(a) For purposes of this section the following definitions shall apply:
(1) “Appropriately trained public health professional” means a public health nurse or a social worker who is knowledgeable about the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome and the care and support of persons who have experienced a death of this nature, and who has basic grief counseling skills.
(2) “Contact” is a face-to-face visit, a group visit, or a telephone call that provides one or more of the following services:
(A) An assessment of the family, child care provider, or both.
(B) Crisis intervention and counseling.
(C) A referral to a community service.
(D) A followup assessment of the family’s, the child care provider’s, or both family’s and child care provider’s progress.
(3) “Immediately” means within three working days of receiving notice from the coroner or other reporting agent of a death presumedly caused by sudden infant death syndrome.
(4) “Local health officer” means a health officer for a city, county, or city and county.
(b) Upon being informed by the coroner pursuant to Section 102865 of any case in which sudden infant death syndrome is the presumed cause of death, the local health officer or his or her designated agent, who is an appropriately trained public health professional, after consultation with the infant’s physician of record, when possible, shall immediately contact the person or persons who had custody and control of the infant, including foster parents, when applicable, for the purposes of providing to that person information, support, referral, and followup services relating to sudden infant death syndrome. If the infant was in child care, the local health officer or his or her designated agent who is an appropriately trained public health professional also shall immediately contact the child care provider.
(c) The local health officer shall perform the duties required by this section throughout the jurisdiction of that local health officer.
(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 8. Effective January 1, 1996.)