Matter of L.

546 P.2d 153
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedFebruary 3, 1976
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 546 P.2d 153 (Matter of L.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Matter of L., 546 P.2d 153 (Or. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinion

546 P.2d 153 (1976)

In the matter of L., a Minor Child.
State ex rel. Juvenile Department of Multnomah County, Respondent,
v.
L., a Minor Child, Respondent, Children's Services Division, Department of Human Resources, State of Oregon, Appellant.

Court of Appeals of Oregon.

Argued and Submitted November 26, 1975.
Decided February 3, 1976.

*154 W. Michael Gillette, Sol. Gen., Salem, argued the cause for appellant. With him on the brief were Lee Johnson, Atty. Gen., and Kathryn V. Kelty, Asst. Atty. Gen., Salem.

David L. Slader, Child Advocacy Project of the Metropolitan Public Defender, Portland, argued the cause for respondent child. With him on the joint brief of respondent child and amicus curiae was Kathleen Nachtigal, Portland.

No appearance by respondent juvenile Dept.

Before SCHWAB, C.J., and FOLEY and THORNTON, JJ.

FOLEY, Judge.

The state appeals from a circuit court order requiring the placement of L, a 13-year-old child with severe emotional problems, for treatment at the Chazen Institute in Arizona in accordance with the proposed treatment plan formulated by the Children's Services Division (CSD). CSD declined to place L in the Institute because it determined it had exhausted that portion of its budget allocated for the placement of children in out-of-state programs. The juvenile court found that funds were available and that CSD's failure to utilize them for L's treatment was an arbitrary and capricious abuse of its discretion. On appeal, *155 the state's principal contention is that the court exceeded its authority in ordering the treatment.[1]

L was removed from her parental home when she was 11 years old after a long and disturbing history of sexual abuse by her stepfather and the child's rejection by her mother. She was first sexually assaulted when she was five years old. Since CSD took custody of the child, she has been placed in a number of institutional and foster homes and has spent a considerable amount of time in juvenile detention. During the year and a half preceding the hearing L ran away from these homes at least 15 times and was often picked up in various parts of the state in the company of older boys and young men.

In August 1975, L was admitted to the Oregon State Hospital for a 30-day psychiatric examination. The report resulting from this evaluation included the following account of L's condition and corresponding recommendations for treatment:

"* * *
"[L] has an established pattern of runaway behavior since age 12. She has been unable to remain in any placement longer than four weeks at a time. This supports a previously noted inability on her part to form any meaningful relationships. * * *
"* * * [S]he does exhibit to a marked degree a tendency to act on impulse. * * * This demonstrates her lack of internal controls and this necessity for structure and external controls at this time.
"* * *
"The following opinions are the result of such evaluation:
"1. [L] shows no evidence of any mental defect or illness.
*156 "2. She should not be placed in foster care.
"3. Placement should be in a setting such as Hillcrest.[2] Such institution should have a structured setting with external controls, adequate schooling and activity for an active girl of this age group and preferably a minimum of sexual stimulation.
"* * *."

Because no program approximating the recommended setting existed in the state, L's caseworker submitted to the juvenile court a plan for the closely supervised care and treatment of L at the Chazen Institute in Arizona. The caseworker added, however, that this placement was not feasible because of inadequate funding for the placement of children in out-of-state programs.

"I have referred [L] for placement at the Chazen Institute in Tucson, Arizona as this treatment center meets the treatment components as outlined in the recommendation from the Oregon State Hospital. It is not a locked center but it is a very secure setting with runs discouraged not only by the large staff ratio of 2-1, but also by its location away from an urban community. It is a very structured behavior modification program where all privileges must be earned and there are definite, predictable consequences for negative behavior. There is a school program and there are appropriate activities for a teenager, as recommended by Dr. Davis. While Chazen Institute would be the treatment of choice, we will not be able to place [L] there as there is no money in Children's Services Division's budget for out of state placements.
"In the meantime [L] is in * * * [a foster home] which I have given a conditional certification. * * *
"My current plan is to supervise [L] in * * * [the foster home] until money becomes available in CSD's budget for out of state placement."

The legislature has authorized the expenditure of approximately $37 million by CSD for Family Foster Care and Purchase of Care during the 1975-77 biennium. Oregon Laws 1975, ch. 541. Although the legislature did not specify in this authorization that only a certain proportion of the fund would be available for the purchase of care without the state, the budget report of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means shows that $150,000 of the authorization was approved for the cost of care through the biennium for emotionally disturbed children who were already receiving treatment in out-of-state programs. The administrator of CSD testified at the hearing that the $150,000 had been appropriated for this purpose and that no additional funding was available for the purchase of out-of-state care for children such as L.

There also was evidence adduced at the hearing indicating that surplus monies were available for the purchase of care within the state. However, the administrator testified that in view of the limitation of $150,000 designated in the committee's budget report, he would not use any of these monies for the purchase of additional out-of-state care absent further legislative direction. Notwithstanding this position, no emergency funds were requested by CSD for out-of-state placement of children, such as L, who are not retarded or psychotic but are emotionally disturbed and in need of a secure, therapeutic setting. It was undisputed at the time of hearing that no appropriate facility for such children was located within the state.

The state concedes that L has not been afforded treatment but argues that the juvenile court was without authority to order it because CSD had exhausted the funds available to it for the purchase of out-of-state care.

*157 The juvenile court obtained jurisdiction over L as a ward of the court under ORS 419.476 which provides in pertinent part:

"(1) The juvenile court has exclusive original jurisdiction in any case involving a person who is under 18 years of age and:
"* * *

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