Handbook Revision, October 1, 2020
This revision of the Child Protective Services Handbook was published on October 1, 2020.
On September 1, 2017, the investigations branch of CPS became a separate division named Child Protective Investigations (CPI). Until CPI develops its own policy handbook, investigation policies and procedures will remain in the CPS handbook.
See:
Child Protective Services Revisions
Child Protective Investigations Revisions
Child Protective Services Revisions
Kinship (PATS 11652)
CPS is revising its kinship policy to align it with the Minimum Standards for Child-Placing Agencies, including:
- The requirement that for each potential kinship caregiver being considered, the caseworker must check local CPS records in other states where the person lived in the past five years (instead of since the person turned 18).
- Recent changes made to the Information Management Protecting Adults and Children in Texas (IMPACT) casework tracking system.
See:
1616.5 Reimbursing Nonrecurring Expenses Covered by Permanency Care Assistance
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4513.3 Placing a Child with a Relative Out of State
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6612 Conducting Background Checks
6612.1 Conducting and Evaluating CPS DFPS History Checks
6612.11 If No CPS DFPS History Is Found
6612.12 If CPS DFPS History Is Found
6612.13 If the Finding Is Overturned
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6612.15 Exceptions
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6613 Conducting a Criminal History Check
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6624 Obtaining CPS Approval of the Home Assessment and Placement of a Child in a Kinship Home
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6625 Requirements for a Kinship Safety Evaluation (KSE)
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6631.2 If a Court-Ordered Placement Occurs After a Negative Assessment
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6634 Critical Providing Required Forms and Discussion Required at the Time of Placement
6634.1 Kinship TANF Letter
6634.2 Caseworker Discussion with Kinship Caregiver at the Time of Placement
6634.3 6634.1 Kinship Caregiver Manual
6634.4 6634.2 Kinship Caregiver Agreement
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6642 Services and Initial Contact with the Kinship Caregiver
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6645 Conducting the Kinship Caregiver Visit
6646 Actions after each Kinship Caregiver Visit
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6652.31 Eligibility Criteria
6652.32 Documenting in IMPACT
6652.4 Post-Permanent Managing Conservatorship Annual Reimbursement Payment
6652.41 Eligibility Criteria
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6661.1 When There Is a The Kinship Development Worker’s Caseworker’s Role during Verification
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6670 Closing a Kinship Stage
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6681 Overview of Permanency Care Assistance
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Appendix 8160: CPS Service Codes and Descriptions as Identified in IMPACT
Rights of Children and Youth in Foster Care (PATS 12445)
This policy revision clarifies and strengthens the roles and responsibilities of staff as they pertain to federal and state law requiring that the Bill of Rights accompany the child’s case plan (CPOS) and documentation.
See:
6420 Rights of Children and Youth in Foster Care
Supervised Independent Living (PATS 12712)
The 86th Legislature provided funding for enhanced case management. Rule development delayed policy changes.
See:
10400 Extended Foster Care for Youth Who Are Age 18 or Older
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10440 Casework Activity for Young Adults in Extended Foster Care
10441 Casework Activity
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10460 Supervised Independent Living (SIL)
10461 Overview and Purpose of SIL
10462 Eligibility for Supervised Independent Living (SIL) Placements
10463 Enhanced Case Management Services
10464 10463 Referral, Assessment, and Approval Process for the Supervised Independent Living (SIL) Program
10464.1 10463.1 Initial Placement Process
10464.2 10463.2 Subsequent Placement Process With the Same DFPS SIL Provider
10465 10464 Ongoing Caseworker Duties During SIL Placement
10466 10465 Discharge From the SIL Program
FBSS Concurrent Stages (PATS 12742)
This policy update does the following:
- Describes the new Child Protective Investigations and Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS) transfer process.
- Provides new practice direction for Family-Based Safety Services.
