(1) The prosecuting attorney in each county shall be responsible for the development of an interagency multidisciplinary team or teams for investigation of child abuse and neglect referrals within each county. The teams shall consist of, but not be limited to, law enforcement personnel, department of health and welfare child protection risk assessment staff, child advocacy center staff where such staff is available in the county, a representative of the prosecuting attorney’s office, and any other person deemed to be necessary due to his or her special training in child abuse investigation. Other persons may participate in investigation of particular cases at the invitation of the team and as determined necessary, such as medical personnel, school officials, mental health workers, personnel from domestic violence programs, persons knowledgeable about adaptive equipment and supportive services for parents or guardians with disabilities or the guardian ad litem program.
(2)  The teams shall develop a written protocol for investigation of child abuse cases and for interviewing alleged victims of such abuse or neglect, including protocols for investigations involving a family member with a disability. Each team shall develop written agreements signed by member agencies, specifying the role of each agency, procedures to be followed to assess risks to the child and criteria and procedures to be followed to ensure the child victim’s safety including removal of the alleged offender.
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Terms Used In Idaho Code 16-1617

  • Adaptive equipment: means any piece of equipment or any item that is used to increase, maintain or improve the parenting capabilities of a parent with a disability. See Idaho Code 16-1602
  • Child: means an individual who is under the age of eighteen (18) years. See Idaho Code 16-1602
  • Court: means district court or magistrate division thereof or, if the context requires, a magistrate or judge thereof. See Idaho Code 16-1602
  • Department: means the department of health and welfare and its authorized representatives. See Idaho Code 16-1602
  • Disability: means , with respect to an individual, any mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one (1) or more major life activities of the individual including, but not limited to, self-care, manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, learning or working, or a record of such an impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment. See Idaho Code 16-1602
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person;
Idaho Code 73-114
  • Supportive services: as used in this chapter , shall mean services that assist parents with a disability to compensate for those aspects of their disability that affect their ability to care for their child and that will enable them to discharge their parental responsibilities. See Idaho Code 16-1602
    • (3)  Each team member shall be trained in his or her respective role, including risk assessment, dynamics of child abuse and interviewing and investigatory techniques. Such training may be provided by the Idaho network of children’s advocacy centers or by the member’s respective agency.
    (4)  Each team shall classify, assess and review a representative selection of cases referred to either the department or to law enforcement entities for investigation of child abuse or neglect.
    (5)  Each multidisciplinary team shall develop policies that provide for an independent review of investigation procedures utilized in cases upon completion of any court actions on those cases. The procedures shall include independent citizen input. Nonoffending parents of child abuse victims shall be notified of the review procedure.
    (6)  Prosecuting attorneys of the various counties may determine that multidisciplinary teams may be most effectively established through the use of joint exercise of powers agreements among more than one (1) county and such agreements are hereby authorized.
    (7)  Lack of review by a multidisciplinary team of a particular case does not defeat the jurisdiction of the court.