§ 16-13-328 — Intake officers

(a) Each juvenile division of circuit court shall be provided with no fewer than one (1) intake officer to manage the intake needs of the court. (b) Each intake officer shall: (1) Be employed by the judge or judges of the circuit court designated to hear juvenile cases in the district's plan under Arkansas Supreme Court Administrative Order Number 14, originally issued April 6, 2001; and (2) Serve at the pleasure of the judge or judges. (c) (1) Each intake officer: (A) Shall be certified as a juvenile intake officer according to the laws of this state; (B) Must complete initial certification requirements within one (1) year of the officer's employment; and (C) Must maintain the certification during the terms of employment. (2) The Juvenile Intake and Probation Officers' Certification Committee, composed of juvenile officers and judges of the circuit court designated to hear juvenile cases in the district plan under the order and staffed by an employee of the Administrative Office of the Courts, shall establish certification standards for intake and probation officers. (3) The office shall collect and maintain records for the juvenile officers' certification documentation. (d) (1) (A) The salary of the intake officer shall be paid by the county or counties in which the intake officer works. (B) Except as provided in subdivision (d)(3) of this section, the state shall pay a portion of the salary of a full-time intake officer: (i) Who is certified according to the laws of this state; and (ii) Whose salary has been paid by the county or counties for a period of one (1) year. (2) The portion to be paid by the state shall be the lesser of: (A) Twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) a year; or (B) One-half (½) the intake officer's average salary as calculated over the last twelve (12) months. (3) The state shall reimburse a county only for a portion of salaries paid to the number of intake officers that: (A) Meet the requirements of subdivision (d)(1) of this section; and (B) For reimbursement under the requirements of this subsection, do not exceed two hundred fifty (250) positions authorized by the counties for probation and intake officers, subject to state funding. (e) In order for the General Assembly to make an informed decision on any appropriation increase request, the office shall include with any request for an appropriation increase for juvenile court probation officers that is over the previous fiscal year total appropriation the following information: (1) A letter explaining the purpose or reason for the requested appropriation increases along with a total dollar amount requested, the change level or increase requested, and the funding source of the increase; and (2) For all juvenile court probation officers, a report that includes: (A) Current salaries and previous fiscal years salaries; (B) Current years of service; and (C) Listing of salary increases received by an employee during the current or previous fiscal year. (f) (1) Each circuit judge whose primary responsibility is conducting hearings for the involuntary admission or commitment of persons to the Arkansas State Hospital or any other public or private hospital with a fully trained psychiatrist on the active or consultant staff shall be provided with no fewer than one (1) intake officer to manage the intake needs of the court. (2) The salaries of the intake officers shall be paid by the county or counties in which the intake officers work, with the state's paying a portion, e.g., the lesser of either fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) per year or one-half (½) of each full-time intake officer's annual salary.

Legislative History

Amended by Act 2022, No. 206,§ 12, eff. 7/1/2022. Acts 1989, No. 418, § 2; 1991, No. 794, § 1; 1997, No. 1171, § 2; 2003, No. 1166, § 34; 2005, No. 1398, § 3; 2009, No. 956, § 32.