More Services
Provider Investigations
The Adult Protective Services Provider Investigations (APS PI) program investigates allegations of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of people served by certain providers. These include:
- Allegations in state-operated or contracted programs that serve adults and children with mental illness and intellectual disabilities.
- Allegations involving Medicaid providers of home and community-based services and behavioral health services.
- Allegations of abuse, neglect, and exploitation involving Consumer Directed Services employees and certain Home and Community Support Services Agencies (HCSSA).
- Allegations involving individuals residing in an HCS group home regardless of whether the individual is receiving services under the waiver program from the provider, as well as all children receiving services from an HCSSA.
APS PI does not investigate if the provider is licensed and another agency has authority to investigate the allegations of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
APS starts an investigation after the DFPS Texas Abuse Hotline receives an allegation. APS PI notifies the facility or provider agency within one hour and notifies law enforcement and the Health and Human Services Commission Office of Inspector General (OIG) within one hour if necessary. APS completes the investigation, makes a finding for each allegation, and sends a report to the provider as well as law enforcement and OIG if necessary. The provider is responsible for taking appropriate steps to protect its clients.
APS also determines if the perpetrator should be added to the Employee Misconduct Registry and submits the person's name after all due process and appeals. This registry bars people from certain jobs that involve working with people with disabilities. (This also applies to certain APS In-Home cases.)
Note: APS PI transferred to HHSC as of September 1, 2017. Rule changes as a result of this transition will affect some investigative procedures in FY 2018.
For more information see Provider Investigations in APS section of the DFPS Data Book.