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Section 2000: Intake, Investigation, and Assessment
2000 Intake, Investigation, and Assessment
2100 Processing Reports of Abuse or Neglect
2110 Definitions of Abuse/Neglect and Authority
2112 Primary Statutory Definitions
2113 Statutory Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect
2114 Statutory Definition of Person Responsible for Child's Care, Custody, or Welfare
2115 Terms Used in Primary Statutory Definitions
2120 CPI Authority for Investigating Reports of Abuse or Neglect
2121 Reports within CPI Authority to Investigate
2121.1 DFPS Employee or Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) Abuse or Neglect Investigations
2121.2 Expedited Investigations
2122 Reports Not Within CPI Authority to Investigate
2123 Children Not Yet Born or Not Born Alive
2130 The Roles of SWI and CPI During Intake
2131 Legal Requirements for Reporting Abuse or Neglect
2132 Reporting Requirements for DFPS Staff
2132.1 Reporting Requirements for Licensed or Certified DFPS Staff
2132.3 Reporting Requirements for All DFPS Staff When a Person Refuses to Report
2132.4 Exception to the Requirement That CPI Staff Notify SWI About Additional Allegations
2133 Special Issues Relating to Reporting Abuse or Neglect
2134 Reporting Directly to SWI About Abuse or Neglect
2135 Reports Made to Field Offices
2136 When to Notify Law Enforcement About Reports of Abuse or Neglect
2140 Screening an Intake for Investigation
2141 Screening and Prioritizing Reports of Abuse or Neglect
2142 Reports Accepted by CPI for Investigation and Assessment
2142.2 Incomplete or Questionable Reports of Abuse or Neglect
2142.3 When Abuse or Neglect Occurs in a Foster Home, Adoptive Home, or Child Care Facility
2143 Assigning Priority to Reports of Abuse or Neglect
2143.1 Criteria for Assigning a Report as a Priority 1 (P1)
2143.11 When a Priority 1 (P1) Report Is Received After-Hours
2143.2 Criteria for Assigning a Report as a Priority 2 (P2)
2143.3 Criteria for Assigning a Report as Priority None (PN)
2150 The CPI Supervisor’s Role in Reviewing Reports of Abuse or Neglect
2151 Notification of a Report Involving a Child in DFPS Conservatorship
2152 Contacting Collateral Sources About Reports of Abuse or Neglect
2153 Notifying the Reporter When a Report Is Closed
2154 Changing the Priority of a Report about Abuse or Neglect
2155 Closing Investigation Reports of Abuse or Neglect Using Priority None (PN) Closure Codes
2155.1 Closing Reports Priority None (PN) That Involve Children in Care
2155.2 Closing Reports Priority None (PN) That Involve a Child Fatality
2155.3 Closing Reports Using Priority None (PN) Closure Codes
2155.4 Required Tasks before Closing Report Using Priority None (PN)
2155.5 Reports of Abuse or Neglect That Require Program Director Approval for Closure
2155.6 Reports of Abuse or Neglect That Require Program Administrator Approval for Closure
2156 Receiving a New Intake During an Open Investigation of Abuse or Neglect
2156.1 Determining Whether Face-to-Face Contact Is Required
2200 Basic Investigation Process
2221 Documentation and Same Day Contact Entry for Alleged Victims and Other Children
2222 Case Activities Requiring 24 Hour Documentation
2231 Communication Between Stages When New Intake Involves Same Principal
2232 When to Notify Children Advocacy Centers About Reports of Abuse or Neglect
2233 Making a Referral to the Forensic Assessment Center Network
2233.1 When and When Not to Make a Referral to FACN
2233.2 Specialty Consultations
2233.3 Documenting Results from FACN Consultations
2233.4 Requesting an Extension While Awaiting FACN Response
2233.5 Removing a Child Based on FACN Consult
2234 Preliminary Investigation of an Anonymous Report
2240 Interviewing, Examining, Transporting, and Removing a Child
2241 Constitutional Protections Under the Fourth Amendment
2242.11 Determining Whether a Child Has the Capacity to Consent
2242.5 Documenting Consent and Actions Taken Based on Exigent Circumstances
2243.1 Consent to Enter the Home
2243.11 Who Has the Authority to Give Consent to Enter the Home
2243.12 Consent Provided by an Adult Resident of the Home
2244.1 Time Frames for Interviewing Children
2244.2 Interviewing Children Outside of the Home Where Abuse or Neglect is Alleged
