48.547 Alcohol and other drug abuse program.

(1) Legislative findings and purpose. The legislature finds that the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs by children and the expectant mothers of unborn children is a state responsibility of statewide dimension. The legislature recognizes that there is a lack of adequate procedures to screen, assess and treat children and the expectant mothers of unborn children for alcohol and other drug abuse. To reduce the incidence of alcohol and other drug abuse by children and the expectant mothers of unborn children, the legislature deems it necessary to experiment with solutions to the problems of the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs by children and the expectant mothers of unborn children by establishing a juvenile and expectant mother alcohol and other drug abuse program in a limited number of counties. The purpose of the program is to develop intake and court procedures that screen, assess and give new dispositional alternatives for children and expectant mothers with needs and problems related to the use of alcohol beverages, controlled substances or controlled substance analogs who come within the jurisdiction of a court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and ch. 938 in the counties selected by the department.

(2) Department responsibilities. Within the availability of funding under s. 20.437 (1) (mb) that is available for the program, the department shall select counties to participate in the program. Unless a county department of human services has been established under s. 46.23 in the county that is seeking to implement a program, the application submitted to the department shall be a joint application by the county department that provides social services and the county department established under s. 51.42 or 51.437. The department shall select counties in accordance with the request for proposal procedures established by the department. The department shall give a preference to county applications that include a plan for case management.

(3) Multidisciplinary screen. The department shall provide a multidisciplinary screen for the program. The screen shall be used by an intake worker to determine whether or not a child or an expectant mother of an unborn child is in need of an alcohol or other drug abuse assessment. The screen shall also include indicators that screen children and expectant mothers for:

(a) Family dysfunction.

(b) School, truancy or work problems.

(c) Mental health problems.

(d) Delinquent or criminal behavior patterns.

(4) Assessment criteria. The department shall provide uniform alcohol and other drug abuse assessment criteria to be used in the pilot program under ss. 48.245 (2) (a) 3. and 48.295 (1). An approved treatment facility that assesses a person under s. 48.245 (2) (a) 3. or 48.295 (1) may not also provide the person with treatment unless the department permits the approved treatment facility to do both in accordance with the criteria established by rule by the department.

History: 1987 a. 339; 1989 a. 31; 1993 a. 213; 1995 a. 77, 448; 1997 a. 292; 2007 a. 20.