CHAPTER 6. REGIONAL SERVICE STRATEGIC PLANS
IC 31-26-6
Chapter 6. Regional Service Strategic Plans
IC 31-26-6-1
"Plan"
Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, "plan" includes a regional servicesstrategic plan to achieve the purposes described in section 5 of thischapter and any implementation strategy, revision, addition, orupdate of the plan, as described in section 12(a) of this chapter.
As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.
IC 31-26-6-2
"Regional services council"
Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, "regional services council" meansa council appointed as provided in section 7 of this chapter.
As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.
IC 31-26-6-3
"Service region"
Sec. 3. As used in this chapter, "service region" means an area ofIndiana consisting of one (1) or more counties.
As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.
IC 31-26-6-4
County participation in regional services council
Sec. 4. (a) Each county shall participate in a regional servicescouncil established under this chapter for the service region in whichthe county is located.
(b) The department shall determine the county or counties thatcomprise each service region. A county may not be divided whenestablishing a service region.
As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.
IC 31-26-6-5
Biennial regional services strategic plan required
Sec. 5. Each regional services council shall develop a biennialregional services strategic plan that is tailored to provide servicestargeted to the individual needs of children who:
(1) have been either:
(A) adjudicated as, or alleged in a proceeding initiated underIC 31-34 or IC 31-37 to be, children in need of services ordelinquent children; or
(B) identified by the department, based on informationreceived from:
(i) a school;
(ii) a social service agency;
(iii) a court;
(iv) a probation department;
(v) the child's parent or guardian; or
(vi) an interested person in the community having
knowledge of the child's environment and familycircumstances;
and after an informal investigation, as substantially at risk ofbecoming children in need of services or delinquentchildren; and
(2) have been referred to the department by, or with the consentof, the child's parent, guardian, or custodian for services to beprovided through the plan based on an individual case plan forthe child.
As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.
IC 31-26-6-6
Evaluation of needs; determination of appropriate deliverymechanisms; recommendation regarding allocation anddistribution of funds
Sec. 6. (a) Each regional services council shall, according toguidelines and policies established by the department, include in itsplan an evaluation of local child welfare service needs and adetermination of appropriate delivery mechanisms. The policies shallprovide an opportunity for local services providers to be representedin the evaluation of local child welfare service needs. In addition, theregional services council shall take public testimony regarding localservice needs and system changes.
(b) The council shall also recommend in the plan, or any revision,addition, or update relating to implementation of a plan under section12(a) of this chapter, the allocation and distribution among serviceproviders of funds that:
(1) the department allocates to the service region; and
(2) are used to pay for the expenses of child welfare programsand child services administered by the department within theregion.
As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.
IC 31-26-6-7
Members of regional services council
Sec. 7. (a) If the service region consists of at least three (3)counties, the regional services council is composed of the followingmembers appointed from the service region:
(1) The regional manager, who must be an employee of thedepartment.
(2) Three (3) members who are juvenile court judges or theirdesignees.
(3) Three (3) local office directors.
(4) Two (2) family case manager supervisors.
(5) Two (2) family case managers.
(6) Two (2) licensed foster parents.
(7) One (1) guardian ad litem or court appointed specialadvocate.
(8) One (1) member who is a prosecuting attorney or theprosecuting attorney's designee. (9) One (1) individual who:
(A) is at least sixteen (16) and less than twenty-five (25)years of age;
(B) is a resident of the service region;
(C) has received or is receiving services through fundsprovided, directly or indirectly, through the department; and
(D) will serve in a nonvoting capacity.
(b) If the service region consists of one (1) or two (2) counties, theregional services council must include at least the followingmembers from the service region:
(1) Three (3) employees of the department, including theregional manager.
(2) One (1) juvenile court judge or judicial hearing officer.
(3) Two (2) members who are designees of a juvenile courtjudge.
(4) Two (2) family case manager supervisors.
(5) Two (2) family case managers.
(6) One (1) licensed foster parent.
(7) One (1) person from each category described in subsection(a)(7), (a)(8), and (a)(9).
(c) The director shall appoint the members of the regional servicescouncil with the exception of judges or judicial hearing officers andprosecuting attorneys or their respective designees.
(d) The members of the regional services council described insubsections (a)(2), (b)(2), and (b)(3) shall be selected by the juvenilecourt judge or judges in the service region.
(e) The member of the regional services council described insubsection (a)(8) shall be selected by the prosecuting attorneys in thecounties comprising the service region.
(f) Each member of the regional services council shall serve at thepleasure of the member's appointing authority.
As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.
IC 31-26-6-8
Organizational meeting; chairperson of regional services council
Sec. 8. (a) The regional manager shall convene an organizationalmeeting of the members of a regional services council appointedunder section 7 of this chapter.
(b) The regional manager shall serve as the chairperson of thecouncil. The council shall select one (1) of its members as vicechairperson.
As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.
IC 31-26-6-9
Review and consideration of certain programs
Sec. 9. In preparing the plan under section 5 of this chapter, aregional services council shall review and consider existing publiclyand privately funded programs that are available or that could bemade available in the regional services council's service region toprovide supportive services to or for the benefit of children described
in section 5 of this chapter without removing the child from thefamily home, including programs funded through the following:
(1) Title IV-B of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 620 etseq.).
(2) Title IV-E of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 670 etseq.).
