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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 25, 2021 03:20 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Karen Boback |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Adding Nurses to County Children & Youth Agency Staff |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to add at least one nurse to the staff of each county children and youth agency. A trained nurse who is experienced in child development and reading medical records can be an invaluable member of the team. Under my legislation, the nurse and the county agency will also be required to have access to a physician for purposes of consultation on specific cases. Having professional medical personnel available to review cases will yield fuller and more accurate understanding of what is happening in the lives of certain children who are suspected of being neglected or abused. Sometimes, what looks innocuous can really be a sign of a pattern of neglect. Conversely, what might first appear to be signs of abuse may have an innocent medical explanation. Currently, Allegheny County has an excellent program in its county office of children, youth and families, whereby a cohort of nurses work closely with the social workers, serving as a support and improving the quality of the services the county is able to provide. I believe this program can serve as a model for the rest of the state, and I ask you to join me in this effort |
Introduced as HB1769