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| Tricky Ricky I am not a crook? lol |
I was online and came across this DCF article that goes into the correct procedures to use our children as human research subjects, even to manipulate the environment they are in,
I need to know, we the human race needs to know why in God’s name are you using CHILDREN as guinea pigs?
I call on each and every one who reads this to please Stop this madness!
Call upon our Governor Rick Scott and the First Lady Ann Scott who is the child advocate for Florida to Stop this, please notice the schools and companies listed on the link, how are they benefiting and how is the state of Florida benefiting? http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/admin/publications/policies/215-8.pdf
Even if you are not from Florida please let Rick Scott know that you are not interested in living in a state that uses children as research and if you planned on visiting tell him you will not spend your tourist dollars to help pay for this barbaric practice.
God Bless everyone who will not tolerate this form of abuse. Please pray for our children, and for our Governor Rick Scott and Ann Scott to have an open mind and not be hard hearted, that they will do the right thing.
CFOP 215-8
This operating procedure supersedes CFOP 215-8 dated March 11, 2008.
OPR: PDMH
DISTRIBUTION: B
STATE OF FLORIDA
DEPARTMENT OF
CF OPERATING PROCEDURE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
NO. 215-8 TALLAHASSEE
Safety
INSTITUTIONAL OVERSIGHT OF HUMAN SUBJECT RESEARCH
AND INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD DESIGNATION
1. Purpose. The intent of this operating procedure is to provide a structured framework within which
Department staff and contracted providers proposing or conducting research can ensure that the rights
of the individuals that the Department serves, and its employees, are protected. It is the policy of the
Department of Children and Families to uphold its assurance as filed with the federal Department of
Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP).
2. Scope. This policy is applicable to all Department and contracted provider staff that engage in, plan
to engage in, or are asked to authorize or support research using human subjects within the
Department’s areas of responsibility.
3. References.
a. 45 Code of Federal Regulations Subparts 46, 160, 162, and 164.
b. 21 CFR Subparts 50, 56, 312 and 812.
c. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
d. Terms of Assurance, Office of Human Research Protections, Department of Health and
Human Services (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/assurance/filasurt.htm).
e. The Belmont Report, 1978 (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/belmont.htm).
4. Definitions. For the purposes of this operating procedure, the following definitions shall apply:
a. Agents. Agents of the Department include all individuals performing institutionally
designated activities or exercising institutionally delegated authority or responsibility.
b. Assent. The affirmative agreement to participate in research. Assent is required even if the
individual’s parent (of child) or legally authorized representative (for child or adult) provides consent.
Failure to voice objection to participate in research does not qualify as assent.
c. Assurance. An agreement that establishes standards for human subjects’ research as
approved by the Office for Human Research Protections.
d. Belmont
of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research to explain the fundamental ethical
principles that should guide the conduct of research involving human subjects.
e. Child. As per s. 39.01 (12), Florida Statutes, a child or youth means an unmarried person
under the age of 18 years old who has not been emancipated by order of the court.
June 11, 2010 CFOP 215-8
2
f. Department. Department of Children and Families.
g. Dissent. An individual’s negative expressions, verbal and/or non-verbal, that he/she objects
to participation in the research or research activities.
h. Human Subject.
(1) An individual about whom an investigator (whether professional or student)
conducting research obtains:
(a) Data (of any kind) through intervention or interaction with the individual; or,
(b) Private identifiable information (see definition below) even in the absence of
intervention or interaction with the individual.
(2) For purposes of this operating procedure, human subjects also include any
Department employees, or persons being served by the Department or by one or more of its contracted
providers, whose relevance to the research is based on his or her connection with the Department or
who is otherwise within the Department’s areas of responsibility and authority.
i. Intervention. Physical procedures by which data are gathered and/or manipulations of the
subject or the subject’s environment that are performed for research purposes.
j. Interaction. Communication or interpersonal contact between investigator(s) and the
research participant, or review of their private identifiable information.
k. Institutional Review Board (IRB). A review body established or designated by an
organization to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects recruited to participate in biomedical or
behavioral/social science research. To be used by a project covered in this operating procedure, an
IRB must be in good standing with the Office for Human Research Protections of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services.
l. Legally Authorized Representative. An individual authorized under applicable law to grant
permission for services, treatment, benefits or other activities as determined by the court on behalf of
another person.
