Handbook Revision, June 1, 2023
This revision of the Statewide Intake Policy and Procedures Handbook was published on June 1, 2023. Summaries of new or revised items are provided below.
Adult Protective Services (PATS 13953)
This handbook revision makes the following updates to SWI’s policy on Adult Protective Services:
- Clarifies that an emancipated minor must be substantially impaired to be eligible for APS services.
- Adds definitions, information about guardianship, and information about how sensory impairments and employment affect assessing substantial impairment for APS eligibility.
- Edits various sections for consistency, clarity, and plain language.
See:
5000 Adult Protective Services (APS)
5100 Substantial Impairment
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5130 Substantial Impairment and Chronic Substance AbuUse
5200 APS Person List
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5211 Principals (PRNs)
5212 Collaterals (COLs)
5220 Roles
5221 Alleged Victim (VC)
5222 Alleged Victim Perpetrator (VP)
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5224 No Role (NO)
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5320 Neglect Allegations
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5610 References to Client Versus Alleged Victim
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5712 When Only One Report Should be Completed an APS Report Includes Concerns for HHS
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5732 Guardianship
5733 Unlicensed Facilities
Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship (PATS 13954)
This policy update addresses the death of a child in DFPS conservatorship across multiple settings (types of placements and facilities) and edits chapters to improve consistency, clarity, and plain language. It also adds links for cross-references and clarifies which additional I&Rs are required in which situations.
See:
4632 Death of a Child While in DFPS Conservatorship
4632.1 Assessing the Program Jurisdiction for the Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship
4632.2 Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship in an Unlicensed Placement
4632.3 Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship in a Facility under the Jurisdiction of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) Placement
4632.4 Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship in a Nursing Home
4632.5 Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship in a Facility under the Jurisdiction of Child Care Investigations (CCI)
4632.6 Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship in a Facility Situation under the Jurisdiction of APS Provider Investigations (PI)
Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) Screeners (PATS 13955)
This handbook revision adds a new chapter to the Statewide Intake Handbook. The chapter provides policy for RCCI screeners.
See:
10000 SWI Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) Intake Screening
10100 Legal Basis for Screening
10200 Screening Purpose and Program Organization
10210 SWI Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) Screeners
10220 Screener Supervisor
10230 Screener Program Administrator
10240 Workload Distribution
10250 Sensitive Intakes
10300 Screening Process
10310 Criteria
10320 Time Frames
10330 Contacts and Interviewing
10331 Contacting Reporters and Caseworker
10332 People Who Are Appropriate to Contact
10333 People Who Are Not Appropriate to Contact
10400 Searching
10410 Analyzing History
10420 Child Care Licensing Automation Support System (CLASS)
10500 Consulting (Staffing)
10600 Decisions (Assessments)
10610 Assigning for Investigation
10620 Downgrading Intakes for Closure Without Investigation
10700 Documenting the Screening
10800 Notifications
10810 CVS or SSCC Caseworker and Supervisor Notification
10820 Twenty-Four-Hour Awake Supervision
10830 Home History Review (HHR)
10840 Office of Refugee Resettlement
10900 Special Topics
10910 Call Recordings
10920 Follow-up to SWI Documentation
10930 Screening Outside of Business Hours
10931 P1 Intakes
10931.1 Requests to Close a P1 Intake by On-Call RCCI Staff
10932 P2 Intakes
Child Protective Investigations (CPI) Screeners (PATS 13956)
This handbook revision adds a new chapter to the Statewide Intake Handbook. The new chapter provides policy for CPI screeners.
