2000 Reports
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
This chapter addresses reports that SWI creates based on information received from the reporter.
2100 Reporters
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
A reporter is anyone who contacts SWI by phone, internet, mail, fax, or walk-in. Reporters typically contact SWI to:
- Report a concern of abuse, neglect, or exploitation about:
- A child.
- An adult with a disability.
- An adult at least 65 years old.
- Provide additional information about a previously made report.
2110 Information about the Reporter
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
For each reporter who calls SWI, the intake specialist gathers and documents the following information:
- First and last name.
- Relationship to or interest in (Rel/Int) the person he or she is concerned about.
- Address and address type.
- Phone number and phone type.
- Secondary phone number and phone type.
- Basis of knowledge. The reporter’s basis of knowledge is how, when, and from whom the reporter learned the information he or she is reporting.
- How – Did the reporter observe it, speak directly to someone, hear it from someone, read it in a record?
- When – Did the reporter go in the home over a year ago, two days ago, a week ago?
- From Whom – Did the reporter speak to the child, a family member? another third party and, if so, who?
The intake specialist gathers and documents a basis of knowledge for each reporter in the reporter Person Notes, unless the reporter’s relationship or interest (Rel/Int) designation is Self. The intake specialist documents any other confidential details in the reporter Person Notes and keeps the reporter’s identity confidential in the narrative.
The intake specialist asks for the reporter’s name, address, and phone number at the beginning of the call, in case the call disconnects.
Secondary Phone Numbers
An after-hours secondary phone number is essential for all reporters, except anonymous reporters. Many reporters work various shifts and may be difficult to reach during business hours. Screeners and investigators may need to contact reporters outside of regular business hours to avoid delaying the initiation of an investigation.
The intake specialist does the following:
- Asks “What is an after-hours number for you?”
- Reminds the reporter that the reporter’s identity is confidential, if the reporter is hesitant to provide an after-hours number,
- Tells the reporter it is important for the investigator to be able to make contact.
The intake specialist does not ask the reporter, “Would you like to provide a second or after-hours phone number?” or present that providing an after-hours phone number is optional.
Supporting Materials and Documentation
A reporter may indicate that he or she has materials such as websites, pictures, emails, texts, videos, letters, or social media posts that he or she would like to include with the report. SWI cannot accept supporting materials or documentation, but can document website names, email addresses, and social media names.
If the reporter indicates that this material is available, the intake specialist documents the existence and availability of this information in the reporter’s Person Notes. See 2470 Social Media Searches.
Notes about the Reporter Interaction
Sometimes the intake specialist has concerns about the reporter interaction, because the reporter:
- Has concerns about his or her safety.
- Gives contradictory information.
- Makes derogatory statements, reveals bias, or behaves in a concerning manner.
When this happens, the intake specialist documents what the reporter said or did in the reporter’s Person Notes. The intake specialist only documents facts. It is not appropriate for the intake specialist to document personal opinions in the report in either the Person Notes or the narrative.
2111 Caller ID
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Intake specialists’ phones are equipped with caller ID. When an intake specialist answers a call, the reporter’s phone number appears on a screen on the phone.
The intake specialist may only use the phone number from the caller ID when:
- The situation is life-threatening.
- The reporter is not anonymous, and he or she requests its use to obtain his or her phone number.
The intake specialist is not permitted to use caller ID when:
- The call disconnects before the reporter provides a phone number.
- The intake specialist forgets to ask for the reporter’s phone number during the call.
- The reporter chooses to remain anonymous.
When a reporter asks whether SWI has caller ID, the intake specialist tells the reporter that SWI does have caller ID, and that it may only be used in life-threatening situations or when the reporter requests it to obtain his or her phone number.
If the intake specialist notices that the phone number on the caller ID is different from the number the reporter gave, he or she may ask the reporter to repeat the number. If there is a difference between the two numbers, the intake specialist does not question the number given by the reporter. Some calls may be routed through a switchboard or have another reason for having a different number than that given by the reporter.
Using Caller ID in Life-Threatening Situations
In a life-threatening situation, an intake specialist uses all possible tools to locate a client or family, including information from the caller ID, regardless of whether the reporter has chosen to remain anonymous.
In these situations, the number on the caller ID may be shared with law enforcement and field staff.
These situations may include:
- A reporter who is suicidal or homicidal.
- A reporter who is making a bomb threat to any public or private establishment.
- A reporter indicates that a person is or has been severely abused or neglected, that person is in immediate danger or at risk of death, and all other attempts to locate the subject of the call are unsuccessful.
Intake specialists must get approval from a supervisor before documenting the caller ID information in a report.
2112 Speakerphone
The use of a speakerphone by a reporter is permissible. Intake specialists should not request that the reporter discontinue the use of a speakerphone unless the quality of the connection is so poor that it impedes the exchange of information.
2120 Types of Reporters
SWI Policy and Procedures January 2023
Intake specialists follow additional requirements when handling reports from certain types of reporters, as described in the following sections:
2123 Chronic Reporters (Chronic Callers)
2124 Offensive or Inappropriate Reporter Behavior
2125 Suicidal Reporters (Callers)
2126 Reporters (and Principals) Who May Be Known to Intake Staff
2127 Reporters Who Decline an Interpreter
2128 Reporters Who Are Children
2131 DFPS, CCR, PI, and SSCC Reporters
2121 Professional Reporters
SWI Policy and Procedures February 2023
A professional reporter is anyone in certain fields of work who is making the report based on his or her training and expertise. These reporters include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Medical facility staff
- Social workers
- School personnel
- Law enforcement (including fire marshals)
- Mental health professionals
- Officers of the court
- Day care providers
Employer and Job Title
For professional reporters, the intake specialist:
- Gathers their employer and job title.
- Documents that information in the reporter’s person notes.
Reporters Who Are Law Enforcement
For law enforcement reporters, the intake specialist:
- Gathers the law enforcement incident or report number associated with the reported situation.
- Documents this number in the narrative section.
2122 Anonymous Reporters
SWI Policy and Procedures September 2023
An anonymous reporter is someone who does not provide his or her first name, last name, and telephone number. An email address is not sufficient.
Exception: Staff from other hotlines, out-of-state protective services agencies, and law enforcement agencies are not considered anonymous if they provide a first or last name, a numeric worker identification number or badge number, and contact information.
When a reporter wants to remain anonymous, the intake specialist encourages the reporter to provide his or her information by explaining the following:
- SWI cannot accept anonymous reports of child abuse or neglect under CPI’s jurisdiction.
- DFPS employees are required by law to keep the reporter’s identity confidential. A DFPS employee may only reveal the reporter’s identity to the following:
- A judge.
- Law enforcement, in certain situations.
- Other entities that investigate abuse or neglect.
- Other people only when ordered by the court. See 1130 Confidentiality.
- The information allows field employees to contact the reporter if they need additional information.
- Anonymous reporters do not receive a report ID for their records. See 2142 Report ID.
If the reporter still chooses to remain anonymous, the intake specialist does not pressure the reporter to provide his or her name and contact information. The intake specialist:
- Selects Anonymous (AN) as the reporter’s relationship/interest (Rel/Int).
- Asks the reporter for his or her home or business address. If the reporter declines to provide an address, the intake specialist asks for the county from which he or she is calling (used for statistical purposes only).
- Asks the reporter if his or her concerns are for abuse or neglect of a child or for an adult who is elderly or disabled, and then does the following:
- If the concerns are for a child, asks if the abuse or neglect occurred in a child care facility or another type of facility, or if it was committed by a professional service provider. This allows the intake specialist to rule out reports under the jurisdiction of Child Care Regulation (CCR) or Provider Investigations (PI).
- If the report is under CPI’s jurisdiction, explains that CPI can only investigate anonymous reports of child abuse or neglect that are made to, and then referred to DFPS by, a local or state law enforcement agency. This includes reports of child abuse or neglect in which the alleged perpetrator is a person traditionally responsible for the child’s care, custody, or welfare, including school personnel or volunteers.
- Refers the reporter to the appropriate local or state law enforcement agency, provides the reporter with the agency’s contact information, when possible, and ends the interview. This is not a referral to 911 unless there is an emergency.
