ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
child welfare;
boot camps
Adds outdoor youth programs, as defined, to the child welfare agencies licensed by the Department of Economic Security (DES) and establishes an outdoor youth programs advisory committee (committee).
On July 1, 2001, a 14-year-old youth died while attending a privately funded, unlicensed “boot camp” program. Residential services for children have significantly expanded over the past decade, but most out-of-home placement providers receive public funding and are licensed by the state agency responsible for the client population.
Current statutes prohibit a children’s camp from operating without a license from the Department of Health Services (DHS) but “children’s camp” excludes any camp owned or leased for individual or family use, penal or correctional camps, or places operated solely for the education, care or treatment of children. Similarly, a child welfare agency is prohibited from receiving any child for care, maintenance or placement in a foster home unless licensed by DES, but “child welfare agency” excludes a camp operating less than 12 months per year.
The proposed legislation adds outdoor youth camps, as defined, to the category of “child welfare agency” under the licensing purview of DES. The bill also establishes an advisory committee to review and make recommendations regarding treatment programs, behavior management, health and safety, and statutory and rule changes relating to outdoor youth programs. The committee is required to report findings and recommendations annually on November 15 to the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
This bill likely has a fiscal impact because of DES licensing additional facilities, but the impact has not been determined.
1. Adds outdoor youth programs to the definition of a child welfare agency licensed by DES.
2. Removes all camps other than outdoor youth programs from the definition of a child welfare agency.
3. Defines outdoor youth programs as providing services in an outdoor setting to youth who have behavioral or disciplinary problems using restrictive behavior management techniques.
4. Defines restrictive behavior management as intervention through use of physical, chemical or mechanical restraint, physical force or seclusion.
5. Establishes a committee consisting of the director of DES, three providers of youth outdoor programs and three public members appointed by the Governor.
6. Requires the committee to review and recommend requirements for treatment programs, behavior management, health and safety, and statutory and rule changes relating to outdoor youth programs.
7. Requires the committee to elect a chairperson, vice-chairperson and secretary, meet at least four times a year and submit a written report to the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives by November 15th of each year.
8. Repeals the committee on January 1, 2005.
9. Provides for a general effective date.
Amendments
Adopted in Committee
1. Replaces mental health and substance use problems with disciplinary problems in defining target populations of outdoor youth programs.
2. Makes a technical change
Senate Action
FS 1/30/02 DPA 5-0-1
Prepared by Senate Staff
January 30, 2002