28-729. Teams; members; training; child advocacy center; duties; meetings.

(1) A child abuse and neglect investigation team shall include a representative from the county attorney's office, a representative from the Division of Children and Family Services of the Department of Health and Human Services, a representative from each law enforcement agency which has jurisdiction within the county or contiguous group of counties, a representative from the child advocacy center, and representatives from such other agencies as determined by the team.

(2) A child abuse and neglect treatment team shall include a representative from the Division of Children and Family Services of the Department of Health and Human Services, a juvenile probation officer, a representative from each of the mental health profession and the medical profession actively practicing within the county or contiguous group of counties, a representative from each school district which provides services within the county or contiguous group of counties, a representative from the child advocacy center, and representatives from such other agencies as determined by the team. For purposes of this subsection, more than one school district may be represented by the same individual.

(3) The teams established pursuant to this section and section 28-728 shall be encouraged to expand their membership to include the various relevant disciplines which exist within the county or contiguous group of counties. The additional members shall have the requisite experience necessary as determined by the core members of the teams. Consistent with requirements set out by the teams, all members of both teams shall attend child abuse and neglect training on an annual basis. Such training shall be no less than eight hours annually and consist of the following components:

(a) Child abuse and neglect investigation procedures;

(b) Legal requirements and procedures for successful prosecution of child abuse and neglect cases;

(c) Roles and responsibilities of child protective services, law enforcement agencies, county attorneys, child advocacy centers, the Attorney General, and judges;

(d) Characteristics of child development and family dynamics;

(e) Recognition of various types of abuse and neglect;

(f) Duty of public and private individuals and agencies, including schools, governmental agencies, physicians, and child advocates, to report suspected or known child abuse;

(g) Multidisciplinary approaches to providing services to children; and

(h) Continually identifying and improving weaknesses in the current child protection system and developing ongoing best practices.

(4) The representative of the child advocacy center shall report the name and address of each team member and the number of times the team met within a calendar year to the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.

(5) Each team shall meet at a location agreed to by the team. The number of meetings of the team shall be secondary to the caseload of the team, but each team shall meet at least quarterly. Each team may substitute a telephone conference call among team members in lieu of meeting in person. If a team fails to convene, the commission shall notify the Child Protection Division of the office of the Attorney General and the division shall appoint the team members or convene the team pursuant to sections 28-728 to 28-730. Nothing in this section shall relieve the county attorney from ensuring that the teams meet as required by this section.

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