DUTIES

(a) The juvenile board shall: (1) establish a juvenile probation department and employ a chief probation officer who meets the standards set by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department; and (2) adopt a budget and establish policies, including financial policies, for juvenile services within the jurisdiction of the board. (b) The board may establish guidelines for the initial assessment of a child by the juvenile probation department. The guidelines shall provide a means for assessing a child's mental health status, family background, and level of education. The guidelines shall assist the probation department in determining whether a comprehensive psychological evaluation of the child should be conducted. The board shall require that probation department personnel use assessment information compiled by the child's school, if the information is available, before conducting a comprehensive psychological evaluation of the child. The board may adopt all or part of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department's minimum standards for assessment under Section 221.002 in complying with this subsection.