- Asks the reporter to provide the facts that caused him or her to believe the child was abused or neglected and his or her basis of knowledge, and documents the basis of knowledge in the reporter’s Person Notes. See 2110 Information about the Reporter
- Completes and closes the appropriate I&R type. For anonymous reports about child abuse or neglect under CPI’s jurisdiction, the intake specialist does not send an I&R to any agency unless the information is directly relevant to other information that is outside CPI’s jurisdiction and was sent to that agency or program. This includes law enforcement in or out of state, the Joint Crime Information Center (JCIC), or programs equivalent to CPI in other states or countries. See appropriate I&R types:
If a law enforcement officer calls SWI to refer information that an anonymous reporter provided to his or her agency, the intake specialist does the following:
- Asks the law enforcement officer for his or her basis of knowledge and clearly documents the source of information in the reporter’s Person Notes.
- Selects the law enforcement officer as the reporter.
- Completes the appropriate report according to standard procedures.
When an Anonymous Reporter Reveals Name, Phone Number, or Relationship
If an anonymous reporter reveals his or her first and last name and phone number, either deliberately or inadvertently, he or she is no longer considered anonymous. The intake specialist explains that the reporter cannot be anonymous because he or she revealed his or her name and phone number. The intake specialist documents the reporter’s name and phone number.
If an anonymous reporter’s relationship is disclosed, inadvertently revealed, or can be guessed from the information provided, the intake specialist documents that information in the reporter’s Person Notes. The reporter’s Rel/Int remains Anonymous (AN) if his or her first and last name and phone number have not been revealed. The intake specialist completes the appropriate report according to standard procedures involving an anonymous reporter.
2122.1 Anonymous Reporter Includes Concerns about Child Abuse or Neglect under CPI’s Jurisdiction While Making a Report for Law Enforcement or Another Program
SWI Policy and Procedures September 2023
An anonymous reporter may reveal information about child abuse or neglect under CPI’s jurisdiction while making a report for another program or agency such as:
- Law enforcement
- A DFPS program other than CPI
- Child Care Regulation (CCR)
- Provider Investigations (PI)
In this situation, the intake specialist does the following:
- Encourages the reporter to provide the information required to be identified as a reporter. If the anonymous reporter declines to provide his or her information, the intake specialist does the following:
- Refers the reporter to the appropriate local or state law enforcement agency to make an anonymous report of child abuse or neglect.
- Provides the appropriate agency’s contact information, when possible.
- Explains that SWI can accept an anonymous report of child abuse or neglect only from a local or state law enforcement agency.
- Completes a report for information under the jurisdiction of the applicable law enforcement agency or the other DFPS program, CCR, or PI according to standard procedures. The intake specialist does not include any information about child abuse or neglect in the narrative unless it is directly relevant to the report for law enforcement, the other DFPS program, CCR, or PI. See 3171 Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law and 3171.1 When Not to Use the I&R Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law.
- Completes and closes an additional, appropriate I&R type if the information about child abuse or neglect is not directly relevant to the applicable agency or program. The intake specialist creates the I&R without the New Using function. The intake specialist does not send the I&R to any agency, including law enforcement in or out of state, the Joint Crime Information Center (JCIC), or programs equivalent to CPI in other states or countries. For appropriate I&R types, see 3150 Clearly Not Reportable, 3173 Matter Referred On and 3180 Refused to Report.
See 2122.2 Anonymous Reporter Reveals Enough Information to Find an Existing CPI Case
2122.2 Anonymous Reporter Reveals Enough Information to Find an Existing CPI Case
SWI Policy and Procedures September 2023
If an anonymous reporter reveals enough information to find an existing CPI case, the intake specialist does the following:
- Completes an I&R to Existing Case according to standard procedures for any information that does not meet the legal definition of abuse or neglect for CPI but may be relevant to the open CPI case.
- Completes and closes an I&R Refused to Report for any information that meets the legal definition of abuse or neglect for CPI, regardless of relevancy to the open case.
- Completes an I&R CVS Caseworker Notification according to standard procedures.
