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(126th General Assembly)
(Substitute House Bill Number 289)
AN ACT
To amend section 121.37 and to enact section 121.374 of the Revised Code regarding the duties of the Ohio Family and Children First Cabinet Council and county family and children first councils.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio:
SECTION 1.
That section 121.37 be amended and section 121.374 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:
Sec. 121.37. (A)(1) There is hereby created the Ohio family
and children first cabinet council. The council shall be
composed
of the superintendent of public instruction and the
directors of
youth services, job and family services,
mental health,
health,
alcohol and drug addiction services, mental retardation
and
developmental disabilities, and budget and management. The
chairperson of the council shall be the governor or the
governor's
designee and shall establish procedures for the council's
internal
control and management. (2) The purpose of the cabinet council is to help families
seeking government services. This section shall not be
interpreted or applied to usurp the role of parents, but solely
to
streamline and coordinate existing government services for
families seeking assistance for their children.
(2) In seeking to fulfill its purpose, the council may do any
of
the following: (a) Advise and make recommendations to the governor and
general assembly regarding the provision of services to children; (b) Advise and assess local governments on the
coordination
of service delivery to children; (c) Hold meetings at such times and places as may be
prescribed by the council's procedures and maintain records of
the
meetings, except that records identifying
individual children are
confidential and shall be disclosed
only as provided by law; (d) Develop programs and projects, including pilot
projects,
to encourage coordinated efforts at the state and local
level to
improve the state's social service delivery
system; (e) Enter into contracts with and administer grants to
county family and children first councils, as well as
other county
or
multicounty organizations to plan and coordinate service
delivery
between state agencies and local service providers for
families
and children; (f) Enter into contracts with and apply for grants from
federal agencies or private organizations; (g) Enter into interagency agreements
to encourage
coordinated efforts at the state and local level to improve the
state's social service delivery system. The agreements may
include provisions
regarding the receipt, transfer, and
expenditure of funds; (h) Identify public and private funding sources for services
provided to alleged or adjudicated unruly children and children
who are at risk of being alleged or adjudicated unruly children,
including regulations governing access to and use of the services; (i) Collect information provided by local communities
regarding successful programs for prevention, intervention, and
treatment of unruly behavior, including evaluations of the
programs; (j) Identify and disseminate publications regarding alleged
or adjudicated unruly children and children who are at risk of
being alleged or adjudicated unruly children and regarding
programs serving those types of children; (k) Maintain an inventory of strategic planning facilitators
for use by government or nonprofit entities that serve alleged or
adjudicated unruly children or children who are at risk of being
alleged or adjudicated unruly children. (3) The cabinet council shall provide for
the following: (a) Reviews of service and treatment
plans for children for
which such reviews are requested; (b) Assistance as the council
determines to be
necessary to
meet the needs of children referred by
county family
and children
first councils; (c) Monitoring and supervision
of a
statewide,
comprehensive, coordinated, multi-disciplinary,
interagency system
for infants and toddlers with developmental
disabilities or delays
and their families, as established
pursuant to federal grants
received and administered by the
department of health for early
intervention services under the
"Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004," 20 U.S.C.A. 1400, as
amended. (4) The cabinet council shall develop and implement the following:
(a) An interagency process to select the indicators that will be used to measure progress toward increasing child well-being in the state and to update the indicators on an annual basis. The indicators shall focus on expectant parents and newborns thriving; infants and toddlers thriving; children being ready for school; children and youth succeeding in school; youth choosing healthy behaviors; and youth successfully transitioning into adulthood.
(b) An interagency system to offer guidance and monitor progress toward increasing child well-being in the state and in each county;
(c) An annual plan that identifies state-level agency efforts taken to ensure progress towards increasing child well-being in the state.
On an annual basis, the cabinet council shall submit to the governor and the general assembly a report on the status of efforts to increase child well-being in the state. This report shall be made available to any other person on request.