2244.3 Consent to Interview a Child
2244.31 Consent to Interview a Child at Home
2244.32 Consent to Interview a Child at School
2244.4 Conducting the Interview
2244.41 Assessing Communication Needs when Interviewing a Child
2244.5 Notifying a Parent that a Child Has Been Interviewed
2244.6 Interviews with Children at Specialized Facilities
2244.7 Accepting Child Interviews Conducted by Others
2244.8 Interviews with a Child Who Is Alleged to Be a Victim and a Perpetrator
2245.1 Consent for Visual Examination of a Child
2245.2 Consent for Visual Examination of a Child at School
2245.21 Visual Examination of a Child at a School Under TEA Jurisdiction
2245.22 Visual Examinations of a Child at a School Not Under TEA Jurisdiction
2245.3 Conducting a Visual Examination
2245.31 Photographs of a Child
2245.4 Audio or Video Recording of a Child’s Interview
2245.5 Examinations by External Entities
2245.51 Sexual Abuse Examinations
2245.52 Medical, Psychological, and Psychiatric Assessments
2246.1 Authority to Transport a Child From School
2246.2 Transporting a Child in Other Circumstances
2246.3 Notifying the Parents Before Transporting a Child
2247 Removing a Child from the Child’s Home
2248.11 Required Notification of Rights
2248.13 Assessing Communication Needs When Interviewing an Adult
2248.2 Recording Interviews of an Adult
2248.3 Notice of Right to Record an Alleged Perpetrator’s Interview
2248.4 Obtaining Demographic Information from Principals
2248.5 Determining the Alleged Perpetrator’s Military Status
2249 Courtesy Requests and Transfer Requests
2260 Adding Additional Information to an Open Investigation
2270 Completing the Safety and Risk Assessment Tools
2271 Completing Safety Assessment Tool
2271.1 Time Frames for Completing a Safety Assessment Tool
2271.3 Safety Assessment Discussion Box
2272 Completing Risk Assessment Tool
2272.1 Time Frames for Completing the Risk Assessment Tool
2273 Supervisor Review of Case Actions and Safety Decisions
2274 Assessment of Ongoing Child Safety
2281 Reaching Dispositions for the Allegations
2281.6 Entering the Date of the Alleged Abuse or Neglect on the Allegation Detail Page
2282 Referral to Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)
2290 Submitting Investigations
2291 Submitting an Investigation for Closure
2291.2 Unable to Complete, Family Moved/Cannot Locate
2291.3 All Other Recommended Actions
2291.4 Need for Ongoing Services
2292 Action on a Submitted Investigation
2292.1 Roles of the Child Safety Specialist, Supervisor, and Program Director
2292.2 Child Safety Specialist Approval Required on Child Fatalities
2292.3 Required Documentation When Requesting Legal Orders
2292.4 Reopening a Closed Investigation
2292.5 Required Notification When Changes Are Made to a Closed Investigation
2293 Notifying Clients of Investigation Findings
2293.1 Exceptions to Notifying Clients of Investigation Findings
2294 Investigation Recommended Actions at Closure
2300 Special Circumstances for Investigations
2310 Criteria for Administrative Closure of an Investigation
2312 ADMIN – Refute the Allegations
2314 ADMIN – Already Investigated
2315 ADMIN – Investigation Is Longer Than 60 Days
2321 Criteria for a School Investigation
2322 Actions Required before Starting a School Investigation
2323 Actions Required during a School Investigation
2324 Schools Not Under the Jurisdiction of the Texas Education Agency (TEA)
2325 Danger to a Child during a School Investigation
2326 Completion and Closure of a School Investigation
2327 Release of the School Investigation Report
2331 Case-Related Special Request (CRSR) Child Fatality
2332 Actions in the First 24 Hours
2333 Notifications of a Child Fatality
2333.1 Notifying Law Enforcement about a Child Fatality
2333.2 Notifying the Medical Examiner or Justice of the Peace of a Child Fatality
2333.3 Notifications within DFPS
2333.31 Notifications in Specialized Cases
2334 Documenting the Final Medical Examiner’s Findings
2335 Requesting an Extension Due to Pending Autopsy or Criminal Investigation Results
2336 Releasing Information about an Investigation into the Death of a Child
2340 OAG Address Confidentiality
2350 Abandoned or Missing Child
2352 When a Child is Abandoned at a DADS Facility
