Section 27-7-17 - Adult protective services system.
27-7-17. Adult protective services system.
A. Subject to the availability of funds, the department shall develop a coordinated system of protective services or protective placement for incapacitated or protected adults who have been abused, neglected or exploited. In planning this system, the department shall obtain the advice of agencies, corporations, boards and associations involved in the provision of social, health, legal, nutritional and other services to adults, as well as of organizations of adults.
B. The department shall ensure that the adult protective services system for incapacitated or protected adults who have been abused, neglected or exploited includes:
(1) a process for the collection and analysis of data relating to adult protective services or protective placement and for the provision of an annual findings and recommendations report to the governor and the appropriate interim committee;
(2) the establishment and use of multidisciplinary teams to develop treatment strategies, ensure maximum coordination with existing community resources and provide comprehensive assessment and case consultation on difficult or complex cases, provided that the adults' privacy and confidentiality rights in such cases are protected;
(3) coordination among the various state or local agencies that serve incapacitated or protected adults; and
(4) an emphasis on the need for prevention of abuse, neglect or exploitation of adults.
C. Upon establishment of the adult protective services system, the department shall be responsible for continuing coordination and supervision of the system. In carrying out these duties, the department shall:
(1) adopt rules necessary to implement and operate the system;
(2) monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the system; and
(3) use to the extent available grants from federal, state and other public and private sources to support the system.
D. The department shall administer a public information program regarding the problem of abuse, neglect and exploitation of adults; reporting and prevention of adult abuse, neglect or exploitation; and the availability of treatment and protective services or protective placement for those adults.