41-5-1201: Preliminary inquiry -- referral of youth in need of care.

(1) Whenever the court receives information from an agency or person, including a parent or guardian of a youth, based upon reasonable grounds, that a youth is or appears to be a delinquent youth or a youth in need of intervention or that the youth is subject to a court order or consent order and has violated the terms of an order, a juvenile probation officer or an assessment officer shall make a preliminary inquiry into the matter.

(2) If the juvenile probation officer or assessment officer determines that the facts indicate that the youth is a youth in need of care, as defined in 41-3-102, the matter must be immediately referred to the department of public health and human services.