HB 1144

Enacts Part 2C, the Child Welfare Case Escalation Team, to Article 1 of GS Chapter 108A, requiring the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to maintain a Child Welfare Case Escalation Team (team) of representatives for each regional social services department that conducts escalation assessments of juveniles that have a history of child protective services attention due to a combination of safety and risk factors. Sets three purposes of the teams: (1) support county departments of social services (county DSS); (2) provide an additional level of review to ensure child safety statewide; and (3) provide quality assurance of the child protective services history of a family who has returned to the attention of child protective services, including assessing the quality of prior service intervention and further decisions of services provided to ensure the safety and well-being of juveniles moving forward with the family. Requires DHHS to staff the team, including the assigned manager and escalation specialists. Directs the team to coordinate with the specified social services and law enforcement officials. Defines six terms applicable to new Part 2C in GS 108A-15.26. Sets out the following criteria that trigger team involvement in a report of abuse or neglect to screen in GS 108A-15.27: (1) extensive child welfare history, (2) three or more reports within a 12-month period involving the same or similar allegations that were screened out that indicate a pattern of concern despite prior screening decisions, (3) history of prior removal and placement into foster care, such as previous removal of juveniles from the home due to similar or identical allegations, (4) three or more substantiated findings involving the family that demonstrate a pattern consistent with chronic or habitual neglect, or (5) ongoing medical or mental health neglect, such as repeated reports indicating failure to address juveniles' medical or mental health needs with allegations consistent across multiple reports and time frames. Provides for notice and information sharing. Tasks the team escalation specialist in GS 108A-15.28, with assessing the child welfare history, identify gaps in services and other areas that impact safety of the juvenile, review the overall safety planning for the juvenile in the current assessment to determine if there are additional steps required to ensure safety, and to create a timeline of CPS interventions. Directs the escalation specialist and other team members to provide technical assistance and for the escalation specialist to collaborate with the county DSS as described. Directs the county DSS to respond to unaddressed safety concerns identified though the team’s review process immediately or within the same day of notification. Specifies that the team and other assigned and DHHS staff will review records to ensure that practices that have deficiencies are corrected and there is communication with county department staff and others to improve child welfare practice at all levels across the county departments of social services.