See:
12220 Receiving a Case in FBSS from Alternative Response or Investigation
12221 FBSS Actions When the CPI INV or AR and Family Preservation (FPR) Stages Are Open Concurrently
12230 12220 Ten-Day Tasks and Case Decisions Initial Contact
12240 12230 Contacts When the Child Is Not in a PCSP
12250 12240 Contacts When the Child Is in a PCSP
12260 12250 Notifying a Supervisor When Unable to Meet the Time Frames for Face-to-Face Contact
12270 12260 Locating, Contacting, and Assessing Absent or Noncustodial Parents
12271 12261 Locating Absent or Noncustodial Parents
12272 12262 Contacting and Assessing Absent or Noncustodial Parents
12280 12270 FBSS Actions When a Child or Principal Cannot Be Located
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12500 Providing Services in FBSS
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12520 Participation in the Family Plan of Service
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12700 Case Closure in Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS)
12700 12710 Closing an FBSS Case
12710 12711 Case Closure Conference (Staffing)
12720 12712 Final Risk Reassessment Before Closure
12730 12713 Final Safety Assessment Before Closure
12740 12714 Closing Summary
12750 12715 Final Face-to-Face Contact
12760 12716 Case Closure Approval
12770 12720 Whom to Notify of the Case Closure Decision
12780 12730 Submitting an FBSS Case for Closure
12781 12731 Case Closure Letter
12782 Using Closure Code Services Inappropriate When Closing at Transfer Staffing (Meeting) or Before Initial Family Plan
12800 Program Director Involvement in FBSS
Substance Use (PATS 12837)
This policy revision does the following:
- Removes information that was deemed not to be policy.
- Reorganizes the remaining sections about substance use.
- Updates policy to reflect DFPS’s expectations related to drug testing frequency, level of approval required for certain testing, and limitations related to drug testing children.
- Updates the substance use policy for Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS) to align with the main substance use policy in section 1900.
See:
1900 Substance Abuse Use Services
1910 Drug Testing Considerations
1911 Guiding Principle for Drug Testing
1912 Definitions Related to Substance Use
1912.1 Drug Screen
1912.2 Drug Test and Time Frame
1912.3 Screening Tools (Forms)
1913 Factors to Consider to Identify Possible Substance Use
1914 Requirements for Requesting a Drug Test
1914.1 Infectious Client
1920 Eligibility for Drug Testing
1921 Client Eligible for Drug Testing by DFPS or a Contracted Lab
1922 Client Ineligible for Drug Testing by DFPS or a Contracted Lab
1923 Frequency of Drug Testing
1930 Drug Testing Results and Exceptions
1931 Time Frames for Checking Drug Test Results
1932 Drug Test Results
1932.1 Negative Result
1932.2 Rejected Result
1932.3 Diluted Result
1932.4 Presumptive Positive Result
1932.5 Positive Result
1932.6 Positive Result with a Valid Prescription
1933 Client Admission
1934 Refusal to Test
1940 Prescription Medication
1950 Authorization for Drug Testing and Services for Substance Use Disorders
1960 Substance Use that Affects Children and Youth
1961 Assessment of Substance Use
1961.1 Safety during Home Visits When Substances Are Present
1962 Safety and Risk When Substances Are Present
1963 Children and Youth Who Are Exposed to or Using Substances
1963.1 Infants Exposed to or Affected by Substances
1963.2 Children and Youth Who Are Not in DFPS Conservatorship and Are Not Emancipated
1963.3 Children and Youth in DFPS Conservatorship
1963.4 Youth in Extended Care or Return to Care
1970 Treatment and Other Resources for Substance Use
1971 Referral to Treatment
1971.1 Referral to Outreach, Screening, Assessment, and Referral (OSAR) Center
1971.2 Direct Referral to Treatment Provider
1971.3 Forms for Referral to Substance Use Services
1971.4 Purchase of Treatment Services for Substance Use Disorders for Eligible Clients
