The Chief Judge, in accordance with section 394.4598, Florida Statutes, is charged with approving the education course required to be taken by guardian advocates appointed in Baker Act cases in the Eighth Judicial Circuit. The Department of Veterans Affairs ("VA") has prepared a course which meets the criteria established by statute. The VA is qualified and has agreed to administer the guardian advocate education course for the guardian advocates appointed for patients in the VA's facilities. It is therefore

ORDERED that the VA is authorized to provide the guardian advocate education course for guardian advocates appointed for VA patients and is hereby assigned the duty of providing this training. The course shall consist of (1) viewing a video, (2) one-on-one instruction with a psychiatric nurse or a psychiatrist for 30 minutes, and (3) reviewing materials consisting of a course outline; a pamphlet on Electroconvulsive Therapy, a short booklet entitled "What Every Guardian Advocate Should Know," and the Guardian Advocate Training & Resource Manual promulgated by the Florida Department of Children & Families dated February, 1997.

ORDERED on March 1, 2002.

/s/ 

STAN R. MORRIS, CHIEF JUDGE