Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, March 15, 2024
PURPOSE: This rule defines the Alternative Care Review Board
(ACRB), discusses the purpose of the board, and explains the process for
requesting an alternative care review hearing.
(1) Definitions.
(A) Alternative Care Review Board (ACRB)-The
board before whom the alternative care resource provider may appeal any
decision made by the Children's Division (CD), or its contractors regarding a
case management decision involving a child who is, or has been, placed in
foster care with the claimant.
(B)
Case Management Decision-The activity of a children's service worker in
assessing family problem(s), case planning, coordinating and linking services
for children and families, monitoring service provisions and progress,
advocacy, tracking and evaluating services provided, and provision of aftercare
service as defined in 25 C.F.R. section 20.100. A case management decision
shall not include a decision made by the family support team, adoption staffing
team, a court of appropriate jurisdiction, or any matter which is the subject
of litigation before a court of competent jurisdiction.
(C) Resource Provider-A licensed foster
parent as defined in 13 CSR 35-60.
(2) This section establishes the process for
providing a fair and impartial grievance process for review of case management
decisions as required by section
210.566,
RSMo.
(3) Alternative Care Review
Board Composition. Each administrative region of the Children's Division will
establish an Alternative Care Review Board composed of seven (7) members and
two (2) alternates. Members and alternates for these boards are selected as
follows:
(A) Two (2) alternative care
resource providers, of which one (1) shall be a licensed resource
provider;
(B) Two (2) Children's
Division employees;
(C) Three (3)
members and two (2) alternates from the following fields or professions:
1. Community representative who has knowledge
of the provision of alternative care services;
2. Professional school employee;
3. Juvenile officer or professional employee
of the Juvenile Office;
4. Licensed
child or family psychologist;
5.
Physician, nurse, or other qualified medical professional; or
6. Children's service worker with a private
agency that provides services to families and/or children; and
(D) The regional director will
appoint the members of the board. The regional director shall nominate the
chairperson of the board and forward the nomination to the division director or
designee for approval.
(4) ACRB Terms of Office.
(A) Members and alternates shall be appointed
for two (2) year terms.
(B) No
member or alternate shall serve more than two (2) consecutive terms.
(C) The members of the ACRB shall meet at a
location within each region at least one (1) time per month depending on the
number of requests being filed. Meetings are not required if there are no
pending reviews.
(D) The members of
the ACRB will receive payment for reasonable expenses associated with ACRB
business, but will not receive compensation for the performance of their
duties. If a member cannot attend, an alternate shall be notified and asked to
attend.
(E) A quorum at any ACRB
meeting will be three (3) members, of whom one (1) will be an alternative care
resource provider and one (1) a CD employee.
(F) The CD Regional Director may remove
and/or replace a member of the ACRB for the following reasons:
1. Death;
2. Resignation;
3. Mental or physical incapacitation which
limits the member from actively serving; or
4. For good cause as determined by the
division director.
(G)
The information and deliberations of the ACRB shall be confidential and
protected from disclosure as required by law.
(5) The process for requesting an ACRB review
shall be as follows:
(A) The alternative care
resource provider shall file a written request for an ACRB review with the
county CD office within ten (10) days of notification of the disputed decision
and request a meeting to review the matter. The written request for review
shall specify the decision being grieved, and the reason for the
grievance;
(B) Except as otherwise
provided in this regulation, upon receipt of the grievance, staff shall take no
action to implement the decision being grieved until the matter is resolved
through the grievance process. The following actions shall not be stayed
pending resolution of the grievance:
1.
Immediate action is required by the division to protect the health, safety, or
well-being of the child in care as determined by the Children's Division;
or
2. The action was ordered by a
court of competent authority;
(C) Upon receipt of the grievance, the county
office shall schedule an informal meeting to attempt to resolve the matter. The
informal meeting will include a regional representative, circuit
representative, and the alternative care resource provider. The division shall
notify the resource provider of the decision in writing. If the division
upholds the case management action, the division shall advise the resource
provider of his/her right to proceed with a request for an ACRB
hearing;
(D) If the alternative
care resource provider chooses to proceed with the ACRB hearing, he/she shall
submit the Alternative Care Grievance Review Request form or other written
request, including all pertinent information and records, within five (5)
working days of the region's written decision. The division may extend the time
frame for submitting information for good cause shown. The division will notify
the resource provider of the date scheduled for the ACRB hearing;
(E) The division shall submit a summary of
all pertinent information and a copy of the child's case record(s) to the
Regional ACRB Liaison within five (5) working days of the request for the
review. The division may extend the time frame for submitting information for
good cause shown;
(F) The review
should be scheduled to occur at the next scheduled ACRB meeting. The review may
be continued if there is insufficient time for board members to prepare for the
review;
(G) The review proceedings
described in this subsection are informal and administrative in nature and
therefore not subject to the Rules of Civil Procedure, to include the rules of
discovery, employed by the civil courts of the state of Missouri. The Rules of
Evidence, aside from those regarding relevancy, shall not apply to the review
proceedings described in this subsection. The review proceedings set forth in
this proceeding shall not be governed by those procedures set forth in Chapter
536, RSMo, but shall be governed by the following procedures:
1. The division shall first present the case
management decision and the rationale thereof. CD staff may participate in the
review proceeding in person or through a telephone conference with or without
legal counsel;
2. Second, the
alternative care resource provider/representative and/or legal counsel shall
present a summary of the grievance. The resource provider's presence is not
mandatory for a review to be held. He/she may submit a written statement and/or
participate in the review through a telephone or video conference if equipment
is available;
3. The resource
provider and the division may have witnesses provide information at the review.
Information will not be taken under oath and the witnesses shall not be sworn,
however, the division and/or the alternative care resource provider may submit
information by affidavit. However, no party to the review proceeding, to
include the review panel itself, shall have the power to compel the appearance
of any witness through the use of a subpoena or other means;
4. The review proceedings may, at the
election of either party, be recorded through the use of an audio recording
device or a court reporter. However, the review process shall not be a hearing
on the record. All expenses associated with the recording of the review
proceedings shall be the sole responsibility of the party desiring them;
and
5. The information and
deliberations of the ACRB shall be confidential and protected from disclosure
to the extent required and authorized by law. The ACRB shall review and discuss
all relevant materials and information and vote individually on whether to
uphold, modify, or reverse the division's finding and/or decision. The ACRB
shall prepare a written summary of its findings and recommended decision and
present it to the CD Deputy Director upon completion. The deputy director shall
discuss the recommendation with the division director. The division director
shall provide the final written decision to all parties within thirty (30) days
of receipt of the ACRB recommendation. The decision of the division director
shall be the final decision of the division.
(6) If at any time the matter pending before
the ACRB becomes the subject of a motion or other proceeding before a court of
competent authority, the ACRB proceedings shall be stayed pending the
resolution of the issue before the court. In the event that the matter is
decided by the court, the ACRB proceedings shall be dismissed.