Availability of prehearing conferences

(1) A prehearing conference must be held within 5 working days of a child's removal and before an emergency protective services hearing held by the court pursuant to 41-3-306.

(2) A prehearing conference must include the following parties:

(a) the parents, parent, guardian, or other person having physical or legal custody of the child, if the parents, parent, guardian, or other person chooses to participate;

(b) the legal counsel of the participant provided for in subsection (2)(a);

(c) the child's legal counsel;

(d) the county attorney's office;

(e) the child protection investigator; and

(f) the child reunification specialist.

(3) To the greatest degree possible using available funding, the meetings must be conducted by an independent and trained facilitator.

(4) At a minimum, the meetings must involve discussion of:

(a) the child's current placement and options for continued placement if the child remains out of the home;

(b) whether other options exist for an in-home safety plan or resource that may allow the child to remain in the home;

(c) parenting time schedules; and

(d) treatment services for the family.