Source: https://www.richmondsunlight.com/bill/2014/hb890/fulltext/
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 04:33:45+00:00

Document:
HOUSE BILL NO. 890 House Amendments in [ ] -- January 30, 2014 A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 32.1-330, 51.5-148, 63.2-219, 63.2-1225, 63.2-1226, 63.2-1231, and 63.2-1509 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the term "social worker."
§ 32.1-330. Preadmission screening required.
All individuals who will be eligible for community or institutional long-term care services as defined in the state plan for medical assistance shall be evaluated to determine their need for nursing facility services as defined in that plan. The Department shall require a preadmission screening of all individuals who, at the time of application for admission to a certified nursing facility as defined in § 32.1-123, are eligible for medical assistance or will become eligible within six months following admission. For community-based screening, the screening team shall consist of a nurse, social worker or other Department-designated assessor, and physician who are employees of the Department of Health or the local department of social services or a team of licensed physicians, nurses, and social workers at the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center (WWRC) for WWRC clients only. For institutional screening, the Department shall contract with acute care hospitals.
§ 51.5-148. Establishment of Adult Protective Services Unit; powers and duties.
A. The Department shall have responsibility for the planning and oversight of adult protective services in the Commonwealth. The Commissioner shall establish within the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services an Adult Protective Services Unit which shall oversee the planning, administration, and implementation of adult protective services in the Commonwealth. Adult protective services shall be provided to the public by local departments of social services pursuant to Chapter 16 (§ 63.2-1600 et seq.) of Title 63.2 in cooperation with the Department and subject to the regulations and oversight of the Commissioner.
9. To work collaboratively with other agencies in the Commonwealth to facilitate the reporting and investigation of suspected adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
§ 63.2-219. Board to establish employee entrance and performance standards.
The Board shall establish minimum education, professional and training requirements and performance standards for the personnel employed by the Commissioner and local boards in the administration of this title and adopt regulations to maintain such education, professional and training requirements and performance standards, including such regulations as may be embraced in the development of a system of personnel administration meeting requirements of the Department of Health and Human Services under appropriate federal legislation relating to programs administered by the Board. The Board shall adopt minimum education, professional and training requirements and performance standards for personnel to provide public assistance or social services.
The Board shall provide that the Department and its local boards or local departments shall not employ any person in any social work [ family-services-specialist family-services specialist ] position that provides direct client services unless that person holds at least a baccalaureate degree. Such requirement shall not be waived by the Department, Board, or any local director or local governing body, unless such person has been employed prior to January 1, 1999, by the Department or its local boards or local departments in a social work [ family-services-specialist family-services specialist ] position that provides direct client services.
The state grievance procedure adopted pursuant to Chapter 30 (§ 2.2-3000 et seq.) of Title 2.2 shall apply to the personnel employed by the Commissioner. A local social services department or local board shall adopt a grievance procedure that is either (i) adopted by the locality in which the department or board is located, or in the case of a regional department or board, the grievance procedure adopted by one of its localities in the regional organization; or (ii) approved by the Board consistent with the provisions of Chapter 30 (§ 2.2-3000 et seq.) of Title 2.2. The grievance procedure adopted by the local board shall apply to employees, including local directors, of the local boards and local departments.
§ 63.2-1225. Determination of appropriate home.
A. In determining the appropriate home in which to place a child for adoption, a married couple or an unmarried individual shall be eligible to receive placement of a child for purposes of adoption. Prior to or after the acceptance of custody of a child placed for adoption, a licensed child-placing agency or a local board shall consider the recommendations of the birth parent(s), a physician or attorney licensed in the Commonwealth, or a clergyman who is familiar with the situation of the prospective adoptive parent(s) or the child. No birth parent, physician, attorney or clergyman shall advertise that he is available to make recommendations, nor shall he charge any fee for such recommendations to a board or agency, except that an attorney may charge for legal fees and services rendered in connection with such placement.
B. The agency or local board may give consideration to placement of the child with the recommended adoptive parent(s) if the agency or local board finds that such placement is in the best interest of the child. When the birth parent(s) has recommended such placement, the agency or local board shall provide the birth parent(s) the opportunity to be represented by independent legal counsel as well as the opportunity for counseling with a social worker, family-services specialist, or other qualified equivalent worker. The agency or board also shall advise the prospective adoptive parent(s) of the right to be represented by independent legal counsel. The parties may, but are not required to, exchange identifying information as provided for in subdivision A 3 of § 63.2-1232.
