GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

S	2 

SENATE BILL 489*
Children and Human Resources Committee Substitute Adopted 6/7/93

Short Title:  Child Eval. Center Funds.	(Public)
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Sponsors:
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Referred to:  Appropriations.
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March 16, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO IMPLEMENT A RECOMMENDATION OF THE CHILD FATALITY TASK FORCE TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR CHILD MALTREATMENT EVALUATION AND EDUCATION CENTERS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  (a) There is created in the Division of Social Services, Department of Human Resources, a grant program to establish a maximum of 12 Regional Child Maltreatment Evaluation and Education Centers to provide:
(1)	Expert evaluations of children suspected of being the victims of child abuse or neglect;
(2)	Systematic continuing education to Child Medical Examiners, Community Child Protection Team members, health care providers, social workers, guardians ad litem, and other professionals involved in child abuse prevention, evaluation, and treatment;
(3)	Continuing education to individuals in training, such as medical students, to increase the pool of professionals available to provide evaluations; and
(4)	Special equipment and special services to Child Medical Examiners and other health care professionals.
The Secretary of Human Resources, or the Secretary's designee, shall administer the program.
(b)	The Secretary of Human Resources, or the Secretary's designee, upon the advice of a review panel, which should include representatives of law enforcement officers, district attorneys, medical practitioners, and social workers, shall:
(1)	Develop a grant application package and provide it to the four medical schools in the State, teaching hospitals in the State that have major roles in the residency training of physicians in pediatrics and family medicine, and nonprofit organizations in underserved areas of the State that have no residencies but that agree to become involved in continuing education of health, social services, and law enforcement personnel.  The package shall include grant proposal instructions and grant-scoring procedures.  Each grant application shall include:
a.	Documentation that the existing program or new location has seen at least 100 maltreatment victims for medical evaluations in the past year or has the capacity for such a case load within a year.
b.	An agreement to provide:
1.	Primary multidisciplinary evaluations for children suspected of being victims of child abuse or neglect;
2.	Second opinions, as requested, to other physicians who conduct maltreatment evaluations but are not affiliated with a center and to county departments of social services; and
3.	Sexual abuse examinations.
c.	Evidence of appropriate laboratory support, either directly or through arrangements with another center or laboratory.
d.	A description of the center's anticipated educational efforts, which shall include establishing or enhancing training in the medical aspects of child abuse for medical students, residents, practicing physicians, and other professionals in the community.
e.	A description of the center's location and its accessibility to the children and families to be served.
f.	A proposed budget that includes the use of grant funds and funds from other sources.
g.	A program evaluation plan.
h.	Any other information the Secretary or the Secretary's designee considers appropriate.
(2)	Adopt scoring procedures for the grant applications.
(3)	Select grant recipients.
(4)	Evaluate the activities of the centers.
(c)	Grant funds may be used to:
(1)	Support a half-time social worker or other professional trained in interviewing young children about child abuse;
(2)	Provide partial support for a secretary or coordinator;
(3)	Support the one-time purchase of a colposcope and videotaping equipment; and
(4)	Support up to ten percent (10%) of a physician's or physician extender's time for educational activities.
(d)	Each center that is eligible for, and receives, a grant under this act may receive supplemental funding if the following additional criteria are met:
(1)	The center conducted a minimum of 300 multidisciplinary evaluations for children suspected of being victims of child abuse or neglect in the past year, and the center agrees to conduct a minimum of 300 of these evaluations each year.
(2)	The center is actively involved in the education of medical students, residents, and practicing physicians.
(3)	At least one physician with recognized expertise involved in the provision of services to maltreated children is employed by or affiliated with the center.
(4)	The center is authorized to provide continuing medical education.
(5)	The center agrees to provide second opinions, as requested, to Child Medical Examiners.
(6)	The center agrees to sponsor continuing education courses for professionals in its regions, and to provide training to individual Child Medical Examiners, as requested.
(7)	The center agrees to participate in and support peer review conferences, such as the monthly statewide video conference currently operated by the Child Medical Evaluation Program.
(8)	The center's budget includes:
a.	A maximum of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for equipment during the first year, and a maximum of five thousand dollars ($5,000) for equipment during the second year;
b.	A maximum of thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000) per year to employ a full-time social worker or other specially trained professional to assist in the evaluations with child interviews and case coordination;
c.	A maximum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) per year to support a maximum of a three-tenths full-time equivalent physician's or physician extender's time to be devoted to education and outreach activities;
d.	A maximum of three thousand dollars ($3,000) per year for educational materials and communication costs; and
e.	A maximum of seven thousand dollars ($7,000) per year for travel for education of the professionals staffing the center or for provision of education to others.
Sec. 2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Division of Social Services, Department of Human Resources, the sum of eight hundred forty thousand dollars ($840,000) for the 1993-94 fiscal year and the sum of six hundred sixty thousand dollars ($660,000) for the 1994-95 fiscal year to implement this act.  Of these funds:
(1)	The sum of eight hundred forty thousand dollars ($840,000) for the 1993-94 fiscal year shall be used for six grants of up to eighty thousand dollars ($80,000) and for six grants of up to sixty thousand dollars ($60,000).
(2)	The sum of six hundred sixty thousand dollars ($660,000) for the 1994-95 fiscal year shall be used for six grants of up to sixty-five thousand dollars ($65,000) and for six grants of up to forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000).
Sec. 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1993.