committee for review.

Local Teams:
As of 2009, there are 23 local committees, plus the State Committee that provides coverage for Florida’s 67 counties. The duties of the local child abuse death review committees are to:
  • Review all deaths resulting from child abuse and neglect with at least one report of abuse or neglect accepted by the Florida central abuse hotline.
  • Collect data on applicable child abuse deaths for The State Child Abuse Death Review Committee. 
  • Submit written reports to the state committee as directed. The reports are to include information on individual cases, and steps taken by the local committee to implement necessary changes and improve the coordination of services and investigations.
  • Submit all records requested by The State Child Abuse Death Review Committee at the conclusion of its review of a death resulting from child abuse or neglect.
  • Abide by standards and protocols established by The State Child Abuse Death Review Committee in the conduct of child abuse death reviews.
  • Designate a committee chairperson who oversees activities and calls meetings of the committee when necessary.
  • Designate a member of the local committee, if there is not a state committee member on the local committee, to liaison to the state committee for the purpose of ensuring consistency in review protocols, to present case information when requested, and to request as needed on a case-by-case basis, that the state committee reviews the data of a particular case.
Reviews
Committees are restricted to reviewing CAN deaths with one prior report to social services. Both the state and local committees conduct reviews. Typically, the state committee reviews the cases that did not have a local review. Sometimes both the state and local committee will review the same case. This is done if a local committee requests it. Committees review deaths to children who are less than 18-years-old.

Purpose
The purpose of the Florida Child Abuse Death Review  is prevention.

Data
Standardized data reporting forms are completed for all reviews. Data is stored in a secure database and analyzed by the Department of Health. This is required by policy. State vital statistics are also used for review purposes. These records assist teams in identifying cases for review. Since Florida does only review child abuse and neglect deaths, most cases are identified through the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Annual Report
The State Child Abuse Death Review Committee does produce an annual report. This report is submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House. It is also available upon request and is posted on the committee’s website. Recommendations have been made by the State Committee and sent to the legislature but to date no action has been taken. The annual report recommends that child death review be expanded in Florida to include all child deaths not just abuse and neglect.

Prevention Initiatives
Findings from the reviews have lead to prevention initiatives including safe sleep and drowning prevention campaigns.

Protocols
Florida has a number of protocols in place including review meeting and confidentiality.

Training
Training is offered to local teams and state agencies on the review process.