See:
3101 CVS Caseworker Notification
3121.3 When Not to Send an I&R to Existing CPS Case
2122.3 Anonymous Reports Received via Fax, Mail, or Email
SWI Policy and Procedures September 2023
When an intake specialist receives a report via mail, fax, or an email forwarded by an entity such as the Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) or Safety Central and the reporter is anonymous, the intake specialist first determines the reporter’s intent to remain anonymous. Reporters via fax, mail, and email are not asked to provide all information necessary to not be designated as anonymous as they are on phone calls and e-reports.
If the reporter provides enough identifying and contact information to determine with reasonable certainty that their intent was not to remain anonymous, the intake specialist completes a report according to standard procedures. This includes reports of child abuse or neglect under CPI’s jurisdiction. SWI screeners collect more information from the reporter, when necessary.
If the intake specialist determines that the reporter’s intent was to remain anonymous and the information includes child abuse or neglect under CPI’s jurisdiction, the intake specialist does the following:
- Completes a report for information under the jurisdiction of an applicable law enforcement agency, other DFPS program, CCR, or PI according to standard procedures. The intake specialist does not include any information about child abuse or neglect that is under CPI’s jurisdiction in the narrative unless it is directly relevant to the applicable law enforcement agency, the other DFPS program, CCR, or PI.
- Completes and closes the most appropriate I&R type for information about child abuse or neglect that is under CPI’s jurisdiction in addition to any other report. The intake specialist creates the I&R without the New Using function. The intake specialist does not send I&Rs regarding anonymous reports of child abuse or neglect to any agency, including law enforcement in or out of state, the Joint Crime Information Center (JCIC), or programs equivalent to CPI in other states or countries.
For more information about I&R types, see:
2122.4 E-Reports with Incomplete Reporter Information
SWI Policy and Procedures September 2023
The e-reporting system does not allow for anonymous reporting and prompts the reporter for required information, but the reporter fields are sometimes manipulated. If the reporter fields are incomplete (missing the reporter’s first name, last name, or telephone number), the reporter is considered anonymous.
When an intake specialist receives an e-report with incomplete reporter information, the intake specialist follows standard procedures in 2122 Anonymous Reporters. Exceptions for staff from other hotlines, out-of-state protectives services agencies, and law enforcement officers are also included in 2122 Anonymous Reporters.
2123 Chronic Reporters (Chronic Callers)
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
APS defines chronic callers as alleged victims who have established a pattern of self-reporting allegations of abuse, neglect, or exploitation that are frivolous or untrue.
Some reporters may call SWI repeatedly, but intake specialists handle reports differently only if from people identified by APS as chronic callers.
See 5650 Chronic Callers.
2124 Offensive or Inappropriate Reporter Behavior
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
Offensive or inappropriate reporter behavior includes, for example, the following:
- Excessive use of inappropriate language.
- Description of obscene actions, to an extent that is not necessary for reporting the allegations.
If a reporter’s behavior becomes offensive or inappropriate, the intake specialist responds professionally, redirecting the reporter back to details about possible abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
If the reporter’s behavior continues to be offensive or inappropriate, the intake specialist explains that he or she will disconnect the call if the behavior does not stop. The intake specialist can change this explanation to suit the specific situation as it occurs.
If the reporter’s behavior continues to be offensive or inappropriate, the intake specialist ends the call. If the intake specialist ends the call because the reporter’s behavior was offensive or inappropriate, he or she documents the reason for doing so in the reporter’s person notes.
The intake specialist assesses the information that the reporter provided for allegations of abuse, neglect, or exploitation and completes the report according to standard procedures.
2125 Suicidal Reporters (Callers)
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2024
If the caller is in a state hospital, the Rio Grande State Center (mental health component), or a private psychiatric facility that contracts with HHS, see 6770 Suicidal Callers in Certain Facilities.
When a caller appears to be suicidal, his or her immediate safety is the primary concern. Determining whether the situation meets the definitions of abuse, neglect, or exploitation is secondary.
Obtain Information from the Caller
The intake specialist does the following:
- Keeps talking with the caller and does not put the caller on hold.
- Builds rapport with the caller throughout the call.
- Obtains (or tries to obtain) the following information about the caller and the suicidal ideation:
- Name.
- Current location.
- Phone number.
