§ 2–1595. Duties.

(a) Within 90 days of the applicability of this subchapter, the Commission shall:

(1) Develop an information-sharing agreement that:

(A) Adheres to all applicable provisions of federal and District law and professional standards regarding confidentiality, including Commission procedures and protocols for safeguarding confidential and other child-related information;

(B) Uses a form created by the Commission for obtaining consent to assessment and disclosure of confidential information from a participant or the parent or legal guardian of the participant to education, law enforcement, and human service agencies; and

(C) Permits Commission personnel to collect information from agencies participating in the agreement to facilitate comprehensive multi-disciplinary assessments and the development and implementation of integrated service plans;

(2) Develop procedures and protocols for safeguarding confidential and other participant-related information, documents, files, electronic communications, and computer data, including:

(A) Procedures for determining when a fully informed and written consent to assessment and disclosure of confidential information is provided by a participant or the parent or legal guardian of the participant; and

(B) The circumstances and manner in which confidential information collected and maintained by designated personnel of the Commission may be disclosed, as permitted by applicable provisions of local and federal law, to:

(i) Other personnel of the Commission for the exclusive purposes of conducting comprehensive, multi-disciplinary assessments of children or creating and implementing integrated service plans for children; and

(ii) Education, law enforcement, human service agencies, or other service providers identified in the disclosure consent for the exclusive purpose of creating and implementing integrated service plans; and

(3) Identify a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary assessment instrument that shall be used by school-based clinicians to:

(A) Determine the extent to which children are affected by risk and protective factors as individuals and as members of families, communities, and schools;

(B) Determine the extent to which children have service needs resulting from emotional disturbance, substance abuse, exposure to violence, or learning disabilities;

(C) Provide therapeutic interventions; and

(D) Assist in the development of integrated service plans;

(b)(1) All programs shall be evidence-based, age-appropriate, and implemented to serve children and their families and shall include:

(A) Early childhood psycho-social and emotional development assistance;

(B) School-based violence and substance abuse prevention;

(C) Social and emotional learning assistance;

(D) Family resiliency and strengthening assistance; and

(E) Services that are designed to reduce local reliance on out-of-home placement of children under the age of 18.

(2) The Commission shall determine the extent to which the District has preventive and early interventive evidence-based programs that already meet some or all of the requirements of paragraph (1) of this subsection and assist education, law enforcement, and human service agencies in the implementation of needed preventive and early interventive programs for children and their families.

(c) The Commission shall:

(1) Have authority over an interagency database housed in a secure location to store assessment information, data gathered pursuant to the information-sharing agreement described in subsection (a) of this section, and any other data relevant to service integration and the ongoing assessment of programs implemented or supported by the Commission;

(2) Conduct an annual independent evaluation of the effectiveness of the programs supported, facilitated, or overseen by the Commission, including:

(A) The impact on academic performance, levels of violence by and against children, truancy, and delinquency; and

(B) The cost effectiveness of the programs, taking into account such factors as reductions, or potential reductions, in out-of-home placements and in law enforcement expenditures, and the extent to which the Commission’s member agencies have developed the capacity to sustain the programs and activities;

(3)(A) Report, on an annual basis, within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year, to the Mayor and the Council on the status and progress of the efforts to meet the objectives of the Commission, including a description of activities, alignment with the statewide education and youth development framework and strategic plan, and the results of the evaluation required by paragraph (2) of this subsection and any recommendations made by the Commission to the public, the Mayor, or the Council;

(B) In calendar year 2012, the evaluation required by paragraph (2) of this subsection shall also be included in the assessment required by § 38-193(b);

(4) The Commission shall consult with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to ensure that eligible families can access comprehensive and coordinated services for their children of pre-k age, as that term is defined in § 38-271.01(7);

(5) Develop goals and determine priorities for children, youth, and their families, based on established annual benchmarks and goals that are reported as part of the Deputy Mayor for Education’s agency performance measures;

(6) Meet at least 4 times a year; and

(7) Make available on the Deputy Mayor for Education’s website:

(A) An updated list and description of ongoing initiatives and subcommittees of the Commission;

(B) An agenda of topics to be discussed, along with all supporting documentation, which shall also be distributed to the members of the Commission at least 48 hours in advance of a Commission meeting, which includes:

(i) The relevant action steps;

(ii) An implementation status report; and

(iii) Any other data relevant to the Commission’s meeting; and

(C) Within 2 weeks of each Commission meeting, the minutes of, and action steps determined at, the meeting.