Handbook Revision, January 2, 2024
These revisions of the Child Protective Services Handbook were published on January 2, 2024.
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
Initial and Ongoing Caseworker Activities (PATS 14062)
As part of ongoing kinship strategies, efforts to address children awaiting placement (aka CWOP) and diligent search clarifications, CPS Handbook sections 6123 through 6125 were updated. This is one part of the overall diligent search and kinship updates.
Overview of changes:
- Heading title for 6120 changed to be accurate with the section.
- Due diligence requirements for first 30 days after removal was cut from section 6123, because 6123 must only provide notice of conservatorship.
- Due diligence requirements are now in their own new section, 6124.
- Clarifies that due diligence efforts, per policy section 3222, use the search results from using Form 2277 Request for Diligent Search.
- New section 6125 changes continued efforts to find family from a best practice to a policy.
- States that if a new FINDRS search is necessary, staff use Form 2004 Request for “Quick Find” Records Search.
- Section 6124, regarding conferences and supervision, was renumbered as 6126. No content changed.
What exactly constitutes “continued monthly efforts to locate and identify a child's family” is still undecided. Clarification and guidance for this is not in the CPS handbook; It will instead live as “Meeting in a Box” (MIAB) guidance, as well as any training curriculum and resource guides that are updated as a result of policy changes.
See:
6120 Initial and Ongoing Caseworker Activities
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6123 Ongoing Duty to Provide Notice of DFPS Conservatorship
6124 Due Diligence Efforts to Identify and Locate Family
6125 Ongoing Efforts to Identify and Locate Family
6126 6124 Case Conference and Supportive Supervision in CVS, Local Permanency, and Kinship
Child Protective Investigations Revisions
Prenatal Substance Exposure (PATS 13701)
This handbook revision updates policy on dispositions involving prenatal substance exposure. This includes removing a reference to “substantial risk of immediate harm” and replacing it with “immediate danger,” which is a change necessary to align policy with House Bill 567, 87th Texas Legislature, Regular Session.
See:
2363 Dispositions Involving Drug or Alcohol Pre-Natal Exposure Prenatal Substance Exposure
2363.1 Prenatal Substance Exposure Definition
2363.2 Disposition for Physical Abuse
2363.3 Disposition for Neglectful Supervision
Substance Use (PATS 13917)
This revision updates policy to align with current practice and protocols and to reflect language currently used by medical and substance use professionals.
See:
1900 Substance Use
1910 Drug Testing Considerations Tools and Resources to Address Substance Use
1911 Guiding Principle for Drug Testing
1912 Definitions Related to Substance Use
1912.1 1911 Drug Screen
1912.2 1912 Drug Test and Time Frame
1912.3 1913 Screening Tools (Forms)
1913 1920 Factors to Consider to Identify Identifying Possible Substance Use
1930 Drug Testing
1914 1931 Requirements for Requesting a Drug Test
1914.1 Infectious Client
1920 1932 Eligibility for Drug Testing
1921 1932.1 Client Eligible Eligibility for Drug Testing by DFPS or a Contracted Lab
1922 1932.2 Client Ineligible for Drug Testing by DFPS or a Contracted Lab Results from External Entities
1923 1933 Frequency of Drug Testing
1930 Drug Testing Results and Exceptions
1931 1934 Time Frames for Checking Drug Test Results
1932 1935 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 1936 Refusal to Test
1940 Prescription Medication
1950 Authorization for Drug Testing and Services for Substance Use Disorders Services
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
1962.1 Safety during Home Visits 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 1971 Referral to Outreach, Screening, Assessment, and Referral (OSAR) Center
1971.2 1972 Direct Referral to Treatment Provider
1971.3 1973 Referral Forms for Referral to for Substance Use Services
1971.4 Purchase of Treatment Services for Substance Use Disorders for Eligible Clients
1971.41 Changes to an Existing Contract
1972 1974 Resources When Treatment Is Not Recommended
1973 1975 Resources When Treatment Is Unavailable or Difficult to Access
1980 Casework and Substance Use
1981 Substance Use Affecting a Parent-Child Visit or Family Group Decision-Making (FGDM) Conference
1982 Recovery, Relapse, and Long-Term Planning
1982.1 Indicators of Progress in Recovery
1982.2 Relapse Safety Plan