Title
Approve and authorize the Director of Social Services and the Interim Director of Health to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between the County of Monterey and Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Natividad Medical Center, Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital and George L. Mee Memorial Hospital to ensure compliance with Penal Code §11165.13 and Health & Safety Code §1255.7 regarding substance-exposed infants and Safely Surrendered Infants.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Approve and authorize the Director of Social Services and the Interim Director of Health to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between the County of Monterey and Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Natividad Medical Center, Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital and George L. Mee Memorial Hospital to ensure compliance with Penal Code §11165.13 and Health & Safety Code §1255.7 regarding substance-exposed infants and Safely Surrendered Infants.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Department of Social Services, through its Family and Children’s Services branch, provides child protective services on behalf of children who have been victims of or are at high risk of abuse, neglect, abandonment, or exploitation. This Memorandum of Understanding establishes a working relationship between the County of Monterey and Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Natividad Medical Center, Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, and George L. Mee Memorial Hospital, and procedures relative to compliance with Penal Code §11165.13 and Health & Safety Code §1255.7 regarding substance-exposed infants and Safely-Surrendered Infants, respectively.
More explicitly, §11165.13 of the Penal Code sets out reporting and other requirements for hospitals and the County Department of Social Services and the County Health Department to follow when an infant is born positive for an intoxicating substance. In turn, §1255.7 of the Health & Safety Code sets out procedures for safe-surrender sites and safely-surrendered infants. These procedures apply to infants 72-hours-old or younger who are accepted by a safe-surrender site from a parent or individual who has lawful custody of the child. Hospitals participating in this Memorandum of Understanding have been designated safe-surrender sites.
This Memorandum of Understanding will clarify the roles and responsibilities of the separate entities and departments and will foster collaboration between the agencies. This enables the development of interagency treatment strategies to ensure maximum coordination with existing community resources, avoid duplication of efforts, and provide joint maximum support and assistance to patients/clients by formalizing a multi-disciplinary effort.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel has approved these MOUs as to form.
FINANCING:
These no-cost MOUs have no impact on the County General Fund contributions.
Prepared by: Karen Clampitt, MA II, x8596
Approved by: Elliott Robinson, Director of Social Services, x4430
Attachments: Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, Natividad Hospital, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and Mee Memorial Hospital MOUs
Proposed MOUs are on file with Clerk of the Board as attachments to this Board Report