78A-6-901 - Office of Guardian Ad Litem -- Appointment of director -- Duties of director -- Contracts in second, third, and fourth districts.
78A-6-901. Office of Guardian Ad Litem -- Appointment of director -- Duties ofdirector -- Contracts in second, third, and fourth districts.
(1) As used in this part:
(a) "Director" means the director of the office.
(b) "Office" means the Office of Guardian Ad Litem, created in this section.
(2) There is created the Office of Guardian Ad Litem under the direct supervision of theGuardian Ad Litem Oversight Committee.
(3) (a) The Guardian Ad Litem Oversight Committee shall appoint one person to servefull time as the guardian ad litem director for the state. The guardian ad litem director shall serveat the pleasure of the Guardian Ad Litem Oversight Committee, in consultation with the statecourt administrator.
(b) The director shall be an attorney licensed to practice law in this state and selected onthe basis of:
(i) professional ability;
(ii) experience in abuse, neglect, and dependency proceedings;
(iii) familiarity with the role, purpose, and function of guardians ad litem in both juvenileand district courts; and
(iv) ability to develop training curricula and reliable methods for data collection andevaluation.
(c) The director shall, prior to or immediately after the director's appointment, be trainedin nationally recognized standards for an attorney guardian ad litem.
(4) The guardian ad litem director shall:
(a) establish policy and procedure for the management of a statewide guardian ad litemprogram;
(b) manage the guardian ad litem program to assure that minors receive qualifiedguardian ad litem services in abuse, neglect, and dependency proceedings in accordance withstate and federal law and policy;
(c) develop standards for contracts of employment and contracts with independentcontractors, and employ or contract with attorneys licensed to practice law in this state, to act asattorney guardians ad litem in accordance with Section 78A-6-902;
(d) develop and provide training programs for volunteers in accordance with the UnitedStates Department of Justice National Court Appointed Special Advocates Associationstandards;
(e) develop and update a guardian ad litem manual that includes:
(i) best practices for an attorney guardian ad litem; and
(ii) statutory and case law relating to an attorney guardian ad litem;
(f) develop and provide a library of materials for the continuing education of attorneyguardians ad litem and volunteers;
(g) educate court personnel regarding the role and function of guardians ad litem;
(h) develop needs assessment strategies, perform needs assessment surveys, and ensurethat guardian ad litem training programs correspond with actual and perceived needs for training;
(i) design and implement evaluation tools based on specific objectives targeted in theneeds assessments described in Subsection (4)(h);
(j) prepare and submit an annual report to the Guardian Ad Litem Oversight Committeeand the Child Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel regarding:
(i) the development, policy, and management of the statewide guardian ad litemprogram;
(ii) the training and evaluation of attorney guardians ad litem and volunteers; and
(iii) the number of minors served by the Office of Guardian Ad Litem;
(k) hire, train, and supervise investigators; and
(l) administer the program of private guardians ad litem established by Section78A-2-228.
(5) A contract of employment or independent contract described under Subsection (4)(c)shall provide that attorney guardians ad litem in the second, third, and fourth judicial districtsdevote their full time and attention to the role of attorney guardian ad litem, having no clientsother than the minors whose interest they represent within the guardian ad litem program.
Amended by Chapter 32, 2009 General Session