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1995 SESSION

LD6061836
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 274
Senate Amendments in [ ] -- February 7, 1995
Requesting the Secretaries of Health and Human Resources, Education and Public Safety to identify prevention and early intervention programs operated or funded under their secretariats, to develop suggestions for streamlining the administrative costs of such programs without reducing service capacity, and to assess the feasibility of developing a common regional structure to support service planning efforts.
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Patrons--Houck, Calhoun and Miller, Y.B.; Delegates: Bloxom, Cantor, Christian, Darner, Deeds, Diamonstein, Giesen, Jones, J.C. and Orrock
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Referred to the Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, the Early Intervention Task Force, which was created by Senate Joint Resolution No. 130 of the 1994 General Assembly, is charged with identifying barriers that communities face in developing and supporting prevention and early intervention programs and has completed the first year of a two-year study; and

WHEREAS, the Early Intervention Task Force has determined that in 1994 over $400 million federal and state dollars supported prevention and early intervention programs; and

WHEREAS, these funds supported over sixty-three different types of programs in a variety of settings; and

WHEREAS, twelve different state agencies were involved in the administration and oversight of these programs; and

WHEREAS, there were a number of programs funded through different state agencies which provided similar services; and

WHEREAS, localities are often required to fund the administrative costs of these programs; and

WHEREAS, the Early Intervention Task Force also found that the major child-serving agencies which are the Departments of Health, Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, Social Services and Youth and Family Services, have different regional structures; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Education, which is another major child-serving agency, does not have regional offices; and

WHEREAS, there is considerable overlap in communities among these different regional structures and also a degree of misalignment of jurisdictions served by the various regional structures; and

WHEREAS, the variances in regional structures are a barrier to interagency service delivery in some areas of the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, the Early Intervention Task determined that the existing structure is an impediment to comprehensive service planning and delivery for children, youth and families; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, that the Secretaries of Health and Human Resources, Education and Public Safety [ , with input and participation of representatives from local child serving agencies, including local departments of social services, local court service units, local community service boards, local school districts, and local health departments, ] are requested to (i) identify all prevention and early intervention programs operated or funded under their secretariats, (ii) develop suggestions for streamlining the administrative costs of such programs without reducing service capacity, and (iii) assess the feasibility of developing a common regional structure to support service planning and delivery. The Secretaries of Health and Human Resources, Education and Public Safety shall report their findings and suggestions to the Commission on Youth [ , the Senate Committee on Finance, and the House Committee on Appropriations ] by November 15, 1995.