Sec. 48.1521. INVESTIGATION OF COMPLEX CASES. (a) The department shall develop and implement a system to ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, investigations conducted by the department that involve especially complex issues of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, such as issues associated with identity theft and other forms of financial exploitation, are:

(1) assigned to personnel who have experience and training in those issues; and

(2) monitored by a special task unit for complex cases.

(b) Each county with a population of 250,000 or more shall appoint persons to serve as standing members of a special task unit to monitor cases that arise in the county and require monitoring as provided by Subsection (a). The standing members of each special task unit must include:

(1) a provider of mental health services or aging services or a representative of a nonprofit entity serving persons with disabilities;

(2) a representative of a law enforcement agency; and

(3) a legal expert.

(c) In addition to the standing members specified by Subsection (b), the special task unit:

(1) must include, for purposes of monitoring a particular case, the caseworker on the case and the caseworker's supervisor; and

(2) may include a financial forensics expert and any other person with expertise that would be useful in monitoring a particular case.

(d) The department shall develop and make available to each county described by Subsection (b) a manual to assist the county in establishing and operating the special task unit required by this section. The manual must describe:

(1) the purpose and potential benefits of the unit;

(2) a description of the monitoring process the unit is expected to follow and potential problems the unit may encounter;

(3) the composition and administration of the unit; and

(4) the department's criteria for selecting cases to be monitored by the unit.

(e) Before the special task unit makes a recommendation that a guardian be appointed for a person in a case being monitored by the unit, the unit shall thoroughly consider all less-restrictive alternatives for legal intervention in the case.

Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 268 (S.B. 6), Sec. 2.10(a), eff. September 1, 2005.