ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor                             Ch. 179

Approved April 22, 2003.

CHAPTER 179
(House Bill 821)

AN ACT concerning

Juvenile Causes - Treatment Service Plans

FOR the purpose of requiring that a juvenile counselor meet with a certain child and
the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian in making a treatment service
plan for the child; requiring the juvenile counselor to document when a child's
parent, guardian, or legal custodian is unable or refuses to meet with the
juvenile counselor and to indicate the reason for the inability or refusal to meet,
if known; requiring that a treatment service plan include certain information;
and generally relating to treatment service plans.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article - Courts and Judicial Proceedings
Section 3-8A-20.1
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2002 Replacement Volume)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article - Courts and Judicial Proceedings

3-8A-20.1.

(a) (1) In this section, "treatment service plan" means a plan recommended
at a disposition hearing under § 3-8A-19 of this subtitle or at a disposition review
hearing under this section by the Department of Juvenile Justice to the court
proposing specific assistance, guidance, treatment, or rehabilitation of a child.

(2)      IN MAKING A TREATMENT SERVICE PLAN, A JUVENILE COUNSELOR
SHALL MEET WITH THE CHILD WHO IS THE SUBJECT OF THE TREATMENT SERVICE
PLAN AND THE CHILD'S PARENT, GUARDIAN, OR LEGAL CUSTODIAN TO DISCUSS THE
TREATMENT SERVICE PLAN.

(3)      IF A CHILD'S PARENT, GUARDIAN, OR LEGAL CUSTODIAN IS UNABLE
OR REFUSES TO MEET WITH THE JUVENILE COUNSELOR, THE TREATMENT SERVICE
PLAN SHALL INDICATE THAT THE PARENT, GUARDIAN, OR LEGAL CUSTODIAN IS
UNABLE OR REFUSES TO MEET, AND THE REASON FOR THE INABILITY OR REFUSAL
TO MEET, IF KNOWN.

(4)     THE AT A MINIMUM. THE TREATMENT SERVICE PLAN SHALL
INCLUDE:

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