(B)(1) Each board of county commissioners shall
establish a
county family and children
first council. The board may invite
any local public
or private agency or
group that funds, advocates,
or provides services to children and families to
have a
representative become a permanent or temporary member of its
county
council. Each county council must
include the following
individuals: (a) At least three individuals who are not employed by an agency represented on the council and whose families are or have
received
services from an agency represented on the council or
another county's
council. Where possible, the number of members
representing families shall be
equal to twenty per cent of the
council's membership. (b) The director of the board of
alcohol, drug addiction,
and mental health services that serves
the county, or, in the case
of a county that has a board of
alcohol and drug addiction
services and a community mental
health board, the directors of
both boards. If a board of alcohol, drug
addiction, and mental
health services covers more than one county, the director may
designate a
person to participate on the county's council. (c) The health commissioner, or the commissioner's
designee,
of the
board of health of each city and general health district in
the
county. If the county has two or more health districts, the
health commissioner membership may be limited to the commissioners
of the two
districts with the largest populations. (d) The director of the county department of job and
family
services; (e) The executive director of the
public children
services agency; (f) The superintendent of the
county board of mental
retardation and developmental disabilities; (g) The county's juvenile court judge senior in service
or
another judge of the juvenile court designated by the
administrative
judge or, where there is no administrative judge,
by the judge senior in
service; (h) The superintendent of the city, exempted
village, or
local school district with the largest number of
pupils residing
in the county, as determined by the department
of education, which
shall notify each board of county
commissioners of its
determination at least biennially;
(i)(h) A school superintendent representing all
other school
districts with territory in the county, as
designated at a
biennial meeting of the superintendents of those
districts;
(j)(i) A representative of the
municipal corporation with the
largest population in the
county;
(k)(j) The president of the board of county
commissioners or
an individual designated by the board;
(l)(k) A representative of the regional office of the
department of
youth services;
(m)(l) A representative of the
county's head start agencies, as
defined in section 3301.32 of
the Revised Code;
(n)(m) A representative of the county's early
intervention
collaborative established pursuant to the federal
early
intervention program operated under the
"Education of the
Handicapped Act
Amendments of 1986 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004";
(o)(n) A representative of a local nonprofit entity
that funds,
advocates, or provides services to children and families.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the public
members of a county
council are not
prohibited from serving on the
council and making decisions
regarding the duties of the council,
including those involving the funding
of joint projects and those
outlined in the county's service
coordination mechanism
implemented pursuant to
division (C) of this section. The cabinet council shall establish a state appeals process
to resolve
disputes among the members of a county council
concerning whether reasonable
responsibilities as members are
being shared. The appeals process may be
accessed only by a
majority vote of the council members who are required to
serve on
the council. Upon appeal, the cabinet council may order that
state
funds for services to children and families be redirected to
a county's board
of county commissioners.
The county's juvenile court judge senior in service or another judge of the juvenile court designated by the administrative judge or, where there is no administrative judge, by the judge senior in service shall serve as the judicial advisor to the county family and children first council. The judge may advise the county council on the court's utilization of resources, services, or programs provided by the entities represented by the members of the county council and how those resources, services, or programs assist the court in its administration of justice. Service of a judge as a judicial advisor pursuant to this section is a judicial function. (2) The purpose of the county council is to streamline and coordinate existing government services for families seeking services for their children. In seeking to fulfill its purpose, a county council shall provide for the following: (a) Referrals to the cabinet council of those
children for
whom the
county council cannot provide adequate services; (b) Development and implementation of a process that
annually evaluates and
prioritizes services,
fills service gaps
where possible, and invents new approaches
to achieve better
results for families and children; (c) Participation in the development
of a countywide,
comprehensive, coordinated,
multi-disciplinary, interagency system
for infants and toddlers
with developmental disabilities or delays
and their families, as
established pursuant to federal grants
received and administered
by the department of health for early
intervention services
under the "Education of the
Handicapped Act
Amendments of 1986 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004"; (d) Maintenance of an accountability
system to
monitor the
county council's progress in achieving
results for families and
children; (e) Establishment of a mechanism to
ensure ongoing
input
from a broad representation of families who are receiving
services
within the county system. (3) A county council shall develop and implement the following:
(a) An interagency process to establish local indicators and monitor the county's progress toward increasing child well-being in the county;
(b) An interagency process to identify local priorities to increase child well-being. The local priorities shall focus on expectant parents and newborns thriving; infants and toddlers thriving; children being ready for school; children and youth succeeding in school; youth choosing healthy behaviors; and youth successfully transitioning into adulthood and take into account the indicators established by the cabinet council under division (A)(4)(a) of this section.
(c) An annual plan that identifies the county's interagency efforts to increase child well-being in the county.
On an annual basis, the county council shall submit a report on the status of efforts by the county to increase child well-being in the county to the county's board of county commissioners and the cabinet council. This report shall be made available to any other person on request.
(4)(a) Except as provided in division (B)(3)(4)(b)
of this
section, a county council shall comply with the
policies,
procedures, and activities prescribed by the rules or
interagency
agreements of a state department participating on
the cabinet
council whenever the county
council
performs a function subject to
those rules or agreements. (b) On application of a county council, the
cabinet council
may grant an exemption from any rules or
interagency agreements of
a state department participating on
the council if an exemption is
necessary for the council to
implement an alternative program or
approach for
service delivery to families and
children. The
application shall describe the proposed program
or approach and
specify the rules or interagency agreements from which
an
exemption is necessary. The cabinet council shall approve or
disapprove the application in accordance with standards and
procedures it shall adopt. If an application is approved, the
exemption is effective only while the program
or approach is being
implemented, including a
reasonable period during which the
program or approach is being evaluated for effectiveness. (4)(5)(a) Each county council shall designate an
administrative
agent for the council from among the following public entities:
the board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services,
including a
board of alcohol and drug addiction or a community
mental health board if the
county is served by separate boards;
the board of county commissioners; any
board of health of the
county's city and general health districts; the county
department
of job and family services; the county agency
responsible for the
administration of children services pursuant to section 5153.15 of
the Revised
Code; the
county board of mental retardation and
developmental disabilities; any of the
county's boards of
education or governing boards of educational service
centers; or
the county's juvenile court. Any of the foregoing public
entities, other than the board of county commissioners, may
decline to serve
as the council's administrative agent.
A county council's administrative agent shall serve as the
council's
appointing authority for any employees of the council.
The council
shall file an annual budget with its
administrative
agent, with copies filed with the county auditor and with the
board of county commissioners, unless the board is serving as the
council's
administrative agent. The council's administrative
agent shall ensure that
all expenditures are handled in accordance
with policies, procedures, and
activities prescribed by state
departments in rules or interagency agreements
that are applicable
to the council's functions.
The administrative agent of a county council shall send notice of a member's absence if a member listed in division (B)(1) of this section has been absent from either three consecutive meetings of the county council or a county council subcommittee, or from one-quarter of such meetings in a calendar year, whichever is less. The notice shall be sent to the board of county commissioners that establishes the county council and, for the members listed in divisions (B)(1)(b), (c), (e), and (l) of this section, to the governing board overseeing the respective entity; for the member listed in division (B)(1)(f) of this section, to the county board of mental retardation and developmental disabilities that employs the superintendent; for a member listed in division (B)(1)(g) or (h) of this section, to the school board that employs the superintendent; for the member listed in division (B)(1)(i) of this section, to the mayor of the municipal corporation; for the member listed in division (B)(1)(k) of this section, to the director of youth services; and for the member listed in division (B)(1)(n), to that member's board of trustees. The administrative agent for a county council may do any of
the following
on behalf of the council: (i) Enter into agreements or administer contracts with
public or
private entities to fulfill specific council business.
Such agreements and
contracts are exempt from the competitive
bidding requirements of section
307.86 of the Revised
Code if they
have been approved by the county
council and they are for the
purchase of family and child welfare or child
protection services
or other social or job and family
services for families and
children. The approval of the county council is not
required to
exempt agreements or contracts entered into under section 5139.34,
5139.41, or 5139.43 of the Revised
Code from the competitive
bidding requirements
of section 307.86 of the Revised Code. (ii) As determined by the council, provide financial
stipends,
reimbursements, or both, to family representatives for
expenses related to
council activity; (iii) Receive by gift, grant, devise, or bequest any
moneys,
lands,
or other property for the purposes for which the council is
established. The
agent shall hold, apply, and dispose of the
moneys, lands, or other property
according to the terms of the
gift, grant, devise, or bequest. Any interest
or earnings shall
be treated in the same manner and are subject to the same
terms as
the gift, grant, devise, or bequest from which it accrues. (b)(i) If the county council designates the board of county
commissioners as its administrative agent, the board may, by
resolution,
delegate any of its powers and duties as
administrative agent to an executive
committee the board
establishes from the membership of the county council.
The board
shall name to the executive committee at least the individuals
described in divisions (B)(1)(a)(b) to (i)(h) of this section and
may appoint the president of the board or
another individual as
the chair of the executive committee. The executive committee must include at least one family county council representative who does not have a family member employed by an agency represented on the council. (ii) The executive committee may, with the approval of the
board,
hire an executive director to assist the county council in
administering its
powers and duties. The executive director shall
serve in the unclassified
civil service at the pleasure of the
executive committee. The executive
director may, with the
approval of the executive committee, hire other
employees as
necessary to properly conduct the county council's business. (iii) The board may require the executive committee to
submit an
annual budget to the board for approval and may amend or
repeal the resolution
that delegated to the executive committee
its authority as the county
council's administrative agent. (5)(6) Two or more county councils may enter into an
agreement
to administer their county councils jointly by
creating a regional
family and children first council. A regional council
possesses
the same duties and authority
possessed by a county council,
except that the duties and
authority apply regionally rather than
to individual counties. Prior to
entering into an agreement to
create a regional
council, the members of each county council to
be part of the
regional council shall meet to determine whether
all or part of
the members of each county council will serve as
members of the
regional council.
