Handbook Revision, March 1, 2024
This revision of the Adult Protective Services Handbook was published on March 1, 2024. Summaries of new or revised items are provided below.
Fiscal Year 24, First Release (PATS 14068)
This revision:
- Clarifies that intakes containing allegations of abuse or neglect are not downgraded to priority IV.
- Updates intake specialist procedures for P1 intakes after hours.
- Clarifies that APS does not investigate allegations against a minor in DFPS conservatorship.
- Clarifies procedure for referring allegations against a HCSSA employee to HHSC.
- Removes policy related to the APS investigation of HCSSA paid caretakers.
- Removes policy related to APS investigations of allegations in facilities licensed by HHSC CCR.
- Adds procedure for addressing domestic and family violence.
- Adds procedure for when the client, alleged perpetrator, or collateral is represented by an attorney.
- Adds procedure for when the client, alleged perpetrator, or collateral records an APS interview.
- Adds a timeframe of 10 calendar days following the date that the letter was mailed to the CL or alleged perpetrator to wait for a response before closing the case.
- Adds guidance for when criminal records may be released by APS.
- Adds procedure for alleged financial exploitation when a guardian of person is authorized by a judge to spend up to $20,000 per year, of the ward's funds, for the ward's benefit.
- Clarifies how to determine whether information is current and when a client may be contacted for a case initiation.
- Adds language to allow use of closure code, Self-Neglect Resolved Before Initial Face-to-Face when APS determines allegations against alleged perpetrator will not be investigated.
- Clarifies when the second attempt for an initial face-to-face contact with client is completed.
- Clarifies who documents the supervisor and SME consultations.
- Adds procedure for case closure when a client dies before the intake.
- Adds policy and procedure for a court request to examine a durable power of attorney.
- Updates procedures for referring cases to HHSC.
- Clarifies that a notice of findings is sent to the parent, guardian, or other person responsible for a minor, regardless of that person's role in the APS case.
- Clarifies that notice of valid finding is sent to the designated perpetrator, including those who are eligible for due process, after the case is closed.
- Removes all policy and procedure for perpetrators eligible for placement on the Employee Misconduct Registry (EMR).
See:
2100 Allegation Priorities
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2400 Case Assignment
2410 Priority I (P1) Intakes after Hours
2410 2420 On-Call Information in IMPACT for Case Assignment
2420 2430 Intakes with Special Considerations
2421 2431 Recidivistic Cases
2422 2432 High-Profile Cases
2430 2440 Assignment of Secondary APS Specialists
2440 2450 Misrouted Intakes
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2510 Notifying SWI about Chronic Callers
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2530 Removing a Person from the Chronic Caller List
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3120 Substantial Impairment
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3200 Allegations
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3220 Abuse Allegations
3230 Financial Exploitation (EXPL) Allegations
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3320 Perpetrators of Neglect
3330 Minors as Perpetrators
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3410 Death Allegations When There Is Not an Open APS Case
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4100 Allegations Involving HHSC Health Care Facilities
4110 Allegations in Hospitals
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4211 Allegations in Nursing Homes
4211.1 Financial Exploitation of a Resident of a Nursing Home
4211.2 Nursing Home Discharge Planning
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4220 HHSC Community-Based Programs
4221 Home and Community Support Services Agencies (HCSSAs)
4222 Adult Foster Care
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4230 HHSC Protective Service Providers
4230 4231 HHSC Provider Investigations (PI)
4231.1 Allegations in Settings Investigated by HHSC Provider Investigations
4231 4231.11 Allegations Involving the Home and Community-based Services (HCS) and Texas Home Living (TxHmL) Programs
4232 4231.2 Allegations in Settings Regulated by HHSC Child Care Regulation (CCR)
4300 Allegations in Other Settings
4310 Allegations in Boarding Home Facilities
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5110 Community Support
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6110 Written Statements
6120 Interviews
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6122 Interviewing an Alleged Perpetrator
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6123.1 Interviewing the Reporter
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6124 Interviewing a Minor
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6400 Documentary Evidence
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6412 Criminal History Records Checks
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7000 Guardianship Cases
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7122 Financial Exploitation Allegations Against a Guardian of the Estate
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7211 Criminal History Checks
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7221 Relative or Other Person as Guardian
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7300 Referrals to HHSC Office of Guardianship Services (OGS)
7310 Criminal History Records Checks and Referrals to HHSC OGS
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7330 Standard Referrals to HHSC OGS
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7362 Certificate of Medical Examination (CME)
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8100 Safety Assessment
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8120 Changes in Allegation Priorities
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8210 Client Refuses to Cooperate Wwith APS Investigation
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8400 Referrals to Law Enforcement
