Requires court commissioners and judges assigned to family and juvenile court to receive a minimum of thirty hours specialized training in topics related to family and juvenile matters within six months of assuming duties in family and juvenile court. Where possible, courts should utilize local, statewide, and national training forums. A judicial officer’s recorded educational history may be applied toward the thirty-hour requirement. The topics for training must include:
(i) Parentage;
(ii) Adoption;
(iii) Domestic relations;
(iv) Dependency and termination of parental rights;
(v) Child development;
(vi) The impact of child abuse and neglect;
(vii) Domestic violence;
(viii) Substance use disorder, including the risk and danger presented to children and youth;
(ix) Mental health;
(x) Juvenile status offenses;
(xi) Juvenile offenders;
(xii) Self-representation issues;
(xiii) Cultural competency;
(xiv) Roles of family and juvenile court judges and commissioners;
(xv) How to apply the child safety framework to crucial aspects of dependency cases, including safety assessment, safety planning, and case planning; and
(xvi) The legal standards for removal of a child based on abuse or neglect;