§ 63.2-1226. When birth parents recommend adoptive parents.
When a licensed child-placing agency or a local board is requested to accept custody of a child for the purpose of placing the child with adoptive parent(s) recommended by the birth parent(s) or a person other than a licensed child-placing agency or local board, either the parental placement adoption provisions or the agency adoption provisions of this chapter shall apply to such placement at the election of the birth parent(s). Such agency or local board shall provide information to the birth parent(s) regarding the parental placement adoption and agency adoption provisions and shall provide the birth parent the opportunity to be represented by independent legal counsel as well as counseling with a social worker, family-services specialist, or other qualified equivalent worker. No person shall charge, pay, give, or agree to give or accept any money, property, services, or other thing of value in connection with such adoption except as provided in § 63.2-1218.
§ 63.2-1231. Home study; meeting required; exception.
18. Any person employed by a public or private institution of higher education other than an attorney who is employed by a public or private institution of higher education as it relates to information gained in the course of providing legal representation to a client.
If neither the locality in which the child resides nor where the abuse or neglect is believed to have occurred is known, then such report shall be made to the local department of the county or city where the abuse or neglect was discovered or to the Department's toll-free child abuse and neglect hotline.
If an employee of the local department is suspected of abusing or neglecting a child, the report shall be made to the court of the county or city where the abuse or neglect was discovered. Upon receipt of such a report by the court, the judge shall assign the report to a local department that is not the employer of the suspected employee for investigation or family assessment. The judge may consult with the Department in selecting a local department to respond to the report or the complaint.
If the information is received by a teacher, staff member, resident, intern or nurse in the course of professional services in a hospital, school or similar institution, such person may, in place of said report, immediately notify the person in charge of the institution or department, or his designee, who shall make such report forthwith. If the initial report of suspected abuse or neglect is made to the person in charge of the institution or department, or his designee, pursuant to this subsection, such person shall notify the teacher, staff member, resident, intern or nurse who made the initial report when the report of suspected child abuse or neglect is made to the local department or to the Department's toll-free child abuse and neglect hotline, and of the name of the individual receiving the report, and shall forward any communication resulting from the report, including any information about any actions taken regarding the report, to the person who made the initial report.
B. For purposes of subsection A, "reason to suspect that a child is abused or neglected" shall include (i) a finding made by a health care provider within six weeks of the birth of a child that the results of toxicology studies of the child indicate the presence of a controlled substance not prescribed for the mother by a physician; (ii) a finding made by a health care provider within six weeks of the birth of a child that the child was born dependent on a controlled substance which was not prescribed by a physician for the mother and has demonstrated withdrawal symptoms; (iii) a diagnosis made by a health care provider at any time following a child's birth that the child has an illness, disease or condition which, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, is attributable to in utero exposure to a controlled substance which was not prescribed by a physician for the mother or the child; or (iv) a diagnosis made by a health care provider at any time following a child's birth that the child has a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder attributable to in utero exposure to alcohol. When "reason to suspect" is based upon this subsection, such fact shall be included in the report along with the facts relied upon by the person making the report.
E. No person shall be required to make a report pursuant to this section if the person has actual knowledge that the same matter has already been reported to the local department or the Department's toll-free child abuse and neglect hotline.
HOUSE BILL NO. 890 Offered January 8, 2014 Prefiled January 8, 2014 A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 32.1-330, 51.5-148, 63.2-219, 63.2-1225, 63.2-1226, 63.2-1231, and 63.2-1509 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the term "social worker."
The Board shall provide that the Department and its local boards or local departments shall not employ any person in any social work family-services-specialist position that provides direct client services unless that person holds at least a baccalaureate degree. Such requirement shall not be waived by the Department, Board, or any local director or local governing body, unless such person has been employed prior to January 1, 1999, by the Department or its local boards or local departments in a social work family-services-specialist position that provides direct client services.
For a plain English description of this bill, comments, voting, tagging, etc., return to the main page for HB890.

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