- Phone number from caller ID. (See 2111 Caller ID.)
- Whether there is a plan.
- Whether there is a means to carry out the plan.
- Whether there is a time frame for the plan.
- Whether there are weapons available or nearby and, if so, what kind.
- Whether the caller is alone.
- Whether anyone is expected at the caller’s location.
Request a Welfare Check When There Is Any Locating Information, Including a Phone Number
The intake specialist and supervisor request a welfare check on the caller by completing the following steps:
- The intake specialist posts a message in the Floor Support channel to request help from a supervisor or worker V. If no supervisor or worker V is available, the intake specialist messages any available staff.
- The intake specialist gives the supervisor, worker V, or designee the information obtained about the caller and the suicidal ideation, including the phone number from caller ID, if available.
- The supervisor, worker V, or designee calls law enforcement and requests a welfare check.
- The supervisor, worker V, or designee gives law enforcement the information obtained about the caller and the suicidal ideation, including the phone number from caller ID, if available.
- The intake specialist confirms that law enforcement contacted the caller.
- The intake specialist ends the call.
Situations Where There Is No Locating Information or Law Enforcement Is Unable or Unwilling to Complete a Welfare Check
The intake specialist asks the caller’s permission to transfer the call to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It is available 24 hours a day.
Note: The current number to contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is 988. The previous number (1-800-273-8255) is still available, if needed.
If the caller agrees to the transfer, the intake specialist:
- Gives the caller the number for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for reference.
- Gives the caller the report ID (when appropriate) and the intake specialist’s name and worker ID.
- Begins the call transfer with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
- Tells the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline representative:
- The call is from the Texas Abuse Hotline.
- There is a caller who agrees to talk with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
- The intake specialist will transfer the caller to the representative.
- Completes the transfer.
If the caller declines the transfer, the intake specialist:
- Empathizes with the caller that his or her concerns are important.
- Offers the number to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. The caller may want it later.
- Tells the caller that without knowing his or her location or transferring the call to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, DFPS is unable to provide more help.
- Gives the caller the report ID (when appropriate) and the intake specialist’s name and worker ID.
- Tells the caller that the call will end.
- Ends the call.
Complete the Report
The intake specialist does the following:
- Assesses the information the caller gave for abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
- Completes the report according to standard procedures.
2126 Reporters (and Principals) Who May Be Known to Intake Staff
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
An intake specialist may answer a call or pull an e-report in which the intake specialist knows the reporter or principal(s).
- If the reporter is someone that the intake specialist knows personally and is calling or making an e-report in a professional capacity about someone the intake specialist does not know, then it is acceptable to handle the interview or review the e-report and process the report.
- If the reporter is calling about or making an e-report about a person the intake specialist knows personally, then it is not appropriate for the intake specialist to handle the interview or e-report. In order to avoid the appearance of impropriety, the intake specialist should speak with a supervisor and pass the report to someone else.
2127 Reporters Who Decline an Interpreter
SWI Policy and Procedures April 2021
If a reporter declines to use an interpreter from the interpreter service, the intake specialist contacts the floor support chat room to request assistance from a supervisor.
2128 Reporters Who Are Children
SWI Policy and Procedures January 2023
If an adult reporter wants to put a child (any person younger than age 18) on the phone, the intake specialist explains that it is preferable to obtain the information from an adult reporter and leave it for investigators to interview the child.
However, the intake specialist interviews the child if either of the following occurs:
- The adult reporter insists on putting the child on the phone.
- The child is the only person reporting.
Best practices for an interview with a child include the following:
- Use age-appropriate language.
- Use open-ended questions that require more than a yes or no (for example, ask, “What would you like to tell me today?”).
- Do not ask leading questions.
- Limit questions to only items needed for assessment (do not go into graphic detail).
- Keep it short.
- Use a soft tone of voice.
- Be extra patient and empathetic.
- Be flexible.
The intake specialist uses these best practices if the intake specialist interviews a child.
See 2843 Complaint from a Foster Youth about His or Her Placement.
2130 Whom to Designate as the Reporter
2131 DFPS, CCR, PI, and SSCC Reporters
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
How the intake specialist documents a reporter who works for DFPS, Child Care Regulation (CCR), Provider Investigations (PI), or a Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) depends on whether the reporter is:
- Reporting in a professional capacity.
