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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a memorandum of understanding between certain state |
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agencies related to training of employees and contractors who |
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provide certain services to children and families. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 533.0415(a), (d), and (e), Health and |
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Safety Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The executive commissioner, the Texas Juvenile Justice |
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Department, and the Texas Education Agency by rule shall adopt a |
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joint memorandum of understanding to develop interagency training |
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for individuals employed or contracted by [the staffs of] the |
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department, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, the Department |
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of Family and Protective Services, and the Texas Education Agency |
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who are involved in the functions of assessment, case planning, |
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case management, and in-home or direct delivery of services to |
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children, youth, and their families under this title. The |
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memorandum must: |
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(1) outline the responsibility of each agency in |
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coordinating, [and] developing, and implementing a plan for |
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interagency training on effective [individualized] assessment, |
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[and effective] intervention, and treatment services that are |
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individualized and provided in the least restrictive environment |
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appropriate for children and [dysfunctional] families; [and] |
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(2) identify the available training programs |
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administered by the state agencies identified by this subsection |
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and the eligibility requirements for those programs; and |
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(3) provide for the establishment of an interagency |
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work group [task force] to identify: |
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(A) common training needs for individuals |
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employed or contracted by the state agencies identified by this |
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subsection [develop a training program to include identified
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competencies, content, and hours for completion of the training
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with at least 20 hours of training required each year until the
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program is completed]; and |
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(B) existing training and technical assistance |
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resources, including web-based resources, available across the |
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state agencies identified by this subsection that can be used to the |
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greatest extent possible for the implementation of the plan |
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described by Subdivision (1) [design a plan for implementing the
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program, including regional site selection, frequency of training,
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and selection of experienced clinical public and private
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professionals or consultants to lead the training; and
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[(C)
monitor, evaluate, and revise the training
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program, including the development of additional curricula based on
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future training needs identified by staff and professionals]. |
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(d) The appropriate division of the commission designated |
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by the commission shall act as the lead state agency in coordinating |
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the development and implementation of the memorandum. |
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(e) The executive commissioner and the state agencies |
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identified by Subsection (a) shall review and by rule revise the |
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memorandum not later than August of each odd-numbered year. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 533.0415(b) and (c), Health and Safety |
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Code, are repealed. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |