MT SB206

Creates two distinct roles within Montana's Department of Public Health and Human Services: child protection investigators who handle abuse/neglect investigations and child removal prior to removal, and child reunification specialists who coordinate services after a child is removed from the home

Prohibits the same person from serving as both investigator and reunification specialist in a single case involving the same child, except when an office lacks sufficient staff to perform required duties

Establishes certification requirements for both positions, including mandatory training in ethics, statutory framework, law enforcement roles, crisis intervention, childhood trauma research, family preservation practices, family reunification interventions, and the Indian Child Welfare Act

Requires certified specialists to complete 20 hours of continuing education annually and renew certification through a department-specified process

Amends 14 sections of Montana Code Annotated (Title 41, Chapter 3) to replace references to "child protection specialist" with the new distinct role titles and adds the child reunification specialist to prehearing conference requirements; effective July 1, 2025