See:
11000 SWI Child Protective Investigations (CPI) Intake Screening
11100 Legal Basis for Screening
11200 Screening Purpose and Program Organization
11210 SWI Child Protective Investigations (CPI) Screening Staff
11220 Screener Supervisor
11230 Screener Program Administrator
11240 Workload Distribution
11250 Sensitive Intakes
11300 Screening Process
11310 Criteria
11320 Eligibility
11321 Not Eligible for Formal Screening
11330 Timeframes
11340 Contacting and Interviewing
11341 Contacting Reporters
11342 Contacting Collaterals
11342.1 Reliable Collateral
11342.2 Individuals Who Cannot be Contacted as Collateral Sources
11343 Contacting Principal Sources or Parents
11400 Searching
11410 Searching for DFPS History
11420 Analyzing History
11430 External Databases
11431 Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS) Searches
11432 Data Broker
11433 Other External Resources
11500 Consulting (Staffing)
11510 Mandatory Consultations
11520 Children in DFPS Conservatorship
11530 Child Deaths
11600 Decisions (Assessments)
11610 Assessment Responses
11611 Traditional Investigations
11612 Alternative Response
11613 Case Closure with Differential Response
11620 Changing the Priority of an Intake about Abuse or Neglect
11630 Forwarding to Program or Closing the Intake
11631 Intakes That Clearly Meet Investigation Guidelines
11632 Closing an Intake
11632.1 Closing Intakes Without Assignment for Investigation
11632.2 Closing Child Death Intakes Without Investigation
11632.3 Closing Intakes Without Assignment for Children in DFPS Conservatorship
11632.4 Closing Intakes for Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC)
11700 Documenting the Screening
11710 Formal Questions in IMPACT
11720 Document Within 24-Hours
11730 When a Formal Screening is Not Conducted
11800 Notifications
11900 Special Topics
11910 Call Recordings
11920 Follow-up to SWI Documentation
Giving Feedback to the Reporter, Completing the In Regards To Field, and Assessing Bank Fraud Reports (PATS 13957)
This handbook revision clarifies policy about the following:
- Giving feedback to the reporter, including breach of confidentiality and inappropriate feedback.
- Adding the person of concern to the In Regards To field for I&R reports.
- Assessing for self-neglect and situations that are not exploitation in bank fraud reports.
This revision also adds section 2147 to define breach of confidentiality.
See:
2141 Call Decision
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2147 Breach of Confidentiality
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3330 In Regards To
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3411 Request for a Status of a Report or Report ID
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5620 Reports from the Fraud Units of Financial Institutions
Reports Involving Unaccompanied Alien Children, Schools, CSCAL, and Various APS Issues (PATS 13958)
This handbook revision updates policy about various subjects, including:
- Unaccompanied alien children (UACs).
- School reports.
- Priority 1 reports for clients who are hospitalized.
- Assessing when a client is discharged or evicted from various types of facilities.
See:
4331 Past Abuse or Neglect; No Current Reports Safety Issues
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4522 Assessing Priority for School Reports
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4612.1 CSCAL Reported by Law Enforcement
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4700 Special Program or Agency Jurisdictional Topics
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4750 Investigational Jurisdiction of Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation of Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC)
4751 Unaccompanied Alien Child in Federal Custody
4752 Unaccompanied Alien Child Living with a Sponsor
4753 Investigational Jurisdiction of Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation of UAC
47541 Tracking Reports Involving Regarding Unaccompanied Alien Children
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5410 Priority 1 (P1)
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5736.1 Discharge Issues
5736.2 Self-Neglect in Assisted Living Facilities
5736.3 Eviction or Leaving Against Medical Advice from a Facility Licensed by LCTR or HCFR HHS
Reporter Information, ICPC Placements, I&R When Out of State, Reasons for CRSR, and TJJD (PATS 13959)
This policy update does the following:
- Adds details to a reporter’s basis of knowledge.
- Clarifies the agency for the foster care ombudsman.
- Changes the name of the Agency Jurisdiction resource to Agency and Program Jurisdiction.
- Clarifies details about ICPC placements.
- Completes instructions for an I&R when abuse or neglect is out-of-state.
- Adds some child deaths as a reason for a CRSR (C-PB).
- Updates instructions for youth in the custody of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD).
See:
2100 Reporters
2110 Information about the Reporter
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2840 Complaints
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2843 Complaint from a Foster Youth about His or Her Placement
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3510 Reports for Other Agencies
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4500 CPI and CPS Special Topics – Part 1
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4563 Youth in the Custody of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD)
4563.1 Requests for Placement Assistance from TJJD Received by Phone
4563.2 Documentation of TJJD Request Received by Phone
4563.3 Requests for Placement Assistance from TJJD Received through the Internet (E-Reports)
4563.4 Where to Route the Intake or CRSR
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4700 Special Program or Agency Jurisdictional Topics
4710 Incidents Involving Abuse or Neglect Out of State
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4713.1 CPS CPI Out-of-State Table
4713.2 Procedures for Out of State Situations I&Rs for Out-of-State Situations
4713.21 Referring a Reporter to Another State’s CPS
4713.22 Generating an I&R to be Faxed to Another State’s CPS
4713.3 4713.23 Child in an ICPC Placement Alleges Abuse or Neglect
4714 Abuse or Neglect Both in Texas and Out of State
4714.1 Texas CPS CPI Intake and Additional Children at Risk in Another State
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4800 CPI Case-Related Special Requests
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4820 Types of Case-Related Special Requests (CRSRs) Entered by SWI
4821 CRSR – Request for Local Public Service (C-PB)