Juveniles: wards: case plans.

Senator Cortese's juvenile justice reform legislation would establish new requirements for case planning and monitoring when minors are placed under court supervision. The measure mandates that probation officers develop detailed case plans for youth who remain at home under wardship or face commitment to juvenile facilities.

These case plans must outline specific time-limited goals, rehabilitation services, and accountability measures developed with input from the minor and family members. Probation officers would document the persons responsible for implementing each element and projected completion dates. The court must review the minor's progress toward meeting these goals at least every six months.

The bill also modifies emergency placement procedures when minors need immediate housing with relatives or extended family members. Before such placements, probation agencies must conduct home safety inspections and criminal background checks of adult residents. The legislation specifies conditions under which emergency placements may proceed despite certain criminal records, while maintaining prohibitions for serious offenses.

For implementation, probation departments would need to enhance their case planning and monitoring capabilities. The measure requires state reimbursement to local agencies for costs associated with these expanded duties, subject to review by the Commission on State Mandates.

The legislation aims to integrate service planning across multiple systems through child and family teams, bringing together individuals involved in assessing and delivering services to the youth and family. This team-based approach would inform case plan development, with probation agencies documenting how they considered the team's recommendations.