m. Memorandum of Understanding. A formal written agreement between the Department of
Children and Families and another institution.
n. Private Identifiable Information. This includes any information that may be linked to the
identity of the subject as defined by HIPAA (e.g., Social Security Number, birth date, agency case
number, address, health plan number, other demographic information, etc.). For the purposes of
human subject research, it also includes information about any behavior that occurs in a setting in
which an individual can reasonably expect that no observation or recording is taking place.
o. Provider. Any service provider that contracts with the Department to provide services to
populations of individuals or families on behalf of the Department. A contracted provider is an agent of
the Department for the purposes of this operating procedure.
p. Research. A systematic investigation, including research development, testing and
evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.
June 11, 2010 CFOP 215-8
3
5. General.
a. Institutional Commitments.
(1) The Department shall safeguard the rights and welfare of human subjects in
research by ensuring that all human subject research receives approval through a federally approved
Institutional Review Board(s), consistent with general policy established in Florida Public Law 381.86
and 45 CFR 46, 160, 162 and 164.
(2) The Department shall safeguard the rights and welfare of human subjects in clinical
research (of Food and Drug Administration regulated products, including drugs, devices, or biologics)
through rule set forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Human Subject Regulations (21 CFR
50, 56, 312, 812) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
(3) The Department shall uphold the ethical principles of the Belmont Report found at
http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/belmont.htm and apply Health and Human Services
regulations (45 CFR 46, including subparts A, B, C and D) to all proposed research which is funded or
supported by the Department of Health and Human Services or any other funding source. The ethical
principles set forth in the Belmont Report are summarized as follows:
(a) Respect for Individuals. Recognition of the personal dignity and autonomy of
individuals and the special protection of those persons with diminished autonomy or vulnerability.
(b) Beneficence. The term is often understood to cover acts of kindness or
charity that go beyond strict obligation. Persons are treated in an ethical manner not only by respecting
their decisions and protecting them from harm, but also by making efforts to secure their well-being.
Such treatment falls under the principle of beneficence.
(c) Justice. Persons are treated with fairness in the distribution of research
benefits and burdens. For example, the selection of research subjects needs to be scrutinized in order
to determine whether some classes (e.g., recipients of financial assistance, racial and ethnic minorities,
or persons confined to institutions) are being systematically selected simply because of their easy
availability, their compromised position, or their manipulability, rather than for reasons directly related to
the problem being studied. Finally, whenever research supported by public funds leads to the
development of therapeutic devices and procedures, justice demands that these not provide
advantages only to those who can afford them, and that such research should not unduly involve
persons from groups unlikely to be among the beneficiaries of subsequent applications of the research.
(4) The Department shall offer annual training free of charge for Department employees
and provider staff who engage in research. The training certification is required annually for
investigators and is offered through the Collaborative Institutional Review Board Initiative (CITI) on-line
course hosted by the University of Miami
b. Human Subject Research/Non-Research Determinations.
(1) The Department’s Human Protections Administrator has the authority to determine
whether activity represents “human subject research” or not in accordance with federal regulation.
(2) Investigators do not have the authority to make an independent determination of
what activity qualifies as not being human subject research. Investigators shall submit a request in
writing to the Department’s Human Protections Administrator to make this determination.
June 11, 2010 CFOP 215-8
4
c. Enrollment of Vulnerable Populations in Research (specifically, children, pregnant women,
individuals with mental illness or mental retardation, or prisoners).
(1) Consistent with federal regulations in 45 CFR 46 and 21 CFR 50 and 56, all
research involving vulnerable populations as listed above require special assurances. The Institutional
Review Board is required to ensure that these special assurances are met.
(2) Children will only be enrolled in research with the signed consent of parents or a
legally authorized representative, such as a guardian or the court. Where appropriate, there must also
be an indication of the child’s own assent to participate (when the child is capable of providing such
assent). A waiver of assent can only be granted by the Institutional Review Board.
(3) At no time shall a child in the custody of the Department be allowed to participate in
a clinical trial that is designed to develop new psychotropic medications or evaluate the suitability of
providing medications previously approved for adults to children. This paragraph does not preclude
research that evaluates the consequences of administration of psychotropic medications to children in
state care.
