2014 Nebraska Revised Statutes
Chapter 43 - INFANTS AND JUVENILES
43-4203 - Nebraska Children's Commission; duties; establish networks; service area; develop strategies; committees created; use of facilitated conferencing.

43-4203. Nebraska Children's Commission; duties; establish networks; service area; develop strategies; committees created; use of facilitated conferencing.

(1) The Nebraska Children's Commission shall work with administrators from each of the service areas designated pursuant to section 81-3116, the teams created pursuant to section 28-728, local foster care review boards, child advocacy centers, the teams created pursuant to the Supreme Court's Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative, community stakeholders, and advocates for child welfare programs and services to establish networks in each of such service areas. Such networks shall permit collaboration to strengthen the continuum of services available to child welfare agencies and to provide resources for children and juveniles outside the child protection system. Each service area shall develop its own unique strategies to be included in the statewide strategic plan. The Department of Health and Human Services shall assist in identifying the needs of each service area.

(2)(a) The commission shall create a committee to examine state policy regarding the prescription of psychotropic drugs for children who are wards of the state and the administration of such drugs to such children. Such committee shall review the policy and procedures for prescribing and administering such drugs and make recommendations to the commission for changes in such policy and procedures.

(b) The commission shall create a committee to examine the structure and responsibilities of the Office of Juvenile Services as they exist on April 12, 2012. Such committee shall review the role and effectiveness of the youth rehabilitation and treatment centers in the juvenile justice system and make recommendations to the commission on the future role of the youth rehabilitation and treatment centers in the juvenile justice continuum of care, including what populations they should serve and what treatment services should be provided at the centers in order to appropriately serve those populations. Such committee shall also review how mental and behavioral health services are provided to juveniles in secure residential placements and the need for such services throughout Nebraska and make recommendations to the commission relating to those systems of care in the juvenile justice system. The committee shall collaborate with the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Juvenile Justice Institute, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Center for Health Policy, the behavioral health regions as established in section 71-807, and state and national juvenile justice experts to develop recommendations. If the committee's recommendations include maintaining the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center-Kearney, the recommendation shall include a plan to implement a rehabilitation and treatment model by upgrading the center's physical structure, staff, and staff training and the incorporation of evidence-based treatments and programs. The recommendations shall be delivered to the commission and electronically to the Judiciary Committee of the Legislature by December 1, 2013.

(c) The commission may organize committees as it deems necessary. Members of the committees may be members of the commission or may be appointed, with the approval of the majority of the commission, from individuals with knowledge of the committee's subject matter, professional expertise to assist the committee in completing its assigned responsibilities, and the ability to collaborate within the committee and with the commission to carry out the powers and duties of the commission.

(d) The Title IV-E Demonstration Project Committee created pursuant to section 43-4208 and the Foster Care Reimbursement Rate Committee created pursuant to section 43-4212 are under the jurisdiction of the commission.

(3) The commission shall work with the office of the State Court Administrator, as appropriate, and entities which coordinate facilitated conferencing as described in section 43-247.03. Facilitated conferencing shall be included in statewide strategic plan discussions by the commission. Facilitated conferencing shall continue to be utilized and maximized, as determined by the court of jurisdiction, during the development of the statewide strategic plan. Funding and contracting with mediation centers approved by the Office of Dispute Resolution to provide facilitated conferencing shall continue to be provided by the office of the State Court Administrator at an amount of no less than the General Fund transfer under subsection (1) of section 43-247.04.

(4) The commission shall gather information and communicate with juvenile justice specialists of the Office of Probation Administration and county officials with respect to any county-operated practice model participating in the Crossover Youth Program of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University.

(5) The commission shall coordinate and gather information about the progress and outcomes of the Nebraska Juvenile Service Delivery Project established pursuant to section 43-4101.

Source

Laws 2012, LB821, § 3;
Laws 2013, LB269, § 6;
Laws 2013, LB530, § 6;
Laws 2013, LB561, § 56;
Laws 2014, LB464, § 33.
Operative Date: July 18, 2014