Sec. 264.411. ELIGIBILITY FOR CONTRACTS. (a) A public entity that operated as a center under this subchapter before November 1, 1995, or a nonprofit entity is eligible for a contract under Section 264.410 if the entity:
(1) has a signed memorandum of understanding as provided by Section 264.403;
(2) operates under the authority of a governing board as provided by Section 264.404;
(3) has a multidisciplinary team of persons involved in the investigation or prosecution of child abuse cases or the delivery of services as provided by Section 264.406;
(4) holds regularly scheduled case reviews as provided by Section 264.406;
(5) operates in a neutral and physically separate space from the day-to-day operations of any public agency partner;
(6) has developed a method of statistical information gathering on children receiving services through the center and shares such statistical information with the statewide organization, the department, and the commission when requested;
(7) has an in-house volunteer program;
(8) employs an executive director who is answerable to the board of directors of the entity and who is not the exclusive salaried employee of any public agency partner;
(9) operates under a working protocol that includes a statement of:
(A) the center's mission;
(B) each agency's role and commitment to the center;
(C) the type of cases to be handled by the center;
(D) the center's procedures for conducting case reviews and forensic interviews and for ensuring access to specialized medical and mental health services; and
(E) the center's policies regarding confidentiality and conflict resolution; and
(10) implements at the center the following program components:
(A) a case tracking system that monitors statistical information on each child and nonoffending family member or other caregiver who receives services through the center and that includes progress and disposition information for each service the multidisciplinary team determines should be provided to the client;
(B) a child-focused setting that is comfortable, private, and physically and psychologically safe for diverse populations of children and nonoffending family members and other caregivers;
(C) family advocacy and victim support services that include comprehensive case management and victim support services available to each child and the child's nonoffending family members or other caregivers as part of the services the multidisciplinary team determines should be provided to a client;
(D) forensic interviews conducted in a neutral, fact-finding manner and coordinated to avoid duplicative interviewing;
(E) specialized medical evaluation and treatment services that are available to all children who receive services through the center and coordinated with the services the multidisciplinary team determines should be provided to a child;
(F) specialized trauma-focused mental health services that are designed to meet the unique needs of child abuse victims and the victims' nonoffending family members or other caregivers and that are available as part of the services the multidisciplinary team determines should be provided to a client; and
(G) a system to ensure that all services available to center clients are culturally competent and diverse and are coordinated with the services the multidisciplinary team determines should be provided to a client.
(b) The statewide organization may waive the requirements specified in Subsection (a) if it determines that the waiver will not adversely affect the center's ability to carry out its duties under Section 264.405.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 575, Sec. 33, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 347, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 185, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by:
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 136 (S.B. 245), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2013.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 597 (S.B. 354), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2015.
Last modified: September 28, 2016