(4) Adults who have a legally authorized representative will only be enrolled in research
with signed consent from the legally authorized representative and assent from the individual. A waiver
of assent can only be granted by the Institutional Review Board.
(5) It is the responsibility of any Department employee or provider agency aware of
proposed research involving children or adults in any way to alert the appropriate Department program
office and the Department’s Human Protections Administrator as soon as it is known. The intent is to
ensure that the investigator(s) are aware of policy and Institutional Review Board requirements, and
that research does not begin until approval is received from the Institutional Review Board and the
Department’s Human Protections Review Committee, as described below.
d. Florida
(1) The Florida Statewide Advocacy Council has access to Institutional Review Board
meetings and to the Department’s Human Protections Review Committee for all research proposed
involving any adult or child served by the Department or its providers, per Section 402.166(7)(d),
express those concerns to the Human Protections Administrator or to the Institutional Review Board
directly.
(2) The Human Protections Administrator will serve to resolve any issues that the
Florida Statewide Advocacy Council may have with the proposal concerning constitutional or human
rights.
6. Procedures.
a. Maintenance of a Federal-Wide Assurance (FWA).
(1) The Department’s Federal-Wide Assurance # FWA00004629 shall be maintained by
the Deputy Secretary who is the signatory official for the Department and registered with the Office for
Human Research Protections.
(2) The Deputy Secretary shall appoint a Department employee to function as the
Human Protections Administrator. The primary role of the Human Protections Administrator is to
ensure that Department employees, providers, and anyone acting as an agent of the Department
comply with the Assurance and this operating procedure.
June 11, 2010 CFOP 215-8
5
(3) The Human Protections Administrator shall renew the FWA every three years and
ensure that any Memoranda of Understanding (or interagency agreement(s)), when warranted, are
maintained.
(4) The Signatory Official and Human Protections Administrator shall complete the
OHRP Training Modules (see http://137.187.172.153/CBTs/Assurance/login.asp).
b. Institutional Review Board (IRB) Designation.
(1) In lieu of its own IRB, the Department shall agree with and designate one or more
Institutional Review Boards outside of the Department that have valid designations as active
Institutional Review Boards with the Office of Human Research Protections. These IRBs shall be listed
on the Department’s Federal-Wide Assurance (FWA). Current agreements are listed in Appendix A to
this operating procedure.
(2) The Department requires that any person or entity that wants to conduct research
involving individuals who are receiving services from, or on behalf of, the Department, or involves
Department employees, have written approval from an IRB and must provide a copy of the approval
notification to the Department’s Human Protections Administrator.
(3) In addition to IRB approval, the investigator must also have Department approval to
conduct human subject research. While both approvals are required, the investigator should consider
obtaining the Department’s approval before proceeding with an IRB application (see paragraph 6.c.
below regarding Department approval process), as the Department is not obligated to allow IRB
approved research.
(4) A contracted provider is considered to be an agent of the Department, and as such,
is covered under the Department’s Federal-Wide Assurance.
(5) When a contracted provider receives federal funding for research as a result of a
grant from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) either through a contract with the
Department of Children and Families, or directly from HHS, the investigator is required to seek approval
from an IRB listed on the Department’s FWA. However, if the provider has their own IRB (and thus,
has their own FWA) in good standing with the Office of Human Research Protections, the investigator
may seek IRB approval through the provider’s designated IRB. If this designated IRB is not listed on
the Department’s FWA, the investigator must work with the Human Subjects Administrator to ensure its
addition to the FWA.
(6) When the research is unfunded or funded by any source other than the Federal
government, the investigator may use any IRB as long as the institution has a valid and active IRB
designation by the OHRP.
(7) If the investigator is not an employee or agent of the Department, he/she shall
complete an Individual Investigator Agreement (Appendix B to this operating procedure) prior to
approval from the Department’s Human Protections Review Committee (see paragraph 6.c. below). If
the investigator does not have access to an IRB through his or her own institution, the Department has
an agreement with Western Institutional Review Board (WIRB) which enables any DCF-approved
investigation to be reviewed for the relevant fee. Information about WIRB, including instructions for
submission of proposals, may be found on their web site at http://www.wirb.com/. The Department’s
Human Subjects Administrator can provide additional information. .
