Affected by 63I-1-278 on 12/31/2024
Effective 5/4/2022
78B-22-805. Interdisciplinary Parental Representation Pilot Program.
- (1) As used in this section:
- (a) “Program” means the Interdisciplinary Parental Representation Pilot Program created in this section.
- (b) “Social worker” means an individual who is licensed as:
- (i) a clinical social worker;
- (ii) a certified social worker;
- (iii) a marriage and family therapist; or
- (iv) a clinical mental health counselor.
- (2)
- (a) There is created within the commission the Interdisciplinary Parental Representation Pilot Program.
- (b) The purpose of the program is to enhance the legal representation of a parent in a child welfare case by including a social worker as a member of the parent’s interdisciplinary legal team.
- (3)
- (a) A county may submit a proposal to the commission for a grant to develop a social worker position to provide services to parents involved in a child welfare case in the county.
- (b) A proposal described in Subsection (3)(a) shall include details regarding:
- (i) how the county plans to use the grant award to fulfill the purpose described in Subsection (2);
- (ii) any plan to use funding sources in addition to a grant awarded under this section for the proposal; and
- (iii) other information the commission determines necessary to evaluate the proposal for a grant award under this section.
- (c) In evaluating a proposal for a grant award under this section, the commission shall consider:
- (i) the extent to which the proposal will fulfill the purpose described in Subsection (2);
- (ii) the cost of the proposal;
- (iii) the extent to which other funding sources identified in the proposal are likely to benefit the proposal;
- (iv) the sustainability of the proposal;
- (v) the need for social worker engagement in child welfare cases in the county that submitted the proposal; and
- (vi) whether the proposal will support improvements in indigent defense services in accordance with the commission core principles described in Section 78B-22-404.
- (4) Before October 1, 2023, the commission shall provide a written report to the Health and Human Services Interim Committee regarding the program that includes information on:
- (a) the number of grants awarded under the program; and
- (b) whether the program had any impact on child welfare case outcomes.
Enacted by Chapter 188, 2022 General Session