A bill aimed at coordinating state services for youths at risk of being jailed or put under state care received final passage Wednesday with unanimous backing from the House.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A bill aimed at coordinating state services for youths at risk of being jailed or put under state care received final passage Wednesday with unanimous backing from the House.
The measure is part of Gov. Bobby Jindal's plan to restructure and coordinate services for juveniles needing state services, aimed at keeping young people out of detention facilities and steering them from jail as they get older. It heads next to the governor's desk.
A new case management system will keep track of youths who need mental health services or who have been in the child welfare system, under the bill by Sen. Rick Ward, D-Port Allen.
The system will focus on behavioral health, rehabilitative and educational needs of youths at risk for involvement, currently involved or exiting the juvenile justice and child welfare system.
State agencies are required to have a coordination plan by July 1, 2014.