48.069 Powers and duties of disposition staff.

(1) The staff of the department, the court, a county department or a licensed child welfare agency designated by the court to carry out the objectives and provisions of this chapter, or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department or an agency under contract with the department to provide dispositional services, shall:

(a) Supervise and assist a child and the child's family or the expectant mother of an unborn child pursuant to informal dispositions, a consent decree or order of the court.

(b) Offer individual and family counseling.

(c) Make an affirmative effort to obtain necessary or desired services for the child and the child's family or for the expectant mother of an unborn child and investigate and develop resources toward that end.

(d) Prepare reports for the court recommending a plan of rehabilitation, treatment and care.

(e) Perform any other functions consistent with this chapter which are ordered by the court.

(2) Except in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, licensed child welfare agencies and the department shall provide services under this section only upon the approval of the agency from whom services are requested. In a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department or, with the approval of the department, a licensed child welfare agency shall provide services under this section.

(3) A court or county department responsible for disposition staff or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department may agree with the court or county department responsible for providing intake services that the disposition staff may be designated to provide some or all of the intake services.

(4) Disposition staff employed to perform the duties specified in sub. (1) after November 18, 1978 shall have the qualifications required under the county merit system.

History: 1977 c. 354; 1979 c. 300; 1985 a. 176; 1989 a. 31, 107; 1993 a. 98, 385; 1995 a. 27 ss. 2428m, 2428p, 9126 (19); 1995 a. 77; 1997 a. 27, 292; 2013 a. 20.