(1) Upon receiving a report alleging medical neglect, the department or sheriff’s office shall assign the case to a child protective investigator who has specialized training in addressing medical neglect or working with medically complex children if such investigator is available. If a child protective investigator with specialized training is not available, the child protective investigator shall consult with department staff with such expertise.

(2) The child protective investigator who has interacted with the child and the child’s family shall promptly contact and provide information to the Child Protection Team. The Child Protection Team shall assist the child protective investigator in identifying immediate responses to address the medical needs of the child with the priority of maintaining the child in the home if the parents will be able to meet the needs of the child with additional services. The child protective investigator and the Child Protection Team must use a family-centered approach to assess the capacity of the family to meet those needs. A family-centered approach is intended to increase independence on the part of the family, accessibility to programs and services within the community, and collaboration between families and their service providers. The ethnic, cultural, economic, racial, social, and religious diversity of families must be respected and considered in the development and provision of services.

(3) The child shall be evaluated by the Child Protection Team as soon as practicable. If the Child Protection Team reports that medical neglect is substantiated, the department shall convene a case staffing which shall be attended, at a minimum, by the child protective investigator; department legal staff; and representatives from the Child Protection Team that evaluated the child, Children’s Medical Services, the Agency for Health Care Administration, the community-based care lead agency, and any providers of services to the child. However, the Agency for Health Care Administration is not required to attend the staffing if the child is not Medicaid eligible. The staffing shall consider, at a minimum, available services, given the family’s eligibility for services; services that are effective in addressing conditions leading to medical neglect allegations; and services that would enable the child to safely remain at home. Any services that are available and effective shall be provided.

History.—s. 10, ch. 2014-224; s. 2, ch. 2015-79; s. 21, ch. 2019-3.