- Reporting on behalf of someone else.
- Reporting as a personal witness or participant.
Reporting in a Professional Capacity
If the DFPS employee learned about the situation while performing professional duties, the intake specialist documents FPS Staff as the relationship or interest (Rel/Int), the employee’s business address, and the employee’s business phone number.
Child Care Regulation (CCR), Provider Investigations (PI),or Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) employees are also documented as FPS Staff for the (Rel/Int) designation.
See 2820 Assessing Reports Made by Field Staff.
Reporting on Behalf of Someone Else
If the employee did not personally observe or learn about the situation but is making a report for someone who is unwilling or unable to do so, the employee is the caller, and the person for whom they are calling is the reporter.
The intake specialist documents the following for the caller:
- Adds FPS Staff as the relationship or interest designation.
- Adds the employee’s business address.
- Lists the employee’s business phone number on the Report Information page.
- Adds person for whom the employee is calling to the person list.
- Designates that person as the reporter.
Reporting as a Personal Witness or Participant
If the employee was a witness to or participant in the situation, the intake specialist documents:
- Employee’s personal relationship or interest to the situation.
- An address.
- A phone number.
The employee can provide any address and phone number that he or she prefers.
If, during the interview, or while processing an e-report , mail or fax, it becomes evident that the employee might be a principal or family member, or has a personal relationship with the victim or the perpetrator, the intake specialist consults (staffs) with a supervisor to determine if it is a sensitive report.
If it becomes evident that the employee is an SWI employee making a report in which he or she would be a principal or a family member, the intake specialist immediately consults with an SWI program administrator, if available.
See 2837 Sensitive Report Involving an SWI Employee.
2132 Mail or Fax Reporters
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
The intake specialist completes the Fax or Mail Cover Sheet template (available on the Templates and Forms page of the DFPS intranet) for each mail or fax document processed and sends the completed template to SWI support staff.
When reviewing mail or faxes, it is important to distinguish between the sender and the reporter.
Identifying the Sender
The sender’s information may be located on the envelope (for reports received by mail) or on the fax cover sheet (for reports received by fax).
The sender might not be the same person as the reporter. For example, the sender may be a field staff member who is forwarding information that the local office received from a member of the public.
When the sender is not the reporter, the intake specialist documents who sent the report to SWI in the reporter’s person notes. For example, “OCA staff faxed the report to SWI.”
Identifying the Reporter
The intake specialist reviews the mail or fax to determine the identity of the reporter. This information may be found in the “Notes” section of the fax cover sheet or in the body of the mail or fax.
Email or Email Chain
SWI sometimes receives emails or email chains by fax. This type of fax typically occurs when a reporter emails information to field staff instead of contacting SWI. After a field staff member receives the email, he or she faxes the report to SWI. These faxes include a cover sheet and a copy of the email. The email contains details about the person who sent the report information to the field staff. That person is the reporter.
2133 E-Report Reporters
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
Reporters can make reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation online through the DFPS public website. A report made by this method is called an e-report.
There are two important numbers associated with each e-report, as follows:
- Confirmation number: Upon initial submission of an e-report, the reporter receives an email with a case-sensitive six-character alphanumeric confirmation number. This number is the only identification of the e-report until SWI completes the report.
- Report ID number: Once an intake specialist completes the report, the reporter receives another email. This second email includes the report ID number and a statement indicating whether or not the report was recommended for investigation.
Typically, the information entered in the Reporter Information section of the form belongs to the person who submitted the e-report. The intake specialist uses information in the report to determine whether the relationship or interest designation (Rel/Int) is correct. The intake specialist documents any discrepancies or other relevant information in the person notes.
The intake specialist also determines whether a DFPS, Provider Investigations, Child Care Regulation, or single source continuum contractor (SSCC) employee is reporting in a professional capacity. If so, the intake specialist makes sure that the Rel/Int is FPS Staff.
2134 Walk-In Reporters
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
People who visit SWI in person to make a report are directed to a phone in the outer lobby. He or she may use that phone to call the toll-free hotline and report concerns.
