1. (a) A center shall adopt a multidisciplinary team working protocol. The working protocol must include:

   1. (1) the center's mission statement;
   2. (2) the role of each participating agency on the multidisciplinary team and the agency's commitment to the center;
   3. (3) specific criteria for referral of cases for a multidisciplinary team response and specific criteria for the referral and provision of each service provided by the center;

   4. (4) processes and general procedures for:

      1. (A) the intake of cases, including direct referrals from participating agencies described by Section 264.403(a) and reports from the department that involve the suspected abuse or neglect of a child or the death of a child from abuse or neglect;
      2. (B) the availability outside scheduled business hours of a multidisciplinary team response to cases and provision of necessary center services;
      3. (C) information sharing to ensure the timely exchange of relevant information;
      4. (D) forensic interviews;
      5. (E) family and victim advocacy;
      6. (F) medical evaluations and medical treatment;
      7. (G) mental health evaluations and mental health treatment;
      8. (H) multidisciplinary team case review; and
      9. (I) case tracking; and
   5. (5) provisions for addressing conflicts within the multidisciplinary team and for maintaining the confidentiality of information shared among members of the multidisciplinary team.
2. (b) The working protocol must be executed by the participating agencies required to enter into the memorandum of understanding under Section 264.403.

3. (c) The working protocol must be reexecuted:

   1. (1) at least every three years;
   2. (2) on a significant change to the working protocol; or
   3. (3) on a change of a signatory of a participating agency.

Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 396 (S.B. 821), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2019.