§ 42-72-4 - Qualifications and duties of director.
SECTION 42-72-4
§ 42-72-4 Qualifications and duties ofdirector. – (a) The director shall meet the following minimum qualifications:
(1) Hold a master's degree in social work or a closelyrelated field, and have demonstrated experience in child welfare and/orchildren's mental health, and/or juvenile justice; and
(2) Have at least five (5) years of increasing responsibilityin administering programs for children.
(b) The director's duties include, but are not limited to:
(1) Administration and direction of the operation of thedepartment;
(2) Examination of programs, services, and plans for childrenfor the purpose of identifying duplications, inefficiencies, effectiveness ofprograms, resources and unmet needs;
(3) Securing and analysis of departmental plans and budgetrequests affecting children's programs and services;
(4) Review of federal funds utilized and available to thestate for children's programs and services;
(5) Collation of items in the governor's budget related toprograms and services for children and issuance of impact statements;
(6) Formulation of recommendations to the governor and otherappropriate department heads on planning and expenditures for children'sprograms and services;
(7) Liaison with community child advocacy groups, includingparents, to receive advice on resources, needs and priorities in the differentlocalities;
(8) Provide effective public information on children'sservices in Rhode Island;
(9) Advise the legislature on the needs of children and theirfamilies;
(10) Establish a central registry for the purpose ofreporting, collating, receiving, and administering reports involving children;
(11) Liaison with other state departments, agencies, localgovernments, and private providers of services to coordinate services andmaximize resources in developing programs;
(12) Formulation of rules and regulations necessary to carryout the provisions of this chapter;
(13) Preparation of an annual report and state plan to besent to the governor and the general assembly;
(14) Provision or arrangement for the provision of suitabletreatment, rehabilitation, and care for each child under the director'ssupervision by pursuing the least restrictive placement and, wherever feasible,by effectuating community placements in Rhode Island;
(15) The director shall provide for a case managementinformation system that includes data regarding, but not limited to, cliententry, screening, client's needs assessment, development of a client serviceplan, services provision, evaluation, review and monitoring of client progress,and client exit from the system. In addition, the director shall establish acentralized case management unit to receive all service plans and using anyadditional expertise as may be required, will review, monitor, evaluate,endorse, and/or modify as may be appropriate, each client service plan;
(16) Administer in a coordinated and integrated manner allinstitutions and facilities which are or may come under the jurisdiction of thedepartment; and
(17) Develop a comprehensive program for the prevention ofproblems of children and provide a flexible, innovative, and effective programfor the placement, care, and treatment of children committed by any court tothe department, transferred to the department by other departments, orvoluntarily admitted to the department.