CO Code § 25-20.5-903 (2021)
2021 Colorado Code|Title 25 - Public Health and Environment|Article 20.5 - Intervention, and Treatment Services for Children and Youth|Part 9 - Colorado Child Abuse Response and Evaluation Network (Carenetwork)|§ 25-20.5-903. Carenetwork - Structure - Resource Center

  There is created in the department of public health and environment the Colorado child abuse response and evaluation network to provide medical exams and behavioral health assessments to children under six years of age for suspected cases of physical or sexual abuse or neglect and children under thirteen years of age for suspected sexual abuse. In implementing the CARENetwork, the department shall coordinate with the department of human services, existing advisory committees, and interested stakeholders to align the work of the CARENetwork with other state and local efforts focused on preventing child abuse and neglect and addressing the health and social needs of families at risk of experiencing child abuse or neglect.    On or before November 1, 2019, the department shall award a contract to a resource center to establish the CARENetwork. The resource center shall:   Work to increase local capacity of health-care and behavioral health providers to perform medical and behavioral health assessments for suspected cases of physical or sexual abuse or neglect by using current or by building appropriate infrastructure for and providing technical assistance to the CARENetwork;    Develop best practice standards across the state for the CARENetwork, including a review of current national accreditation standards, for medical exams and behavioral health assessments for children described in subsection (1) of this section;    Develop a streamlined medical and behavioral health referral process to designated providers for children to receive appropriate care, including coordinated hand-offs to available resources;    Establish an efficient structure, considering geography and identified community needs, to ensure a coordinated response to suspected cases of physical or sexual abuse or neglect;    Encourage participation and enhance the role of medical providers in multidisciplinary teams in local communities to provide input for the CARENetwork;    Collaborate with existing programs in local communities to provide education and training, collaborative mentorship, and support for designated providers serving children in their communities, including education and training about risks and protective factors associated with child abuse and neglect and resources for families to address their health and social needs;    Collect and analyze data to identify and monitor outcomes of the CARENetwork and to guide ongoing program analyses, resulting in the development of best practices that encourage continuous improvement and fidelity of the CARENetwork's standard of care; and    Report annually to the executive directors of the department and the department of human services on activities of the CARENetwork.       Nothing in this section supersedes the authority of the department of human services or a county department of human or social services to receive reports and coordinate the official investigation and response to reports of child abuse or neglect. Nothing in the section relieves the participants in the CARENetwork from mandated reporting requirements pursuant to section 19-3-304.     History. Source: L. 2019: Entire part added, (HB 19-1133), ch. 259, p. 2471, § 2, effective May 23.