1971.41 Changes to an Existing Contract
1972 Resources When Treatment Is Not Recommended
1973 Resources When Treatment Is Unavailable or Difficult to Access
1980 Casework and Substance Use
1981 Substance Use Affecting a Parent-Child Visit or FGDM Conference
1982 Recovery, Relapse, and Long-Term Planning
1982.1 Indicators of Progress in Recovery
1982.2 Relapse Safety Plan
1910 Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment
1911 Determining Eligibility for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Services
1912 Referring Clients to DSHS-Funded Substance Abuse Treatment
1912.1 Inpatient Treatment of Substance Abuse
1912.11 Referring Clients to Providers of Outreach, Screening, Assessment, and Referral (OSAR) Services
1912.12 Direct Referrals to Inpatient Substance Abuse Treatment
1912.13 Required Forms for Inpatient Treatment of Substance Abuse
1912.2 Outpatient Treatment and Detoxification Services for Substance Abuse
1913 Purchasing Substance Abuse Treatment Services for Eligible Clients
1914 Identifying Available Services
1915 Authorizing Substance Abuse Treatment Services in IMPACT
1916 Coordinating With a DSHS Provider to Deliver Substance Abuse Services
1917 Terminating DSHS Services for Substance Abuse
1920 Substance Abuse Testing
1921 Definitions Related to Substance Abuse
1921.1 Chain of Custody
1921.2 Drug Confirmation
1921.3 Drug Screen
1921.4 Instant Test (Oral Swab)
1922 Eligibility for Substance Abuse Testing
1922.1 Determining Eligibility for Substance Abuse Testing Conducted by a Contracted Laboratory
1922.2 Identifying the Substances That Are Eligible for Testing
1922.3 Identifying Laboratory Services for Substance Abuse Testing
1922.4 Referring Clients for Substance Abuse Testing
1922.5 Authorizing Substance Abuse Testing in IMPACT
1922.6 Adding, Extending, Reauthorizing, or Terminating Substance Abuse Services
1923 Testing for Substance Abuse
1923.1 Detection Periods for Substance Abuse
1923.2 Diluted Samples Obtained During Testing
1923.3 Instant (Swab) Tests and Court Hearings
1923.4 Using Acceptable Contractors to Obtain Test Results
1923.5 Frequency of Random Substance Abuse Testing
1923.6 Situations Not Appropriate for Drug Testing
1923.7 Discontinuing Drug Testing
1923.8 Assessing Test Results or Accepting an Admission
1923.9 Documenting Prescribed Medicine Before Offering Drug Testing
1924 Special Situations Related to Substance Abuse
1924.1 Methadone and Prescription Medication
1924.2 The Infectious Client
1924.3 Drug Use During a Parent-Child Visit or FGDM Conference
1924.4 The Court Testimony of the Medical Review Officer
1930 Casework Practice for Substance Abuse Cases
1931 Overview of Casework Practice for Substance Abuse Cases
1931.1 The Definition of a Drug
1931.2 Obtaining Diagnostic Classifications From Professionals
1931.3 Guiding Principles of Drug Testing
1931.4 Marijuana Policy
1931.5 Determining Safety and Risk When Marijuana, Other Substances, or Alcohol Are Present
1932 Screening and Assessing for Substance Abuse
1932.1 Screening for Substance Abuse
1932.2 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
1932.3 Drug Use Outside of the Home
1940 Establishing Protective Measures When a Child Is Threatened by Substance Abuse
1950 Newborns, Children, and Youth Who Are Exposed to Drugs or Alcohol
1951 Children and Adolescents Who Smoke Marijuana, Use Other Drugs, or Drink Alcohol
1951.1 Youth Who Are Not in DFPS Conservatorship and Are Not Unemancipated
1951.2 Children and Adolescents in DFPS Conservatorship
1951.3 Youth in Extended Care or Return to Care
1952 Newborns Exposed to Drugs or Alcohol
1952.1 Safety Plan for a Substance-Exposed Newborn
1960 Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Abuse
1961 Treatment Options for Drug and Alcohol Abuse
1962 Education When Treatment Is Not Recommended by an OSAR Screener or Provider
1963 When Treatment Is Unavailable, Resources Are Scarce, Waiting Lists Are Long, or the Distance Is Too Far to Travel
