2013 Maryland Code
HUMAN SERVICES
§ 9-204 - Secretary's powers and duties

§9-204.

(a) The Secretary shall carry out and enforce this title, the regulations of the Department, and any other provision of law that relates to the Secretary or the Department.

(b) (1) The Secretary may adopt regulations to carry out the provisions of law that are within the jurisdiction of the Secretary.

(2) The Secretary shall review and may revise the regulations of:

(i) each unit in the Department that is authorized by law to adopt regulations; and

(ii) the Department.

(c) The Secretary is responsible for the budget of the Department and for the budget of each unit in the Department.

(d) The Secretary may create any advisory council that the Secretary considers necessary and assign appropriate functions to it.

(e) (1) The Secretary is responsible for the coordination and direction of all planning that the office of the Secretary initiates.

(2) The Secretary shall keep fully apprised of plans, proposals, and projects of each unit in the Department and, except as expressly provided otherwise, may approve, disapprove, or modify any of them.

(f) (1) The Secretary shall develop a State Comprehensive Juvenile Services 3-Year Plan.

(2) The Plan shall:

(i) include an inventory of all in-day treatment programs and residential care programs and an accounting of the residence of all clients;

(ii) include an inventory of nonresidential treatment programs;

(iii) specify the needs of the various areas of services for clients, including alcohol and drug abuse rehabilitation services;

(iv) specify the needs of clients, including predelinquent diversion services programs;

(v) establish priorities for the different services needed;

(vi) set standards for the quality of residential services and outreach services;

(vii) include a program dedicated to reducing recidivism rates of clients;

(viii) include programs dedicated to diverting children from the juvenile justice system; and

(ix) include any other matters that the Secretary considers appropriate.

(3) The Plan shall be revised for each fiscal year and submitted, subject to § 2-1246 of the State Government Article, to the General Assembly by February 1 of each year.

(g) (1) The Secretary is responsible for the development, implementation, and maintenance of a comprehensive client information system, including an individual current record on each child, that is integrated in and accessible to the various units of the Department.

(2) The Secretary shall undertake efforts to link the system to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Human Resources for the purpose of allowing the exchange of information on clients served by each department.

(3) Each employee using the information shall protect the confidentiality of client records.

(h) (1) Except as otherwise expressly provided by law, the Secretary may transfer, by regulation or written directive, any function, staff, or funds from any unit in the Department to the office of the Secretary or another unit in the Department.

(2) Any staff transferred to the office of the Secretary shall be provided space, equipment, and services by the unit from which the staff was transferred, unless the Secretary orders removal to another location for the proper and efficient functioning of that office.

(i) (1) On or before January 1 of each year, the Secretary shall report to the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2-1246 of the State Government Article, on the recidivism rates of children committed to the Department for placement in residential care.

(2) The report shall include:

(i) recidivism rates for all children committed to the Department for placement in residential care;

(ii) recidivism rates by region for all children committed to the Department for placement in residential care; and

(iii) recidivism rates for each residential care program in which a child committed to the Department is placed.

(3) The report shall include data from the prior 3 fiscal years.

(4) The report shall include recidivism rates that are calculated for 1 year and 3 year time frames.