Juveniles: dependency: child and family teams.

Existing law establishes the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, which may adjudge a child to be a dependent of the court under certain circumstances, including when the child suffered, or there is a substantial risk that the child will suffer, serious physical harm, or a parent fails to provide the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment. Existing law establishes the grounds for removal of a dependent child from the custody of the child's parents or guardian and establishes procedures to determine placement of a dependent child. Existing law prescribes various hearings, including specified review hearings, and other procedures for these purposes. Existing law defines a "child and family team" as a group of individuals who are convened by a placing agency and engaged through a variety of team-based processes to help achieve positive outcomes for a child's or youth's safety, permanency, and well-being. Existing law requires that information exchanged among the child and family team be received in confidence for the limited purpose of providing necessary services and supports to the child or youth and family and prohibits the information from being further disclosed, except as specified. This bill would define a "child and family team meeting" as a convening of all or some members of the child and family team and would require a child and family team meeting to conform to specified requirements, including, among others, that a notification be provided to the child or youth, their parent or guardian, and the caregiver upon the scheduling of a meeting, and that the child's court-appointed educational rights holder be invited to the meeting under certain circumstances. The bill would require the State Department of Social Services, by July 1, 2021, to issue instructions to counties that describe all confidentiality protections for the mental health, reproductive and sexual health, and minor drug treatment information of a minor or nonminor dependent. Existing law requires each social study or evaluation made by a social worker or child advocate that is required to be received into evidence, and each supplemental report required to be filed, to include a factual discussion of various subjects. This bill would require the documentation of the child and family team meeting in the above-described court report. If the county has produced a summary report or an action plan of the meeting for use by the team members, the bill would authorize the attachment of a copy of that report or action plan to the above-described court report, as specified. By increasing the duties of county employees under these provisions, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.