1964 The Prevention and Early Intervention Program (PEI)
1965 Indicators of Progress Made Toward Recovery
1966 Developing a Safety Plan in Case a Client Relapses
1970 Drug-Endangered Children
1971 Drug Raids to Protect Drug-Endangered Children
1972 Safety Tips for Visiting Homes or Areas Where Substance Abuse Is Practiced
1973 Recognizing When a Caseworker Is Physically Exposed to Drugs
1980 Assessing Substance Abuse
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12560 Families with Substance Use Drug Testing in FBSS
Child Protective Investigations Revisions
Closing Cases without Assignment (Priority None) and Administrative Closure (PATS 12762)
Updates to these policies include clarification and additional requirements for closing cases without assignment (PN) and administrative closures for both investigations and alternative response cases.
New intake reports received that include principals also involved in ongoing cases in service stages have new requirements.
New information is included around eligibility of certain child fatality reports to be closed without assignment.
Approval requirements for administrative (ADMIN) closures have been streamlined.
See:
2143 Assigning Priority to Reports of Abuse or Neglect
2143.1 Assigning a Report as Priority 1 (P1)
2143.11 Examples of Priority 1 (P1) Reports
2143.12 When a Priority 1 (P1) Report Is Received After-Hours
2143.2 Assigning a Report as Priority II (P2)
2143.3 Assigning a Report as Priority None (PN)
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2151 The CPS CPI Supervisor’s Role in Screening Reviewing Reports of Abuse or Neglect
2152 Contacting Collateral Sources About Reports of Abuse or Neglect
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2155 Changing the Priority of a Report About Abuse or Neglect
2156 Closing Reports of Abuse or Neglect Without Assignment for Investigation
2156.1 Reports of Abuse or Neglect That Require Supervisory Approval for Closure Closing Child Fatality Reports without Assignment
2156.2 Closing Reports without Assignment That Involve Children in Care
2156.3 Required Tasks Before Closing without Assignment
2156.4 Reports of Abuse or Neglect That Require Program Director Approval for Closure
2156.5 Reports of Abuse or Neglect That Require Program Administrator Approval for Closure
2157 Receiving a New Report During an Open Investigation of Abuse or Neglect
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2291 Submitting an Investigation for Closure
2291.1 Abbreviated Ruled Out
2291.2 Administrative Closure
2291.3 Unable to Complete, Family Moved/Cannot Locate
2291.4 All Other Recommended Actions
2291.5 Need for Ongoing Services
2291.6 Extension Request
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2310 Administrative Closure
2311 Reporter Is Anonymous
2312 Allegations Are Refuted
2313 CPI Lacks Authority to Investigate
2314 Allegations Were Already Investigated
2315 Investigation Is Open for More Than 60 Days
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2331 When a Child Dies
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2655 Submitting an Alternative Response Case for Administrative Closure
2655.1 AR Administrative Closure: Reporter is Anonymous
2655.2 AR Administrative Closure: Refuting the Allegations
2655.3 AR Administrative Closure: Lacks Authority to Assess
2655.4 AR Administrative Closure: Allegations Already Investigated
Concurrent and Referral Process (PATS 12792)
This policy revision does the following:
- Updates section 2400 to reflect the criteria for referring a case to Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS).
- Adds section 2410 to reflect the referral process for creating a concurrent stage.
See:
2400 Transferring Referring a Case from Investigation/Alternative Response to Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS)
2410 Process for Concurrent Investigation/Alternative Response and Family-Based Safety Services Stages