52-2-311. Out-of-state placement monitoring and reporting. - Montana Statutes

     52-2-311. Out-of-state placement monitoring and reporting. (1) The department shall collect the following information regarding high-risk children with multiagency service needs:
     (a) the number of children placed out of state;
     (b) the reasons each child was placed out of state;
     (c) the costs for each child placed out of state;
     (d) the efforts the department made to avoid out-of-state placements, including:
     (i) the number of in-state providers the department contacted about developing service alternatives for a child in or at risk of being placed in an out-of-state facility;
     (ii) whether any in-state providers submitted a plan for service alternatives for the child to the department; and
     (iii) if a plan for service alternatives was submitted, the reasons the plan was not implemented and the out-of-state placement was determined to be necessary;
     (e) the number of children for whom plans for service alternatives were developed, implemented, and resulted in the return of a child from an out-of-state placement or prevented a child from being placed out of state; and
     (f) other planning efforts to prepare for a child's return to the state.
     (2) On an ongoing basis, the department shall attempt to reduce out-of-state placements.
     (3) The department shall report biannually to the children, families, health, and human services interim committee concerning the information it has collected under this section and the results of the efforts it has made to reduce out-of-state placements.

     History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 430, L. 2009.