465 IAC 2-5-1 Release of information to individuals engaged in research projects on child abuse; written request; good faith research project; qualifying individual

Sec. 1. Under the provisions of IC 31-5.5-3-18 [Repealed by Acts 1979, P.L.276, SECTION 60.] upon the receipt of a written request the county department of public welfare or a local child protection service shall disclose to any qualifying individual engaged in a good faith research project information of a general nature concerning child abuse or other statistical or social data used in connection with studies, reports, or surveys on child abuse or information related to the function and activities of that department or the child protection team in the field of child abuse if the information to be released does not identify or reasonably tend to identify alleged abusers or the parties alleged to have been abused. Upon approval of the completed State Department of Public Welfare Form 116, "Application for Child Abuse Research," the Administrator of the State Department shall authorize the appropriate county department to disclose copies of materials from case records to a qualifying individual engaged in a good faith research project if in the opinion of the Administrator the copies to be released do not identify or reasonably tend to identify the parties involved in the case and the information is not the subject of pending litigation. A "good faith research project" as used in this regulation shall consist of research conducted for and to be utilized for the purpose of furthering the aims of child abuse prevention or furthering the aim of providing better social, psychological or medical treatment to the victims and the perpetrators of child abuse. A "qualifying individual" as used in this regulation shall include a bona fide professional, or a bona fide student at an accredited college or university who is practicing or majoring in certain academic areas which have an interest in child welfare. Examples include but are not limited to the fields of sociology, psychology, law, criminology, health education, medicine and child development. IC 12-1-2-2 [IC 12-1 was repealed by P.L.2-1992, SECTION 897, effective February 14, 1992.] IC 12-1-2-3 [IC 12-1 was repealed by P.L.2-1992, SECTION 897, effective February 14, 1992.] IC 31-5.5-3-18 [Repealed by Acts 1979, P.L.276, SECTION 60.]