(8) The investigator is responsible for any fees charged by an IRB unless the research
project is specifically requested or designed by the Department. In this case, the Department will pay
June 11, 2010 CFOP 215-8
6
the fees through contract or agreement with the IRB, or through a payment mechanism with the
investigator, such as a contract or Direct Order.
(9) Investigators must comply with the principles established in the Belmont Report, this
operating procedure, the policies and procedures of the Institutional Review Board, and all references
herein.
(10) The Department shall execute a Memorandum of Understanding with each
Institutional Review Board listed in its FWA.
c. Establishment of the Department’s Human Protections Review Committee (HPRC) and
Submission of Research Proposals for Department Review.
(1) The HPRC shall be established by the Department’s signatory official to review and
approve all human subject research activity prior to the research beginning to ensure that the scope of
the research falls within the mission of the Department. This committee is not an Institutional Review
Board and does not replace the need for IRB approval; however, its permission to conduct the
proposed research is required. This committee shall include appropriate program office personnel
designated to serve on the committee by the Deputy Secretary of the Department. At a minimum, the
HPRC shall include the Assistant Secretary for Programs, or his or her designee authorized to approve
research proposals, and the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, or his or her
designee authorized to approve research proposals.
(2) The HPRC shall be chaired and coordinated by the Human Protections
Administrator. The HPRC shall meet as needed to review all research proposals submitted.
(3) This internal review serves the purpose of alerting the appropriate program office of
the proposed research and giving the appropriate personnel the opportunity to express support,
withhold support, and discuss concerns. The concerns will be communicated to the investigator
through the Human Protections Administrator as soon as possible following the meeting. The
Department shall provide the investigator with a written statement of approval or disapproval within 5
days of the HPRC meeting, or following the resolution of any concerns.
(4) The Department reserves the right to disallow any research proposal, regardless of
IRB approval. However, all research must receive HPRC and IRB approval prior to commencement.
Program offices of the Department may require additional review and approval processes, but
authorization is subject to final decision by the Human Protections Review Committee.
(5) All research proposals, regardless of funding source and IRB approval, must be
electronically submitted via email to the Department’s Human Protections Administrator. The contact
information for the Human Protections Administrator can be found on the Department’s website at
http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/admin/publications/humanResearch.shtml.
(6) The research proposal submitted to the Human Protections Administrator by the
investigator shall include a narrative description that includes the following:
(a) The name, address, email addresses, and phone numbers of all investigators
involved in the proposed research;
(b) The name of the organization(s) involved in the research project;
(c) The funding source(s) for the research;
June 11, 2010 CFOP 215-8
7
(d) The specific subject population served by, or working for, the Department
and a list of the specific locations where the research will take place;
(e) A description of the research proposal and its purpose;
(f) A discussion of the level of risk associated with the research and how the
risks will be minimized;
(g) Name and FWA number of Institutional Review Board that applies to this
research project; and,
(h) Any other relevant documentation related to the research project that is
requested by the Department.
(7) Once received, the IRB approval letter shall be sent to the Human Protections
Administrator prior to commencement of the research.
(8) The investigator may submit a copy of the research proposal and application that the
investigator plans to submit to the designated IRB in lieu of the above narrative description as long as
the aforementioned documents contain all of the information described above in paragraph 6.c.(6).
f. Reporting of Adverse Events. The Human Protections Administrator will ensure prompt
reporting of the following events to the Department’s Deputy Secretary, the HRPC, the IRB who
approved the research project, and the Office of Human Research Protections:
(1) Unanticipated problems involving risks to subjects or others;
(2) Serious or continuing noncompliance with the federal regulations or the
requirements or determinations of the IRB; and,
(3) Suspension or termination of HRPC or IRB approval.
BY DIRECTION OF THE SECRETARY:
(Signed original copy on file)
DON WINSTEAD
Deputy Secretary
June 11, 2010 CFOP 215-8
Appendix A to CFOP 215-8
Institutional Review Boards
Listed on Department of Children and Families’
Federal-Wide Assurance
FWA # Institution Name
FWA00001669 University of South Florida
Medical A, 02 Behavioral A, 01B
Medical A, 01C Medical A, 01D
Medical (IRB) (IRB00000362,
IRB00000363, IRB00001786,
IRB00001787, IRB00001884)
FWA00005790 University of Florida
(IRB00000335, IRB00000336,
IRB00000337)
FWA00003331 Research Triangle International #1A,
#2A, #3 A (IRB00000653, IRB00000654,
IRB00000655)
FWA00000340 Public/Private Ventures (IRB #1 A
(IRB00000830)
FWA00005897 Western IRB #1-8, #11-14, & #35 A
(IRB00000533)
FWA00004801 U of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
IRB #8 – Behavioral A (IRB00000543)
FWA00005551 Westat Inc. #1A (IRB00000695)
Not applicable Independent Review Consulting, Inc.
