Colorado § 25-20.5-407 - State review team - duties - definitions.

§ 25-20.5-407. State review team - duties - definitions.

(1) The state review team shall:

(a) Form committees to review a child fatality case, if a local or regional child fatality review team has not conducted such a review of the case, if the child fatality occurred in the state of Colorado and was related to one or more of the following causes:

(I) Undetermined causes;

(II) Unintentional injury;

(III) Violence;

(IV) Motor vehicle incidents;

(V) Child abuse or neglect, as defined in section 19-1-103 (1), C.R.S.;

(VI) Sudden unexpected infant death; and

(VII) Suicide.

(b) Outline trends and patterns of child fatalities in Colorado;

(c) Identify and investigate risk factors that may lead to child fatalities;

(d) Characterize groups of children who are at risk for a child fatality;

(e) Evaluate the services offered and the system responses to children who are at risk of a child fatality and review recommendations of local or regional review teams, if any;

(e.5) Consider a review of all systemic child-related issues when evaluating services offered or system responses to children who are at risk of fatality. For purposes of this paragraph (e.5),"systemic child-related issues" means any issue involving one or more agencies.

(f) Take steps to improve the quality and scope of data obtained through investigations and review of child fatalities;

(f.5) Utilize a child fatalities data-collection system, using nationally developed public health guidelines, to ensure the proper identification of all potential child abuse or neglect fatalities;

(g) Report to the governor and to the public health care and human services committee and the judiciary committee of the house of representatives and the health and human services committee and the judiciary committee of the senate of the Colorado general assembly, or any successor committees, concerning any recommendations for changes to any law, rule, or policy that the state review team has determined will promote the safety and well-being of children. Notwithstanding section 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), the state review team shall report annually on or before July 1, 2014, and on or before July 1 each year thereafter. In its report, the state review team shall provide a list of system strengths and weaknesses identified through the review process and recommendations for preventive actions to promote the safety and well-being of children. The annual report must include an analysis of the state review team's recommendations from the previous year and state what policy changes, if any, were made to improve child safety and well-being. The state review team shall make the annual report publicly available and will conduct outreach efforts to educate members of the child protection community on report findings.

(h) Provide an annual summary to the state department of human services outlining the trends and patterns of child abuse and neglect fatalities, including information regarding the findings from cases known and unknown to the county departments of human or social services;

(i) Collaborate with the department of human services child fatality review team, created pursuant to section 26-1-139, C.R.S., to make joint recommendations for the prevention of child fatalities;

(j) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2013.)

(k) Subject to available appropriations, administer moneys to county or district public health agencies to support local or regional review team activities;

(l) Provide training and technical assistance to local or regional review teams regarding the facilitation of a child fatality review process, data collection, evidence-based prevention strategies, and the development of prevention recommendations. The training and technical assistance for local or regional review teams must be provided through federally funded training programs for improving effectiveness in conducting child fatality reviews; except that, if such federally funded programs are unavailable, the state, subject to available appropriations, may provide the training and technical assistance. The training and technical assistance may also include, but need not be limited to:

(I) Strategies or assistance with convening and facilitating local and regional review teams;

(II) Establishing methods of notification after a child fatality has occurred; and

(III) Strategies for members of state, local, or regional review teams to address a conflict of interest in a child fatality review;

(m) Provide an annual data report to each local or regional review team summarizing its local or regional review data entered into the web-based data-collection system;

(n) Subject to available appropriations and community resources, distribute information to the public concerning risks to children and recommendations for promoting the safety and well-being of children;

(o) Serve as a link with child fatality review teams throughout the country and participate in national child fatality review team activities; and

(p) Perform any other functions necessary to enhance the capability of the state of Colorado to reduce and prevent childhood injuries and fatalities.

Source: L. 2005: Entire part added, p. 980, § 1, effective June 2. L. 2013: Entire section amended, (SB 13-255), ch. 222, p. 1033, § 7, effective May 14. L. 2017: (1)(g) amended, (SB 17-056), ch. 33, p. 95, § 11, effective March 16. L. 2018: (1)(h) amended, (SB 18-092), ch. 38, p. 442, § 104, effective August 8.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 18-092, see section 1 of chapter 38, Session Laws of Colorado 2018.