2135 Multiple Reporters
SWI Policy and Procedures September 2023
Sometimes, a report may involve more than one reporter. The intake specialist uses the following table to determine how to designate each reporter.
| If: |
Then: |
|---|---|
Two callers are participating in the same call to report information. |
Each caller is a reporter. |
Two callers are participating in the same call to report information. One caller identifies himself or herself, but the other caller remains anonymous. |
Only the identified caller is a reporter.
|
One caller, professional or otherwise, reports information received from someone else. |
Only the caller who spoke with the intake specialist is a reporter. |
A professional caller reports information for a group of people. |
Only the professional caller who spoke with the intake specialist is a reporter. |
A DFPS, CCR, or PI field employee reports information received from someone in the community that the field employee has independently corroborated while performing duties within their professional capacity. |
Only the field employee who spoke with the intake specialist is a reporter. |
A DFPS, CCR, or PI field employee reports information on behalf of someone in the community and has no direct knowledge or corroborating information. |
Only the person in the community who provided the information to the field employee is a reporter. Note: If the original source of the information is anonymous, follow the procedures in 2122 Anonymous Reporters. |
A DFPS, CCR, or PI field employee reports information that he or she witnessed or participated in. |
The field employee is the reporter. |
Law enforcement reports information received from someone in the community or that the law enforcement officer witnessed. |
Only the law enforcement officer is the reporter. |
One caller asks another person questions in the background and then tells the intake specialist the answers. |
Only the caller who spoke with the intake specialist is the reporter. Exception: If the person in the background is unable to communicate directly with the intake specialist, and the only reason the person on the phone is present is to facilitate the interview (for example, Relay Texas or a language interpreter), the reporter is the person in the background whose intent was to be the reporter. The intake specialist documents any interpreter services or facilitation in the reporter’s Person Notes, including the facilitator’s name, relationship, and ID number, if applicable. |
A mail or fax report names one writer, but another writer’s statement is attached. |
If the mail or fax provides names for both, each writer is a reporter. |
2140 Feedback to the Reporter
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The intake specialist provides the reporter with appropriate feedback throughout the call. Feedback may include:
- Explaining the call decision.
- Providing the report ID, when appropriate.
- Providing the intake specialist’s name and worker ID.
- Providing referrals, when appropriate.
- Recommending a law enforcement welfare check, when appropriate.
- Explaining how the field employee notifies reporters of investigation results, if asked.
2141 Call Decision
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
For each call, the intake specialist provides the reporter with a call decision. Though it is not necessary to go into detail, the reporter should have a clear understanding of what is happening with the information he or she provided.
The specific feedback depends on the type of report the intake specialist completes. The intake specialist uses the table below to decide which feedback is appropriate based on his or her assessment.
| If the report is: |
Then the intake specialist tells the reporter: |
|---|---|
P1–P4 Intake |
The information meets the definition of abuse or neglect, and he or she is sending a report to the local office recommending an investigation. |
PN Intake |
He or she is sending the report to the local office for review, and the local office will decide whether to open an investigation. |
I&R to an existing case |
The information does not meet the definition of abuse or neglect. However, if there is an open case, the information will be sent to the local office. |
|
The information does not meet the definition of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. However, he or she is sending this information to the local office for review by the appropriate staff. |
I&Rs Referred Elsewhere |
He or she is doing one of the following:
|
I&R Closed at SWI |
The information does not meet the definition of abuse or neglect, and he or she is not sending a report to the local office for investigation. |
Case-related Special Request (CRSR) |
He or she is sending the information as a request to the local office. |
If the intake specialist needs to consult with a supervisor to assess a report and the reporter is unable or unwilling to hold, the intake specialist tells the reporter that he or she is unable to provide a call decision.
See 2570 Consulting (Staffing).
Inappropriate Feedback
Intake specialists do not provide information about what actions the local office takes once it receives a report. Doing so can cause confusion or misunderstanding. The intake specialist explains only what he or she is doing with the information the reporter provided. The intake specialist does not provide the recommended priority or allegations to the reporter, as the local office may determine a different priority or additional allegations.