(IRC) IRB #1 A ( IRB00000762)
June 11, 2010 CFOP 215-8
Appendix B to CFOP 215-8
Individual Investigator Agreement
Name of Institution with the Federal-wide Assurance (FWA): Florida Department of Children
and Families
Applicable FWA #: FWA00004629
Individual Investigator’s Name:_______________________________________________________
Specify Research Covered by this Agreement:___________________________________________
Institutional Review Board:___________________________________________________________
(1) The above-named Individual Investigator has reviewed: a) The Belmont
and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research (or other internationally
recognized equivalent; see section B.1. of the Terms of the Federal-wide Assurance (FWA) for
International (Non-U.S.) Institutions); b) the U.S.
regulations for the protection of human subjects at 45 CFR part 46 (or other procedural standards;
see section B.3. of the Terms of the FWA for International (Non-U.S.) Institutions); c) the FWA and
applicable Terms of the FWA for the institution referenced above; and d) the relevant institutional
policies and procedures for the protection of human subjects.
(2) The Investigator understands and hereby accepts the responsibility to comply with the standards and
requirements stipulated in the above documents and to protect the rights and welfare of human
subjects involved in research conducted under this Agreement.
(3) The Investigator will comply with all other applicable federal, international, state, and local laws,
regulations, and policies that may provide additional protection for human subjects participating in
research conducted under this agreement.
(4) The Investigator will abide by all determinations of the Institutional Review Board
(IRB)/Independent Ethics Committee (IEC) listed above and will accept the final authority and
decisions of the IRB/IEC, including but not limited to directives to terminate participation in
designated research activities.
(5) The Investigator will complete any educational training required by the Institution and/or the
IRB/IEC prior to initiating research covered under this Agreement.
(6) The Investigator will report promptly to the IRB/IEC any proposed changes in the research
conducted under this Agreement. The investigator will not initiate changes in the research without
prior IRB/IEC review and approval, except where necessary to eliminate apparent immediate
hazards to subjects.
(7) The Investigator will report immediately to the IRB/IEC any unanticipated problems involving risks
to subjects or others in research covered under this Agreement.
June 11, 2010 CFOP 215-8
B-2
(8) The Investigator, when responsible for enrolling subjects, will obtain, document, and maintain
records of informed consent for each such subject or each subject’s legally authorized representative
as required under HHS regulations at 45 CFR part 46 (or any other international or national
procedural standards selected on the FWA for the institution referenced above) and stipulated by the
IRB/IEC.
(9) The Investigator acknowledges and agrees to cooperate in the IRB/IEC’s responsibility for initial
and continuing review, record keeping, reporting, and certification for the research referenced
above. The Investigator will provide all information requested by the IRB/IEC in a timely fashion.
(10) The Investigator will not enroll subjects in research under this Agreement prior to its review and
approval by the IRB/IEC.
(11) Emergency medical care may be delivered without IRB/IEC review and approval to the extent
permitted under applicable federal regulations and state law.
(12) This Agreement does not preclude the Investigator from taking part in research not covered by this
Agreement.
(13) The Investigator acknowledges that he/she is primarily responsible for safeguarding the rights and
welfare of each research subject, and that the subject’s rights and welfare must take precedence over
the goals and requirements of the research.
Investigator Signature:____________________________________________ Date_____________
Name:______________________________________________________ Degree(s):_____________
(Last) (First) (Middle Initial)
Address:__________________________________________________ Phone #:________________
___________________________________________________
(City) (State/Province) (Zip/Country)
FWA Institutional Official (or Designee):_______________________________ Date___________
Name:______________________________________________ Institutional Title:_______________
(Last) (First) (Middle Initial)
Address: Department of Children and Families 1317 Winewood Blvd. Phone #:_______________
(City) (State/Province) (Zip/Country)
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