45.08 - Children's protection team.
§ 45.08 Children's protection team. 1. A five member children's protection team is hereby established in the commission. 2. The children's protection team is charged with investigating suspected abuse of children residing in children's psychiatric centers and children's units within adult psychiatric centers as set forth under section 7.17 of this chapter. 3. Where the commission reasonably believes that conditions in a children's psychiatric center or children's unit within an adult psychiatric center may endanger the welfare and safety of its residents, the chairman shall designate the children's protection team to review the conditions of such psychiatric center to determine the extent to which the welfare of such children are endangered. Upon conclusion of such review, the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the office of mental health. 4. The commission shall submit to the governor and the legislature an interim report by January first, nineteen hundred ninety and an annual report by the thirty-first day of December of each subsequent year. The report shall provide information regarding the status of the children's psychiatric centers and children's units within the adult psychiatric centers reviewed by the children's protection team. The report shall also include an analysis of child abuse complaints received by the commission which shall include but not be limited to information pertaining to the nature and severity of such complaints, the rate of recommended indications, the preventive and remedial actions recommended by the commission, and any systemic problems identified by the commission which may have contributed to the abuse or maltreatment of children in residential facilities operated by the office of mental health.