
Florida law supports the right of any person to decide what medical and mental health treatment he or she will receive, unless the person is determined by a judge or doctor to lack the competence to make those decisions.
If you think it is possible that you might at some time be hospitalized and found not to have the ability to make your own treatment decisions, you can make these decisions NOW while you are able to do so.
This is done through a document called an ADVANCE DIRECTIVE, which allows you to write down now what you want to have happen to you later. It also allows you to name a trusted friend or family member (called a Health Care Surrogate) to carry out your wishes later should the circumstances require it.
To view the PDF files on the site, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Florida Peer Network, Inc., 13301 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., MHC 2505, Tampa, Florida 33612