(3) Title XX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397 etseq.).
(4) The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C.5106 et seq.).
(5) Special education programs under IC 20-35-6-2.
(6) All programs designed to prevent child abuse, neglect, ordelinquency, or to enhance child welfare and familypreservation administered by, or through funding provided by,the department, county offices, prosecuting attorneys, orjuvenile courts, including programs funded under IC 31-26-3.5and IC 31-40.
(7) A child advocacy fund under IC 12-17-17.
As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.
IC 31-26-6-10
Family preservation services
Sec. 10. A regional services council may include in its plan aprogram for provision of family preservation services that:
(1) is or will be in effect in the regional services council'sservice region;
(2) includes services for a child less than eighteen (18) years ofage who reasonably may be expected to be considered forout-of-home placement under IC 31-34 or IC 31-37 as a resultof:
(A) abuse or neglect;
(B) emotional disturbance; or
(C) delinquency adjudication; and
(3) addresses all the objectives of family preservation services.
As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.
IC 31-26-6-11
Transmission of plan by regional services council; action on planby director of department
Sec. 11. (a) Each regional services council shall transmit to thedirector each plan it develops and approves. The council shalltransmit its biennial plan described in section 5 of this chapter to thedirector not later than February 2 of each even-numbered year.
(b) Not later than sixty (60) days after receiving the plan, thedirector of the department or the director's designee shall do one (1)of the following:
(1) Approve the plan as submitted by the council.
(2) Approve the plan with amendments, modifications, orrevisions.
(3) Return the plan to the council with directions concerning: (A) subjects for further study and reconsideration; and
(B) resubmission of a revised plan.
As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.
IC 31-26-6-12
Quarterly meetings; additional meetings; quorum; designation ofrepresentative or proxy; application of public meetings law
Sec. 12. (a) A regional services council shall meet at leastquarterly to do the following:
(1) Develop, review, or revise a strategy for implementation ofan approved plan that identifies:
(A) the manner in which prevention and early interventionservices will be provided or improved;
(B) how local collaboration will improve children's services;and
(C) how different funds can be used to serve children andfamilies more effectively.
(2) Reorganize as needed and select its vice chairperson for theensuing year.
(3) Review the implementation of the plan and preparerevisions, additions, or updates of the plan that the regionalservices council considers necessary or appropriate to improvethe quality and efficiency of early intervention child welfareservices provided in accordance with the plan.
(b) The chairperson or vice chairperson of a regional servicescouncil may convene any additional meetings of the regional servicescouncil that are, in the chairperson's or vice chairperson's opinion,necessary or appropriate.
(c) A majority of the voting members of the regional servicescouncil appointed under section 7 of this chapter constitutes aquorum for the transaction of official business that includes takingfinal action (as defined in IC 5-14-1.5-2(g)). The regional servicescouncil may hold a meeting in the absence of a quorum to discussany items of public business related to its responsibilities andfunctions as described in this chapter, without taking final action.
(d) A judicial officer or prosecuting attorney who is a member ofthe regional services council under section 7 of this chapter maydesignate in writing a person as the member's representative or proxyto attend any meeting of the council specified in the designation. Anydesignee under this subsection shall be a voting member of thecouncil and be included for purposes of a quorum under subsection(c).
(e) Any department employee who is a member of the regionalservices council under section 7 of this chapter may designate inwriting a person as the member's representative or proxy to attendany meeting of the council specified in the designation. Any designeeunder this subsection shall be a voting member of the council and beincluded for purposes of a quorum under subsection (c).
(f) All meetings of a regional services council under this chapterare subject to applicable provisions of IC 5-14-1.5.As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.
IC 31-26-6-13
Participation in meeting by certain means of communication;memoranda of meeting
Sec. 13. (a) This section applies to a meeting of a regionalservices council at which at least four (4) voting members of thecouncil are physically present at the place where the meeting isconducted.
(b) A member of the regional services council may participate ina meeting of the council by using a means of communication thatallows:
(1) all other members participating in the meeting; and
(2) all members of the public physically present at the placewhere the meeting is conducted;
to communicate simultaneously with each other during the meeting.
(c) A member who participates in a meeting under subsection (b)is considered to be present at the meeting.
(d) The memoranda of the meeting prepared under IC 5-14-1.5-4must state the name of each member who:
(1) was physically present at the place where the meeting wasconducted;
(2) participated in the meeting by using a means ofcommunication described in subsection (b); or
(3) was absent.
As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.
IC 31-26-6-14
Transmission of plan, annual report, and other documents
Sec. 14. (a) A regional services council or the regional managershall transmit copies of the plan, each annual report, each revisedplan, and any other report or document described by rule adoptedunder section 16 of this chapter, to the following:
(1) The director.
(2) Each department office in the service region.
(3) Each juvenile court in the service region.
(b) A regional services council shall provide to the department acopy of each plan, annual report, or revised plan transmitted undersubsection (a) to be posted to the department's Internet web site.
As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.
IC 31-26-6-15
Publicizing of plan
Sec. 15. A regional services council shall publicize to residents ofeach county in the service region the existence and availability of theplan, including information concerning access to the plan on thedepartment web site.
As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.
IC 31-26-6-16 Rules
Sec. 16. The department may adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 toadminister this chapter.
As added by P.L.146-2008, SEC.571.