Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 11, August 30, 2024
(1) According to
state law and Multi-Needs Team procedures, responsibilities of the local/state
teams include the following:
(a) Member
agencies are required to develop a plan for serving multiple needs children
which includes at a minimum:
1. arranging for
representation on state and local facilitation teams
2. developing service plans for children
referred
3. providing services
within the scope of the member agencies' responsibilities and
4. sharing costs for services provided to
referred children and families, in accordance with this policy.
(b) When an R. C. class member is
referred by a member agency or court to a local or state team, DHR shall:
1. assist the class member, if an age
appropriate child, and his/her family to participate in the team meeting by
providing advocacy and other support services to the child and family,
and
2. assure that the team
planning process complies with the strengths/needs individualized services
planning model required in the R. C. Consent Decree and DHR's
Individualized Service Plan and DHR Partnership with
Children, Their Families and Providers policies.
(c) A local facilitation team should meet
within seven (7) days of receiving a referral. If the team cannot convene
within seven (7) days of receiving a referral from the court, the team may ask
the court for an extension of the seven-day period.
(d) A local facilitation team should develop
a preliminary service plan for children referred and their families within 21
days of receiving the referral. The plan should include information identifying
the individualized strengths and needs of the child and his or her family, the
services needed by the child and family and the respective responsibilities of
the member agencies and others for providing services to the child and family.
For referrals made by the court, the team shall submit the preliminary plan to
the court within the 21 day period, unless a continuance is granted. For
referrals made by a member agency, the preliminary plan should be submitted to
the referring agency within the 21 day period.
(e) A local facilitation team is responsible
for developing a final service plan for children referred when the preliminary
plan is not complete (such as when the team determines a more comprehensive
plan is needed). For children referred to the team by the court, the final plan
must be submitted to the court. For referrals made by a member agency, the
final plan must be submitted to the referring agency.
(f) Local and state facilitation teams shall
determine the least restrictive plans to address the individualized needs of
children referred to the team. Home and community-based services that can
manage the risk of harm to a child must be considered prior to considering more
restrictive plans and placements.
(g) A local facilitation team may determine a
plan for sharing the costs of the service plan developed by the team among the
member agencies. Member agencies are not bound to contribute financially to the
service plan if they are not providing services as part of the plan. However,
member agencies may be bound financially by a service plan that requires the
services of the agency, even if the agency did not participate in team meetings
where the plan was developed.
(h)
Member agencies are not required to share costs for services to children and
families whose needs would not otherwise necessitate involvement of the member
agency, except for the referral to the local facilitation team, e.g., children
with mental retardation whose behavior requires services unrelated to abuse or
neglect.
(i) Member agencies should
provide appropriate services to meet the individualized needs of multiple needs
children. DHR shall provide services pursuant to an ISP.
(2) The lack of a needed service locally
which is normally provided by a member agency as part of its service array and
budget does not relieve DHR of its obligation to serve R. C. class members as
required by the R. C. Consent Decree.
(3) Member agencies are encouraged to use
existing funding and services flexibly and creatively in meeting the
individualized needs of children referred and their families, even if it means
delivering services not normally provided by the agency or in a manner not
normally used by the agency. No provisions in policy or statute shall prevent a
member agency from voluntarily contributing to the development of appropriate
services in order to meet the needs of children referred and their families.
Author: Jerome Webb