2353 Taking Possession of a Missing Child
2354 Providing Assistance to TJJD about Non-CPS Youth
2361 Child Under the Age of 11 With a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD)
2363 Prenatal Substance Exposure
2363.1 Prenatal Substance Exposure Definition
2363.2 Disposition for Physical Abuse
2363.3 Disposition for Neglectful Supervision
2364 Dispositions Involving Emotional Abuse
2370 Jurisdiction in Certain Situations
2372 Out-of-State Abuse or Neglect Incidents
2372.1 Handling Requests for Taking Legal Custody of Children Who Are Out of State
2373 Custody Order or Abduction Suit Involving a Foreign Country
2374 Children in DFPS Conservatorship in Certain Types of Placements
2374.1 Child in DFPS Conservatorship Lives in a Home and Community-based Services (HCS) Home
2374.2 Child in DFPS Conservatorship Lives in an Unlicensed Kinship Placement
2380 Child Trafficking (Sex and Labor Trafficking) Investigations
2381 Informing Special Investigations of Child Sex or Labor Trafficking
2382 Informing Law Enforcement of Child Sex or Labor Trafficking
2383 Confirmed and Suspected Victims of Child Sex or Labor Trafficking
2391 Assessing the Parent or Legal Guardian’s Access to Mental Health Services
2392 Determining Residential Treatment Center (RTC) Bed Project Eligibility
2393 Assessing for Joint Managing Conservatorship (JMC)
2394 Documenting the Discussion of Joint Managing Conservatorship (JMC)
2395 Dispositioning Allegations Related to Children with Severe Emotional Disturbance
2396 Relinquishment of Custody Question on Allegation Detail Page
2397 Providing Crisis Services during the Referral Process
2410 Process for Concurrent Stages – Referring a Case to Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS)
2411 Role of the Referring Caseworker
2412 Role of the Referring Supervisor
2413 Concurrent Stages Process
2414 Court-Ordered Participation in FBSS
2610 Eligibility for Alternative Response
2611 Intakes or Cases Ineligible for Alternative Response (AR)
2611.1 Intakes Ineligible for Alternative Response
2611.2 Criteria for Routing a Case to Traditional Investigation
2612 New Intakes on an Open Alternative Response Case
2612.1 If the New Intake Meets Alternative Response Criteria
2612.2 If the New Intake Does Not Meet Alternative Response Criteria
2612.4 Determining Whether Family Contact Needs to be Made on a New Intake
2621 Documentation and Contact Entry
2621.1 Same Day Contact Entry with Children
2621.2 Case Activities Requiring 24 Hour Documentation
2621.3 All Other Documentation
2622.2 First Face-to-Face Contact
2622.4 Notifying and Making Face-to-Face Contact with an Involved Parent
2622.5 Family Member Not Present
2622.6 Family Refuses to Participate
2622.9 Determining Military Status
2623.11 Required Notification of Rights to A Parent or Legal Guardian
2623.12 Audio and Video Recordings in an AR Case
2623.2 Contact with Collaterals
2624.1 Completing the Safety Assessment Tool
2624.2 Time Frames for Completing a Safety Assessment Tool
2624.4 Safety Assessment Discussion Box
2625 Completing the Risk Assessment Tool
2625.1 Time Frames for Completing the Risk Assessment Tool
2626 Supervisor Review of Case Actions and Safety Decisions
2627 Alternative Response Family Agreement Plan
2627.1 Completing the Family Agreement Plan
2627.2 Documenting the Family Agreement Plan in IMPACT
2630 Stage Progressing an AR Case to Traditional Investigation
2631 When an AR Case Must be Progressed to Traditional Investigation
2632 When an AR Case May be Progressed to Traditional Investigation
2633 Approval for Transferring a Case to Traditional Investigations
2634 Stage Progression Time Frames
2635 Referring a Case to Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS)
2636 Legal Orders to Participate in Services
2637 Parent or Caregiver Request for Reassignment
2642 When Not to Allow Extension
2643 Closure Time Frames for Cases with Extension
2653 Action on a Submitted AR Case
2654 Alternative Response Case Closure Notifications
2654.1 Exceptions to Providing Case Closure Notifications
2656 Submitting an Alternative Response Case for Administrative Closure
2656.1 Close – ADMIN – Anonymous Report
2656.2 Close – ADMIN – Refuting the Allegations
2656.3 Close – ADMIN – Lacks Authority