ASSEMBLY, No. 389

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

 

 

By Assemblywoman HECK and Assemblyman STUHLTRAGER

 

 

An Act establishing regional diagnostic and treatment centers for child abuse and making an appropriation.

 

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. The Commissioner of Human Services shall establish four regional diagnostic and treatment centers for child abuse affiliated with teaching hospitals in the State that meet the standards adopted by the commissioner, in consultation with the Governor's Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect. The regional centers shall be located in the northern, north central, south central and southern regions of the State.

 

    2. Each center shall provide a multidisciplinary team trained in identifying and responding to child abuse. The team shall include, at a minimum, a pediatrician, a consulting psychiatrist, a psychologist and a social worker who are trained to evaluate and treat children who have been abused and their families. Each multidisciplinary team shall also include a representative of the district office of the Division of Youth and Family Services in the Department of Human Services and a representative of the prosecutor's office from the county in which the child who is undergoing evaluation and treatment resides.

    A member of the team shall be selected as an advocate of the child to ensure that any action taken is in the best interest of the child.

 

    3. The regional centers shall: evaluate and treat child abuse; be resources for the region and develop additional resources within the region; provide training and consultative services; be available for emergency consultation 24 hours a day; and be accessible to all child victims. The centers shall also be a source for research and training for additional medical and mental health personnel dedicated to the identification and treatment of child abuse.

    The regional center may charge a sliding scale fee for services provided under this act.

    4. Services provided by the multidisciplinary team shall include, but not be limited to:

    a. Providing psychological and medical evaluation and treatment of the child and counseling for family members;

    b. Providing referral for appropriate social services and medical care;

    c. Providing testimony regarding alleged child abuse at judicial proceedings;

    d. Providing treatment recommendations for the child and his family, and may provide treatment recommendations for persons convicted of child abuse;

    e. Receiving referrals from the Division of Youth and Family Services and the county prosecutor's office and assisting them in any investigation of child abuse;

    f. Providing educational material and seminars on child abuse and the services the center provides to children, parents, teachers, law enforcement officials, the judiciary, attorneys and other citizens.

 

    5. The regional center shall ensure the safety of a child undergoing treatment while the child is at the regional center to the extent permitted by law . The appropriate law enforcement officials and protective services providers shall continue to ensure the safety of the child to the extent permitted by law.

 

    6. Regional centers shall encourage and assist counties to establish a multidisciplinary team to assist the county prosecutor and the Division of Youth and Family Services in an investigation of child abuse. The Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the Governor's Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, shall establish standards for a county team. The county team shall consist of representatives of the following disciplines: law enforcement; child protective services; mental health; medicine; and education, all of whom have been trained to recognize child abuse. The county team shall provide: facilitation of the investigation, management and disposition of cases of criminal child abuse; referral services to the regional diagnostic center; appropriate referrals to medical and social service agencies; information regarding the identification and treatment of child abuse; and appropriate follow-up care for abused children and their families.

 

    7. There is established a 14 member Diagnostic and Treatment Advisory Council to oversee the programs of the regional centers, help facilitate communications among the centers, county teams, law enforcement officials and the Division of Youth and Family Services, develop standards of care for the treatment of child abuse, and help coordinate any research it deems appropriate. The council shall consist of: the Commissioners of the Departments of Human Services, Health and Education, and the Attorney General, or their designees; the Director of the Division of Youth and Family Services; the directors of the four regional centers; a physician; a social worker; a psychologist; an advocate for abused children; and a person who has utilized the services of a center. The Governor shall appoint the five public members of the council, who shall serve as members for three years.

    The advisory council shall report annually to the Governor and the Legislature regarding the effectiveness of the regional centers and shall make recommendations for improvements or changes.

 

    8. The Commissioner of Human Services shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act" P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.

 

    9. There is appropriated $1.5 million from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services to carry out the purposes of this act.

 

    10. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill establishes four regional diagnostic and treatment centers for child abuse affiliated with medical centers in the State that meet standards adopted by the Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the Governor's Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect. Each center shall provide a multidisciplinary team trained in identifying and responding to child abuse. The team shall include, at a minimum, a pediatrician, a consulting psychiatrist, a psychologist and a social worker who are trained to evaluate and treat children who have been abused and their families.

    Each multidisciplinary team shall also include a representative of the district office of the Division of Youth and Family Services in the Department of Human Services and a representative of the prosecutor's office from the county in which the child who is undergoing evaluation and treatment resides.

    A member of the team shall be selected as an advocate of the child to ensure that any action taken is in the best interest of the child.

    The regional centers shall: evaluate and treat child abuse; be resources for the region and develop additional resources within a region; provide training and consultative services; be available for emergency consultation 24 hours a day; and be accessible to all child victims. The centers shall also be a source for research and training for additional medical and mental health personnel dedicated to the identification and treatment of child abuse.

    Services provided by the multidisciplinary team shall include, but not be limited to:

    1. Psychological and medical evaluation and treatment of the child and counseling for family members;

    2. Referral for appropriate social services and medical care;

    3. Providing testimony regarding alleged child abuse at judicial proceedings;

    4. Treatment recommendations for the child and his family, and may provide treatment recommendations for persons convicted of child abuse;

    5. Receiving referrals from the Division of Youth and Family Services and the county prosecutor's office and assisting them in any investigation of child abuse; and

    6. Providing educational material and seminars on child abuse and the services the center provides to children, parents, teachers, law enforcement, the judiciary, attorneys and other citizens.

    The regional center may charge a sliding scale fee for services provided under this bill.

    Regional centers shall encourage and assist counties to establish a multidisciplinary team to assist the county prosecutor and the Division of Youth and Family Services in any investigation of child abuse. The Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the Governor's Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, shall establish standards for the county teams.

    The bill also establishes a 14 member Diagnostic and Treatment Advisory Council to oversee the programs of the regional centers, help facilitate communications among the centers, county teams, law enforcement officials and the Division of Youth and Family Services, develop standards of care for the treatment of child abuse, and help coordinate any research it deems appropriate.

    Finally, the bill appropriates $1.5 million from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services to carry out the provisions of the bill.

 

 

 

Establishes four regional diagnostic and treatment centers for child abuse; appropriates $1.5 million.