(1) Under the direction of the board or boards of county commissioners, and in conjunction with the guidelines set by the State Commission on Children and Families, the main purposes of a local commission on children and families are to promote wellness for children of all ages and their families in the county or region, if the families have given their express written consent, to mobilize communities and to develop policy and oversee the implementation of a local coordinated comprehensive plan described in this section. A local commission shall:
(a) Inform and involve citizens;
(b) Identify and map the range of resources in the community;
(c) Plan, advocate and fund research-based initiatives for children who are 0 through 18 years of age and their families;
(d) Develop local policies, priorities, outcomes and targets;
(e) Prioritize activities identified in the local plan and mobilize the community to take action;
(f) Prioritize the use of nondedicated resources;
(g) Monitor implementation of the local plan; and
(h) Monitor and evaluate the intermediate outcome targets identified in the local plan that are reviewed under ORS 417.797, and report on the progress in addressing priorities and achieving outcomes.
(2)(a) A local commission may not provide direct services for children and their families.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection, a local commission may provide direct services for children and their families for a period not to exceed six months if:
(A)(i) The local commission determines that there is an emergency;
(ii) A provider of services discontinues providing the services in the county or region; or
(iii) No provider is able to offer the services in the county or region; and
(B) The family has given its express written consent.
(3) The local commission shall lead and coordinate a process to assess needs, strengths, goals, priorities and strategies, and identify county or regional outcomes to be achieved. The process shall be in conjunction with other coordinating bodies for services for children and their families and shall include representatives of education, mental health services, developmental disability services, alcohol and drug treatment programs, public health programs, local child care resource and referral agencies, child care providers, law enforcement and corrections agencies, private nonprofit entities, local governments, faith-based organizations, businesses, families, youth and the local community. The process shall include populations representing the diversity of the county or region.
(4) Through the process described in subsection (3) of this section, the local commission shall coordinate the development of a single local plan for coordinating community programs, strategies and services for children who are 0 through 18 years of age and their families among community groups, government agencies, private providers and other parties. The local plan shall be a comprehensive area-wide service delivery plan for all services to be provided for children and their families in the county or region, if the families have given their express written consent. The local plan shall be designed to achieve state and county or regional outcomes based on state policies and guidelines and to maintain a level of services consistent with state and federal requirements.
(5) The local commission shall prepare the local coordinated comprehensive plan and applications for funds to implement ORS 417.705 to 417.801 and 419A.170. The local plan, policies and proposed service delivery systems shall be submitted to the board or boards of county commissioners for approval prior to submission to the state commission. The local plan shall be based on identifying the most effective service delivery system allowing for the continuation of current public and private programs where appropriate. The local plan shall address needs, strengths and assets of all children, their families and communities, including those children and their families at highest risk.
(6) Subject to the availability of funds:
(a) The local coordinated comprehensive plan shall include:
(A) Identification of ways to connect all state and local planning processes related to services for children and their families into the local coordinated comprehensive plan to create positive outcomes for children and their families; and
(B) Provisions for a continuum of social supports at the community level for children from the prenatal stage through 18 years of age, and their families, that takes into account areas of need, service overlap, asset building and community strengths as outlined in ORS 417.305 (2).
(b) The local coordinated comprehensive plan shall reference:
(A) A voluntary local early childhood system plan created pursuant to ORS 417.777;
(B) Local alcohol and other drug prevention and treatment plans developed pursuant to ORS 430.258;
(C) Local service plans, developed pursuant to ORS 430.630, for the delivery of mental health services for children and their families;
(D) Local public health plans, developed pursuant to ORS 431.385, that include public health issues such as prenatal care, immunizations, well-child checkups, tobacco use, nutrition, teen pregnancy, maternal and child health care and suicide prevention; and
(E) The local high-risk juvenile crime prevention plan developed pursuant to ORS 417.855.
(7) The local coordinated comprehensive plan shall include a list of staff positions budgeted to support the local commission on children and families. The list shall indicate the status of each position as a percentage of full-time equivalency dedicated to the implementation of the local coordinated comprehensive plan. The county board or boards of commissioners shall be responsible for providing the level of staff support detailed in the local plan and shall ensure that funds provided for these purposes are used to carry out the local plan.