(6)(7) A board of county commissioners may approve a resolution
by a majority
vote
of the board's members that requires the county
council to submit a statement to the board each time
the council
proposes to enter into an agreement, adopt a
plan, or make a
decision,
other than a decision pursuant to section 121.38 of the
Revised Code, that
requires the
expenditure of funds for two or
more families. The
statement shall describe the proposed
agreement, plan, or decision.
Not later than fifteen days after the board receives the
statement, it
shall, by resolution approved by a majority of its
members, approve or
disapprove the agreement, plan, or decision.
Failure of the board to pass a
resolution during that time period
shall be considered approval of the
agreement, plan, or decision. An agreement, plan, or decision for which a statement is
required to be
submitted to the board shall be implemented only if
it is approved
by the board. (C) Each county shall develop a
county service coordination
mechanism. The county service coordination mechanism shall serve as the guiding document for coordination of services in the county. For children who also receive services under the help me grow program, the service coordination mechanism shall be consistent with rules adopted by the department of health under section 3701.61 of the Revised Code. All family service coordination plans shall be developed in accordance with the county service coordination mechanism. The
mechanism shall be developed
and approved with the
participation of the county
entities representing child welfare;
mental
retardation and developmental disabilities; alcohol, drug
addiction, and mental health services; health; juvenile judges;
education; the county family and children first council; and the
county
early
intervention collaborative established pursuant to
the
federal early
intervention program operated under the
"Education of the
Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004." The county
shall
establish an implementation schedule for the mechanism. The
cabinet council
may monitor the implementation and administration
of each county's service
coordination mechanism. Each mechanism shall include all of
the
following: (1) A procedure for an agency, including a juvenile court, or a family voluntarily seeking service coordination, to refer the child and family to the county council for service coordination in accordance with the county service coordination mechanism; (2) A procedure ensuring that a family and all appropriate staff from involved agencies, including a representative from the appropriate school district, are notified of and invited to participate in all family service coordination plan meetings;
(3) A procedure that permits a family to initiate a meeting to develop or review the family's service coordination plan and allows the family to invite a family advocate, mentor, or support person of the family's choice to participate in any such meeting;
(4) A procedure for ensuring that a family service coordination plan meeting is conducted before a non-emergency nonemergency out-of-home placement for all multi-need children, or within ten days of a placement for emergency placements of multi-need children. The family service coordination plan shall outline how the county council members will jointly pay for services, where applicable, and provide services in the least restrictive environment.
(5) A procedure for monitoring the progress and tracking the outcomes of each service coordination plan requested in the county including monitoring and tracking children in out-of-home placements to assure continued progress, appropriateness of placement, and continuity of care after discharge from placement with appropriate arrangements for housing, treatment, and education.
(6) A procedure for protecting the confidentiality of all personal family information disclosed during service coordination meetings or contained in the comprehensive family service coordination plan.
(7) A procedure for assessing the needs and strengths of any child or family that has been referred to the council for service coordination, including a child whose parent or
custodian is voluntarily seeking services, and for ensuring that parents and custodians are afforded the opportunity to participate; (8) A procedure for development of a family
service coordination plan
described in division
(D) of this section; (9) A local dispute resolution
process to serve as the
process that must be used first to resolve
disputes among the
agencies represented on the county council concerning the
provision of
services
to children,
including children who are
abused, neglected, dependent, unruly,
alleged unruly, or
delinquent children and under the jurisdiction of the juvenile
court and children whose parents or custodians are
voluntarily
seeking services. The local dispute resolution
process shall
comply
with section sections
121.38, 121.381, and 121.382 of the Revised Code. The local dispute resolution process shall be used to resolve disputes between a child's parents or custodians and the county council regarding service coordination. The county council shall inform the parents or custodians of their right to use the dispute resolution process. Parents or custodians shall use existing local agency grievance procedures to address disputes not involving service coordination. The dispute resolution process is in addition to and does not replace other rights or procedures that parents or custodians may have under other sections of the Revised Code. The
cabinet
council shall adopt rules in
accordance with Chapter 119.
of the
Revised Code establishing an
administrative
review process
to
address problems that arise concerning the operation of a
local
dispute resolution process.
