Adult Protective Services
Handbook Revision, March 2014
This revision of the Adult Protective Services In-Home Handbook was published on March 12, 2014. Summaries of new or revised items are provided below.
Updates of Terminology
The handbook has been updated throughout to apply the following terminology consistently. No changes have been made to the policy.
• “specialist” is changed to “APS specialist”;
• “exploitation” is changed to “financial exploitation”;
• “MR” (mental retardation) is changed to “IID” (Individuals With an Intellectual Disability)
• “client,” where appropriate, is changed to “alleged victim.”
Redirection of Legal Citations
References to the Texas Probate Code have been redirected to the Texas Estates Code.
Removal of Redundant Items
The items shown below have been removed, causing the subsequent items to be renumbered. No changes were made to the policies. Cross-references to the renumbered items have been corrected.
2361.1 Procedure for Collecting Documentary Evidence
2361.1 2361.2 Documentation for Documentary Evidence
2610 Nature of the Investigation
2610 2620 Community Involvement in Complex Investigations
2611 2621 Procedure for Working With Local Code Enforcement
2612 2622 Procedure for Working With Local Animal Control
2613 2623 Procedure for Working With the Texas Department of Public Safety
2620 2630 Special Task Units
2621 2631 Procedure for Special Task Units
2630 2640 Investigations Involving Family Violence Reports
2631 2641 Examples of Indicators of Family Violence
2632 2642 Procedure for Family Violence Investigations
2633 2643 Documentation for Family Violence Investigations
2634 2644 Types of Criminal Offenses
2640 2650 Client Alleged Victim Dies During the Investigation
2641 2651 Procedure When Alleged Victim Client Dies Before the Initial Face-to-Face Is Completed
2642 2652 Procedure When Alleged Victim’s Client's Death is Related to Natural Causes, Accident, or Self-Neglect
2642.1 2652.1 Documentation of Death Due to Natural Causes or Accident
2642.2 2652.2 Documentation of Death Due to Self-Neglect
2642.3 2652.3 Procedure for Rapid Closure When Alleged Victim’s Client's Death is Related to Natural Causes, Accident, or Self-Neglect
2642.31 2652.31 Documentation of Rapid Closure When Death is Due to Natural Causes, Accident or Self-Neglect
2643 2653 Procedure When Alleged Perpetrator's Actions Did Not Contribute to Alleged Victim’s Client's Death
2643.1 2653.1 Documentation of Death When Alleged Perpetrator's Actions Did Not Contribute to Alleged Victim’s Client's Death
2643.2 2653.2 Procedure for Rapid Closure When the Alleged Perpetrator's Actions Did Not Contribute to the Alleged Victim’s Client's Death
2643.21 2653.21 Documentation of Rapid Closure When Alleged Perpetrator's Actions Did Not Contribute to the Alleged Victim’s Client's Death
2644 2654 Procedure When Alleged Perpetrator Is EMR-Eligible
2645 2655 Procedure When Alleged Perpetrator's Actions May Have Contributed to the Alleged Victim’s Client's Death
2645.1 2655.1 Documentation When the Alleged Perpetrator's Actions May Have Contributed to the Alleged Victim’s Client's Death
2646 2656 Adult Fatality Review Team
2646.1 2656.1 Procedure for Referring a Case to the Adult Fatality Review Team
2650 2660 Investigations Involving Guardianship Wards
2651 2661 Financial Exploitation Allegations Involving a Guardian of the Estate
2652 2662 Alleged Perpetrator Role for Allegations of Neglect Involving Wards
2652.1 2662.1 Procedure for Determining Perpetrator Role for Allegations of Neglect Involving Wards
2653 2663 Gaining Access to the Ward During an Investigation
2653.1 2663.1 Procedure for Gaining Access to the Ward During an Investigation
2660 2670 Investigations Involving Other DFPS Programs
2661 2671 Procedure for Investigations in Residential Child Care Facilities
2662 2672 Procedure for Investigations Involving Persons Served by Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities Programs
2662.1 2672.1 Circumstances That Require an APS Facility Investigation
2662.2 2672.2 Circumstances That Require an APS In-Home Investigation
2663 2673 Procedure for Providing Emergency Protective Client Services During an APS Facility Investigation in an HCS Program
2670 2680 Investigations Involving Certain Types of Facilities
2671 2681 Investigations Involving Schools
2671.1 2681.1 Procedure for Investigations Involving Schools
2672 2682 Investigations in Boarding Home Facilities
2672.1 2682.1 Procedure for Investigations Involving Boarding Home Facilities
2673 2683 Investigations Involving Nursing Home Residents
2673.1 2683.1 Procedure for Investigations Involving Allegations of Financial Exploitation Against a Resident of a Nursing Home
2680 2690 Allegations Involving Paid Caretakers
2681 2691 Procedure for Allegations Involving Paid Caretakers
2681.1 2691.1 Alleged Victim Client Makes a Loan to a Paid Caretaker
Items in which titles have been changed to reflect these non-policy updates to terminology are listed below. Cross-references to these items have been corrected throughout the handbook.
1311.3 Examples of What Is and Is Not Considered Substantial Impairment
1530 Procedure for Complaints That Do Not Allege Abuse, Neglect, or Financial Exploitation
2214 Examples of Case Initiation Narrative Documentation
2240 Initial Face-to-Face Contact With the Alleged Victim Client
2241 Procedure for Initial Face-to-Face Contact With the Alleged Victim Client
2242 Documentation for Initial Face-to-Face Contact With the Alleged Victim Client
2250 Alleged Victim Client Cannot Be Located for Initial Face-to-Face Contact
2251 Procedure for When an Alleged Victim Client Is Not Located at Initial Face-to-Face Attempt
2252 Alleged Victim Client Is Inaccessible or Unable to Communicate for Initial Face-to-Face Contact
2253 Procedure for When the Alleged Victim Client Is Inaccessible for Initial Face-to-Face Contact
2260 Alleged Victim Client Refuses to Cooperate With APS Investigation
2261 Procedure When Alleged Victim Client Refuses to Cooperate With APS Investigation
2261.1 Procedure for Choosing a Disposition When an Alleged Victim Client Has Refused to Cooperate With the APS Investigation
2262 Documentation for Alleged Victim Client Refuses to Cooperate With APS Investigation
2341 Interviewing Alleged Victims Clients
2341.1 Procedures for Interviewing Alleged Victims Clients
2341.12 Transporting an Alleged Victim Client for an Interview
2341.13 Conducting the Interview With an Alleged Victim Client
2382.1 Procedure for Using DFPS Principal Case History to Assess Alleged Victims Clients
2420 Assessing Alleged Victim’s Client’s Safety Overall Risk to Determine Appropriate Action
2421 Procedure for Assessing Alleged Victim’s Client’s Safety Overall Risk to Determine Appropriate Action
2441.1 Procedure When the Alleged Victim Client Refuses Protective Services
2441.2 Documentation for Alleged Victim Client Refuses Protective Services
2500 Monitoring Alleged Victim’s Client’s Safety During Investigations
2511.13 MSCs When the Alleged Victim Client Cannot Be Located During the Investigation
2511.14 MSCs When the Alleged Victim Client Refuses to Cooperate
2511.15 MSC When the Alleged Victim Client Dies During the Investigation
2550 Alleged Victim Client Moves or Cannot Be Located Before the Investigation Is Complete
2551 Procedure for When an Alleged Victim Client Cannot Be Located
2552 Procedure When an Alleged Victim Client Moves Within Texas
2553 Procedure Used When an Alleged Victim Client Moves Out of Texas
3440 Financial Exploitation and Medicaid Eligibility
3441 Financial Exploitation of Income and Medicaid Eligibility
3442 Financial Exploitation of Resources and Medicaid Eligibility
4640 Surrogate Decisions in Licensed ICF-IID MR Facilities
5132.3 Notifying the Probate Court When Financial Exploitation Allegations Involve a Guardian of the Estate