(a) The Ombudsperson may from time to time report the Office's activities to the Council or any of its committees, the Citizen Review Panel established by Title III-B of the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Act of 1977, effective April 12, 2005 (D.C. Law 15-341; D.C. Official Code § 4-1303.51 et seq.), the Mayor, the Office of the Inspector General, any relevant agency, or the public.
(b) Beginning on December 31, 2022, and every December 31 thereafter, the Ombudsperson shall provide an annual report to the Council, which shall contain the following sections and information collected over the course of the prior fiscal year:
(1) The general work of the Office, which shall include:
(A) The number, general sources and origins, and the nature of complaints made to the Office and the Deputy CFSA Ombudsperson, and the methods by which the complaints were received;
(B) The number of complaints pending, dismissed, investigated, mediated, and concluded;
(C) Trend analyses that include an examination of:
(i) Common root causes, structural issues, or systemic problems underlying complaints;
(ii) Common solutions or methods for resolving complaints; and
(iii) The amount of time to investigate and provide recommendations on resolving complaints, and the factors affecting how quickly complaints are investigated and recommendations provided; and
(D) A summary of systemic investigations undertaken at the Ombudsperson's own initiative;
(2) The CFSA children data reporting section, which shall include metrics related to:
(A) Placement stability;
(B) Hospitalizations and placements in residential treatment facilities;
(C) Access to behavioral health services; and
(D) Any other metrics that the Ombudsperson considers necessary and relevant;
(3) The crossover youth section, which shall include:
(A) The number, demographics, and other relevant characteristics of the crossover-youth population;
(B) Data, metrics, and trend analyses related to outcomes for crossover youth;
(C) Assessment of interagency communication and coordination related to crossover youth and its impact on outcomes for crossover youth; and
(D) Any other information the Ombudsperson considers relevant to the outcomes for crossover youth; and
(4) The conclusions and policy recommendations section, which shall include:
(A) Conclusions and policy recommendations based on the information provided in paragraphs (1) through (3) of this subsection; and
(B) A status update on policy recommendations from prior annual reports, if applicable.
(c) Before issuing a report in accordance with subsection (a) and (b) of this section, the Ombudsperson shall provide an agency referenced in the report a reasonable opportunity to provide a written response. The Ombudsperson may request an agency to notify the Office within a reasonable specified amount of time of any action taken on the data, conclusions, or recommendations included in the report.
(d) For purposes of this section, the term "crossover youth" means a CFSA child who is currently or has previously been the subject of a petition alleging delinquency filed by the Office of the Attorney General, pursuant to D.C. Official Code § 16-2305, or by another jurisdiction.
(Apr. 5, 2021, D.C. Law 23-270, § 108, 68 DCR 001510.)
ApplicabilityApplicability of D.C. Law 23-270: § 301 of D.C. Law 23-270 provided that the creation of this section by § 108 of D.C. Law 23-270 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.