Nothing in division (C)(4) of this section shall be interpreted as overriding or affecting decisions of a juvenile court regarding an out-of-home placement, long-term placement, or emergency out-of-home placement. (D)
Each county shall develop a comprehensive family service coordination
plan
that does all of the following:
(1) Designates service responsibilities among the various
state and local
agencies that provide services to children and
their families, including
children who are abused, neglected,
dependent, unruly, or delinquent children
and under the
jurisdiction of the juvenile court and children whose parents or
custodians are voluntarily seeking services; (2) Designates an individual, approved by the family, to track the progress of the family service coordination plan, schedule reviews as necessary, and facilitate the family service coordination plan meeting process;
(3) Ensures that assistance and services to be provided are responsive to the strengths and needs of the family, as well as the family's culture, race, and ethnic group, by allowing the family to offer information and suggestions and participate in decisions. Identified assistance and services shall be provided in the least restrictive environment possible.
(4) Includes a process for dealing with
a child
who is alleged to be an unruly child. The process shall include methods to
divert the child
from the juvenile court system; (5) Includes timelines for completion of goals specified in the plan with regular reviews scheduled to monitor progress toward those goals;
(6) Includes a plan for dealing with short-term crisis situations and safety concerns. (E)(1) The process provided for
under
division
(D)(4) of this section may include, but is not limited
to, the following: (a) Designation of the person or agency to conduct the
assessment of the child and the child's family as described in
division
(C)(7) of this section and designation of
the
instrument or instruments to be used to conduct the assessment; (b) An emphasis on the personal responsibilities of the
child and the parental responsibilities of the parents, guardian,
or custodian
of the child; (c) Involvement of local law enforcement agencies and
officials. (2) The method to divert a child from the juvenile court
system that must be included in the service coordination process
may include, but
is not limited
to, the following: (a) The preparation of a complaint under section 2151.27 of
the Revised Code
alleging that the child is an unruly child and
notifying the child and
the parents, guardian, or custodian that
the complaint has
been prepared to encourage the child and the
parents, guardian, or
custodian to comply with other methods to
divert the
child from the juvenile court system; (b) Conducting a meeting with the child, the parents,
guardian, or custodian, and other interested parties to
determine
the appropriate methods to divert the child from the juvenile
court system; (c) A method to provide to the child and the
child's family
a short-term respite from a short-term crisis situation
involving
a confrontation between the child and the parents, guardian,
or
custodian; (d) A program to provide a mentor to the child or the
parents, guardian, or custodian; (e) A program to provide parenting education to the parents,
guardian, or custodian; (f) An alternative school program for children who are
truant from school, repeatedly disruptive in school, or suspended
or expelled
from school; (g) Other appropriate measures, including, but not limited
to,
any alternative methods to divert a child from the juvenile
court
system that are identified by the Ohio family and children
first cabinet council. (F) Each county may review and revise the service
coordination process described in division (D) of this section
based on the availability of funds under Title IV-A of the "Social
Security Act," 110 Stat. 2113 (1996), 42 U.S.C.A. 601, as amended,
or to the extent resources are available from any other federal,
state, or local funds.
Sec. 121.374. There is hereby created the Ohio family and children first cabinet council advisory board consisting of thirteen members. The governor shall appoint one member from the governor's office to serve on the advisory board. The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint two members of the house of representatives, each from a different political party. The president of the senate shall appoint two members of the senate, each from a different political party. The governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the president of the senate shall each appoint one member of the general public who is a primary caregiver who uses or has used a service provided by an agency represented on a family and children first county council. The speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate shall each appoint one member representing a foundation or nonprofit organization with expertise in issues related to children, families, or education. The governor shall appoint one member representing a faith-based organization, one member from a county family and children first council in a rural county, and one member from a county family and children first council in an urban county. Each member shall serve until a replacement member is appointed. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments. Members of the advisory board shall serve without compensation.
The advisory board shall consult with the cabinet council regarding the council's activities and initiatives, evaluating existing efforts, and help guide the direction of new efforts. The advisory board shall provide guidance regarding efforts to seek local input about the council's activities, initiatives, and achievements of the indicators adopted under section 121.37 of the Revised Code.
SECTION 2. That existing section 121.37 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.
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