(8) The local coordinated comprehensive plan shall:
(a) Improve results by addressing the needs, strengths and assets of all children, their families and communities in the county or region, including those children and their families at highest risk;
(b) Improve results by identifying the methods that work best at the state and local levels to coordinate resources, reduce paperwork and simplify processes, including data gathering and planning;
(c) Be based on local, state and federal resources;
(d) Be based on proven practices of effectiveness for the specific community;
(e) Contribute to a voluntary statewide system of formal and informal services and supports that is provided at the community level, that is integrated in local communities and that promotes improved outcomes for Oregon’s children;
(f) Be presented to the citizens in each county for public review, comment and adjustment;
(g) Be designed to achieve outcomes based on research-identified proven practices of effectiveness; and
(h) Address other issues, local needs or children and family support areas as determined by the local commission pursuant to ORS 417.735.
(9) In developing the local coordinated comprehensive plan, the local commission shall:
(a) Secure active participation pursuant to subsection (3) of this section;
(b) Provide for community participation in the planning process, including media notification;
(c) Conduct an assessment of the community that identifies needs and strengths;
(d) Identify opportunities for service integration; and
(e) Develop a local coordinated comprehensive plan and budget to meet the priority needs of a county or region.
(10) The state commission may disapprove the part of the local coordinated comprehensive plan relating to the planning process required by this section and the voluntary local early childhood system plan.
(11)(a) The state commission may disapprove the planning process and the voluntary local early childhood system plan only upon making specific findings that the local plan substantially fails to conform to the principles, characteristics and values identified in ORS 417.708 to 417.725 and 417.735 (4) or that the local plan fails to conform with the planning process requirements of this section. The staff of the state commission shall assist the local commission in remedying the deficiencies in the planning process or the voluntary local early childhood system plan. The state commission shall set a date by which any deficient portions of the planning process or the voluntary local early childhood system plan must be revised and resubmitted to the state commission by the local commission.
(b) The state commission does not have approval authority over the following service plans referenced in the local coordinated comprehensive plan:
(A) The local alcohol and other drug prevention and treatment plans developed pursuant to ORS 430.258;
(B) Local service plans, developed pursuant to ORS 430.630, relating to the delivery of mental health services;
(C) Local public health plans developed pursuant to ORS 431.385; and
(D) Local high-risk juvenile crime prevention plans developed pursuant to ORS 417.855.
(12) The state commission, the Governor’s Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs, the Department of Human Services and the Juvenile Crime Prevention Advisory Committee may jointly approve the community plan that is part of the local coordinated comprehensive plan, but may not jointly approve the service plans that are referenced in the local plan. If the community plan is disapproved in whole, the agencies shall identify with particularity the manner in which the community plan is deficient and the service plans may be implemented. If only part of the community plan is disapproved, the remainder of the community plan and the service plans may be implemented. The staff of the agencies shall assist the local commission in remedying the disapproved portions of the community plan. The agencies shall jointly set a date by which the deficient portions of the community plan shall be revised and resubmitted to the agencies by the local commission. In reviewing the community plan, the agencies shall consider the impact of state and local budget reductions on the community plan.
(13) If a local commission determines that the needs of the county or region it serves differ from those identified by the state commission, it may ask the state commission to waive specific requirements in its list of children’s support areas. The process for granting waivers shall be developed by the state commission prior to the start of the review and approval process for the local coordinated comprehensive plan described in ORS 417.735 (4) and shall be based primarily on a determination of whether the absence of a waiver would prevent the local commission from best meeting the needs of the county or region.
(14) From time to time, the local commission may amend the local coordinated comprehensive plan and applications for funds to implement ORS 417.705 to 417.801 and 419A.170. The local commission must amend the local plan to reflect current community needs, strengths, goals, priorities and strategies. Amendments become effective upon approval of the board or boards of county commissioners and the state commission.
(15) The local commission shall keep an official record of any amendments to the local coordinated comprehensive plan under subsection (14) of this section.
(16) The local commission shall provide an opportunity for public and private contractors to review the components of the local coordinated comprehensive plan and any amendments to the local plan, to receive notice of any component that the county or counties intend to provide through a county agency and to comment publicly to the board or boards of county commissioners if they disagree with the proposed service delivery plan. [1993 c.676 §14; 1999 c.1053 §13; 2001 c.179 §1; 2001 c.276 §2; 2001 c.831 §11; 2003 c.148 §3; 2003 c.293 §5; 2003 c.553 §3]
Section: Previous 417.747 417.748 417.750 417.755 417.760 417.765 417.770 417.775 417.777 417.780 417.785 417.787 417.788 417.790 417.793 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008