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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to secondary trauma support, case assignment, and caseload |
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management for child protective services caseworkers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 261.301, Family Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (j) to read as follows: |
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(j) In geographic areas with demonstrated need, the |
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department shall designate employees to serve specifically as |
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investigators and responders for after-hours reports of child abuse |
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or neglect. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 40.038 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 40.038. SECONDARY TRAUMA SUPPORT FOR CASEWORKERS. (a) |
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In this section, "secondary trauma" means trauma incurred as a |
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consequence of a person's exposure to acute or chronic trauma. |
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(b) The department shall develop and make available a |
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program to provide ongoing support to caseworkers who experience |
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secondary trauma resulting from exposure to trauma in the course of |
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the caseworker's employment. The program must include critical |
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incident stress debriefing. The department may not require that a |
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caseworker participate in the program. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 40.0529 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 40.0529. CASELOAD MANAGEMENT. (a) Subject to a |
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specific appropriation for that purpose, the department shall |
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develop and implement a caseload management system for child |
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protective services caseworkers and managers that: |
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(1) ensures equity in the distribution of workload, |
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based on the complexity of each case; |
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(2) calculates caseloads based on the number of |
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individual caseworkers who are available to handle cases; |
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(3) includes geographic case assignment in areas with |
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concentrated high risk populations, to ensure that an adequate |
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number of caseworkers and managers with expertise and specialized |
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training are available; |
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(4) includes a plan to deploy master investigators in |
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anticipation of emergency shortages of personnel; and |
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(5) anticipates vacancies in caseworker positions in |
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areas of the state with high caseworker turnover to ensure the |
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timely hiring of new caseworkers in those areas. |
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(b) In calculating the caseworker caseload under Subsection |
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(a)(2), the department: |
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(1) may not count caseworkers who are on leave for four |
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weeks or more as available caseworkers; |
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(2) may not create fictive caseworkers to compensate |
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for overtime hours worked by caseworkers; and |
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(3) shall only count caseworkers who are on reduced |
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caseloads at a value of 0.3 or less. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |