Child Protective Services Handbook Revision September 2011
This revision of the Child Protective Services Handbook was published on September 1, 2011. Summaries of new or revised items are provided below.
Differential Response Required by CAPTA
Plans for Children When Placement Is Unavailable
Establishing Relationships Using Family Tree in IMPACT
Differential Response Required by CAPTA (PATS 4512)
This policy is revised to explain when and how to notify a child's family about helpful community resources when an intake report of abuse or neglect is closed without being recommended for further investigation. Notifying the family is a mandate of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). See:
2144.37 Closing a Formally Screened Report (Not Recommending Investigation)
Plans for Children When Placement Is Unavailable (PATS 2633)
The items below are revised or added to provide guidelines for children who stay in a CPS office overnight. Staff were notified of this policy with the issuance of PSAs 07-120 (5/10/2007), 07-104 (3/26/2007), and 08-071 (3/3/2008). See:
6318.2 Revising the Case Plan
6318.3 Plans for Children when Placement is Unavailable
Child Safety Check Alert List (PATS 4162)
The items below are revised to identify roles and responsibilities of caseworkers and special investigators in investigations that involve placing families on the child safety check alert list.
2224.31 When a Family Has Moved or Cannot Be Located
2224.33 Documentation in an Unable to Complete/Cannot Locate Investigation
2224.36 When a Subsequent Intake Is Received for a Family With a Previous Unable to Complete (Close – Family Moved/Cannot Locate) Investigation
2224.38 Child Safety Check Alert List
2413 Other Definitions
Cross-references to items with new titles have been updated in:
2224.32 When a Family Is Uncooperative
Kinship Home Assessment (PATS 4567)
CPS Handbook Appendix 6322-B How to Conduct a Kinship Caregiver Home Assessment is deleted because the Kinship Caregiver Home Assessment form 6588 (template) and 6588ins (instructions) are posted in the DFPS Automated Forms System (smiley) and do not need to be in policy. Links that were previously directed at the appendix have been redirected to the forms in the items below. See:
6322.23 Assessing the Unverified Kinship Caregiver’s Home and Conducting History Checks
6322.34 Complete a Risk Assessment and a Written Home Assessment of the Kinship Caregiver
9420 Completing a Home Screening When a Child From Another State Is Placed in Texas
The items below are updated for clarity and to remove information that no longer applies. See:
6521 Medical Consent
6521.1 Court Authorizes DFPS to Consent
6521.11 Selecting Medical Consenter and Backup Medical Consenter
6521.12 Ensuring Training on Informed Consent and Requirements for Medical Consenters
6521.13 Issuing Form 2085-B
6521.14 Providing Medical Information to the Medical Consenter
6521.15 Notifying the Court
6521.16 Documenting in IMPACT
6521.17 Including Medical Information in Court Reports
6521.18 Notifying Parents About Significant Medical Conditions
6521.19 Changing Medical Consenter and Backup Consenter
6521.2 Responsibilities of Medical Consenters and Backup Medical Consenters
6521.21 Being Knowledgeable of Child’s Medical Condition
6521.22 Participating in Each Medical Appointment
6521.23 Updating All Medical Consenters and Backup Medical Consenters
6521.3 Court Authorizes an Individual Other Than DFPS to Consent
6521.4 Medical Consent by Minor Youth
6521.41 Educating Children About Their Medical Care
6521.42 Informing Youth About Certain Rights
6521.43 Documenting Court Authorization for Youth Consent in IMPACT
6521.44 Offering Ongoing Support to Youth
6521.45 Requesting a Court Order When a Youth Refuses Medical Care
6521.5 Emergency Medical Care
6521.6 Special Circumstances
6521.61 Youth Who Are 18 Years or Older
6521.62 Youth Under DADS Guardianship in Extended Foster Care
6521.63 Youth Who Are Parents in DFPS Conservatorship or Extended Foster Care
Establishing Relationships Using Family Tree in IMPACT (PATS 4383)
The items below are added to document policy and procedure for establishing relationships using Family Tree in IMPACT. Family Tree in IMPACT allows users to track, view, and update family relationships. This makes it easier to identify related family members based on the selection of a single person. Relationships can be:
• viewed at a global level as well as a case or stage level to facilitate history searches; and
• captured with personal relationship information regardless of role in a stage or case.
See:
1432 Family Tree
1432.1 Establishing Relationships Using Family Tree in IMPACT
1432.2 Situations in Which a Staff Member Is Included in Family Tree
1432.3 Handling Exceptional Relationships in Family Tree
1432.4 Viewing Family Tree Graphs
1432.5 Printing Family Tree Reports
1432.51 Family Tree Contact Information Report
1432.6 Confidentiality and Release of Family Tree Reports
1433 Supervisory Approval Process in IMPACT
2281.8 Establish Relationships in Family Tree in the Investigation Stage
2662 Gather Information About Child and Family
2662.4 Establish Relationships in Family Tree in IMPACT When Children Are Removed
3122.4 Steps for Conducting a Family Assessment
3145.6 Documenting the Family Tree
3150 Closing a Case, Closing a Stage, and Transferring a Case
3151 Closing an FBSS Case
3151.1 Closing an FBSS Case Because CPS Services Are No Longer Needed
3151.2 Closing an FBSS Case When a Child Is Still in a Parental Child Safety Placement (PCSP)
3151.3 Closing an FBSS Case for Administrative Reasons
3151.4 Closing an FBSS Case in IMPACT
3168 Time Frames for Establishing and Updating Relationships in Family Tree
3421.2 Scheduling a Discharge Planning Meeting
3421.21 The Caseworker’s Duties at a Discharge Planning Meeting
6133 Locating Relatives and Providing Notice of Removal
6133.1 When Relatives Have Been Contacted and Have Responded
6421 The Child’s Service Plan
6322.43 The Duties of a Kinship Development Caseworker
6852 Consummating the Adoption
6852.1 Time Frames for Consummating the Adoption
6852.11 Time Frames for Consummating Kinship Adoptions
6852.12 Non-Kinship Adoptions
6852.13 Foster Parent Adoptions
6852.2 CPS Caseworker’s Tasks After the Adoption Petition Is Filed
6852.3 Termination of DFPS’s Managing Conservatorship
6852.4 Adoption Reporting Requirements
6933 Documentation of Child’s Biographical Data and Information About Relatives and Fictive Kin
6730 Supervision, Dismissal, Continuation, and Closure
10133.5 Requesting a Youth’s CPS Case Record
10133.51 Accessing the Basic Family Tree Report
Appendix 1121: Documentation Requirements for Models of Family Group Decision-Making (FGDM)