8500 Allegations Involving Paid Caretakers
8510 Loans to a Paid Caretaker
8500 8600 Determination of Findings
8510 8610 Allegation Disposition (Finding)
8520 8620 Determination of the Validity of the Allegation
8521 8621 Neglect Allegations
8522 8622 Abuse Allegations
8523 8623 Financial Exploitation Allegations
8530 8630 Evaluation of Credibility of Evidence
8540 8640 Tasks After Reaching a Finding
8550 8650 Conclusion Summaries and Conclusion Justifications
8551 8651 Self-Neglect Conclusion Summary
8552 8652 Conclusion Justification
8600 8700 Risk of Recidivism Assessment (RORA)
8700 8800 Strengths and Needs Assessment9200 Case Initiation
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9210 Completing a Case Initiation
9300 Self-Neglect Resolved Bbefore Initial Face-to-Face
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9410 Client Cannot Be Seen for Initial Face-to-Face Contact
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9500 Safety Contacts
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9520 Safety Contacts When the Client Refuses to Cooperate
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9540 Safety Contacts When the Client Fails to Respond After Completion of the RORA
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9600 Supervisor Consultations
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9800 Subject Matter Expert (SME) Consultations
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10320 Client Refusing or Withdrawing from Services
10330 Seeking Medical or Mental Health Evaluations
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10500 Boarding Home Facilities and Service Delivery
11000 Death of a Client
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11200 Client’s Death May Involve a Perpetrator
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11211 Rapid Closure When the Perpetrator’s Actions Did Not Contribute to the Client’s Death
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11223 Client’s Death May Involve New Allegations Aagainst an Alleged Perpetrator
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11400 Adult Fatality Review Team
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12100 Initiating Legal Actions
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12120 Consulting With Regional Attorneys
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12140 Required Documentation of Legal Actions
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12600 Court Request to Examine Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA)
12700 12900 Family Violence Protective Orders Against a Perpetrator
12710 12910 APS Specialist’s Role in Assisting a Client With a Protective Order
12720 12920 Protective Order Application Filed by DFPS
12700 Guardianship
12710 Guardian of the Person, Estate, or Both
12800 Mental Health Commitment
12810 Emergency Detention
12811 Use of Emergency Detention for an APS Client
12820 Temporary Court-Ordered Mental Health Services
12830 Voluntary Admission to a Mental Health Facility
12900 12600 Types of Legal Documents an APS Specialist May Encounter
12910 12610 Financial Documents
12920 12620 Health Care Directives
12921 12621 Directive to Physicians (Living Will)
12922 12622 Medical Power of Attorney
12930 12630 Surrogate Decisions in Hospitals or Nursing Homes
12940 12640 Surrogate Decisions in Licensed ICF-IID Facilities
13000 Case Closure
13100 Case Closure Codes
13110 Rapid Closure Codes and Disposition of Other
13200 Supervisory Review of Case Closure
13300 Case Outcomes
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14110 Designated Perpetrators Ineligible for a Desk Review
14120 Notifications to the Designated Perpetrator
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14300 Due Process for Non-EMR (Employee Misconduct Registry) Cases
14310 Emergency Release of Findings in Due Process Non-EMR Cases
14320 Notification of Intent to Release Findings in Due Process Non-EMR Cases
14330 Administrative Review in Due Process Non-EMR Cases
14331 Requesting an Administrative Review in Due Process Non-EMR Cases
14332 Conducting an Administrative Review in Due Process Non-EMR Cases
14340 Release Hearings for Non-EMR Cases
14341 Notification of Judge’s Decision
14350 Release of Findings in Due Process Non-EMR Cases
14351 Release of Findings to HCSSAs and Adult Foster Care Homes
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14400 Employee Misconduct Registry (EMR)
14410 EMR Eligibility
14411 EMR-Eligible Employee
14412 Reportable Conduct
14420 Required Information for EMR-Eligible Investigations
14421 Entering the EMR Information in IMPACT
14430 Management Review of EMR-Eligible Investigations
14440 Role of the EMR Coordinator
14450 Notifications of Findings in EMR-Eligible Cases
14451 Notice of Findings to Employer
14452 Notice of Findings to Employee (Designated Perpetrator)
14460 Request for EMR Hearing
14470 EMR Hearing Process
14471 Schedule Changes for a Hearing
14472 Withdrawal of Request for a Hearing
14473 Failure to Appear for a Hearing
14474 Decision of Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)
14475 Rehearing
14476 Judicial Review
14477 Placement of Sustained Perpetrators on the EMR
14400 14500 Cases Involving School Personnel
14410 14510 Request for Administrative Review by School Personnel (Designated Perpetrator)
14420 14520 Administrative Review in School Cases
14430 14530 Notification of Final Findings for School Personnel
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15111.2 Release of Case Records to HHSC Provider Investigations
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15123 Case Information to Prospective Guardians
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15124.1 Court Notification About an Investigation Involving Guardianship
15124.2 Court Notification About an Investigation Involving HHSC OGS Guardianship
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15231 Destruction of Case Records
15240 Person Information
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Appendix I: Facilities and Jurisdictions
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Appendix IV: Decision-Making Trees – If the Client Dies
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Definitions of Terms