2005 West Virginia Code - §9-6-2. — Adult protective services; rules; organization and duties.

§9-6-2. Adult protective services; rules; organization and duties.
(a) There is hereby established and continued within the department of health and human resources the system of adult protective services heretofore existing.
(b) The secretary shall propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code regarding the organization and duties of the adult protective services system and the procedures to be used by the department to effectuate the purposes of this article. The rules may be amended and supplemented from time to time.
(c) The secretary shall design and arrange such rules to attain, or move toward the attainment of the following goals, to the extent that the secretary believes feasible under the provisions of this article within the state appropriations and other funds available:
(1) Assisting adults who are abused, neglected or incapacitated in achieving or maintaining self-sufficiency and self-support, and preventing, reducing and eliminating their dependency on the state;
(2) Preventing, reducing and eliminating neglect and abuse of adults who are unable to protect their own interests;
(3) Preventing and reducing institutional care of adults by providing less intensive forms of care, preferably in the home;
(4) Referring and admitting abused, neglected or incapacitated adults to institutional care only where other available services are inappropriate;
(5) Providing services and monitoring to adults in institutions designed to assist adults in returning to community settings;
(6) Preventing, reducing and eliminating the exploitation of incapacitated adults and facility residents through the joint efforts of the various agencies of the department of health and human resources, the adult protective services system, the state and regional long-term care ombudsmen, administrators of nursing homes or other residential facilities and county prosecutors;
(7) Preventing, reducing and eliminating abuse and neglect of residents in nursing homes or facilities; and
(8) Coordinating investigation activities for complaints of abuse and neglect of incapacitated adults and facility residents among the various agencies of the department of health and human resources, the adult protective services system, the state and regional long-term care ombudsmen, administrators of nursing homes or other residential facilities, county prosecutors, if necessary, and other state or federal agencies or officials, as appropriate.
(d) The rules proposed by the secretary shall provide for the means by which the department shall cooperate with federal, state and other agencies to fulfill the objectives of the system of adult protective services.