The intake specialist does not tell the reporter when the local office will respond to a report it receives or provide a time frame for response. Although field staff has specific time frames for a response, factors may affect these time frames. If a reporter asks, the intake specialist says that the local office determines when and how to proceed once it receives the report.
The intake specialist does not tell a reporter to call SWI back for status updates. The intake specialist may provide the reporter with the local office phone number.
See 2720 Reporter Requests to Speak to Field Staff.
2142 Report ID
SWI Policy and Procedures September 2023
The intake specialist gives the reporter a report ID number for each call only when the reporter provides a first and last name and telephone number.
If a reporter does not provide all required information, he or she is considered anonymous and cannot receive a report ID number. There are certain exceptions for staff from other hotlines, out-of-state protective services agencies, and law enforcement. See 2122 Anonymous Reporters.
The intake specialist may provide the report ID by phone or email. If the reporter is unable to document the report ID, the intake specialist offers to email it to the reporter. This is done by completing the email address field in the report. The email only contains the report ID number and no other details about the report.
2143 Intake Specialist Name and Worker ID
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The intake specialist provides his or her first name and worker ID (phone extension) to each reporter.
If the reporter asks why the intake specialist is not required to give his or her last name, the specialist explains that the worker ID is specific to the intake specialist. If a professional reporter who is not law enforcement requests the intake specialist’s last name, the intake specialist may provide it. However, if a law enforcement reporter requests the intake specialist’s last name, the intake specialist must provide it.
2144 Referrals
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The intake specialist may provide the reporter with referrals to other state or community agencies, or to pertinent organizations, when appropriate.
SWI maintains a list of frequently provided referrals on the DFPS intranet, Referrals for Callers.
2145 Law Enforcement Welfare Check
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
A welfare check occurs when law enforcement goes to a specific location to check on the safety or well-being of a person. People request welfare checks by calling law enforcement using 911 for emergencies or using the non-emergency number. In certain situations, intake specialists may suggest that a reporter contact local law enforcement to request a welfare check on a child, adult, or family.
When to Recommend a Welfare Check
A reporter can request a welfare check when any of the following occur:
- A situation is occurring at the time of the call.
- There is an immediate need for assistance.
- The life and safety of an individual are believed to be in danger, even if it is not life-threatening.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
- When children younger than 6 are home without supervision from a responsible teen or adult.
- When a person age 65 or older has not been seen or contacted recently, and no family members, caretakers, or other people are available to check on the person.
- When someone is sensitive to the heat, does not have air conditioning or fans, and the outside temperature is increasing.
If the reporter indicates he or she cannot or will not request a welfare check when one is appropriate, the intake specialist uses his or her professional judgment to decide whether he or she should request the welfare check.
When Not to Recommend a Welfare Check
The intake specialist does not recommend a welfare check when:
- It is more appropriate to explain why he or she is not recommending a report for investigation.
- The report does not support the need for immediate contact from the local office.
He or she does not refer a reporter to law enforcement as a means to “satisfy” the reporter and end the call.
A common example of when it is not appropriate to recommend a welfare check is when parents are engaged in a custody dispute, and child safety is not a concern.
2146 Notification about Investigation Results from the Local Office
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Reporters may ask what information or updates they will receive during an investigation, or after an investigation is complete.
Generally, the intake specialist explains that the following:
- Details of an investigation are confidential.
- SWI does not give information on investigation findings.
- Each program has policy about what information they share with reporters.
If a reporter asks when they will be notified of the results of the investigation, the table below provides information regarding each program’s policy.
| If the program is: |
Then: |
|---|---|
Child Protective Investigations (CPI) |
In most instances, CPI provides oral or written notification to the reporter about the investigation results. See the Child Protective Services Handbook, 2293 Notifying Clients of Investigation Findings. |
Child Care Investigations (CCI) and Child Care Regulation (CCR) |
Once the inspection or investigation is complete, CCI or CCR notifies the reporter of the outcome unless:
See the Child Protective Services Handbook, 2293.1 Exceptions to Notifying Clients of Investigation Findings. See the HHSC Child Care Licensing Handbook, 6633 Notifying the Reporter of Investigation Results. |
Adult Protective Services (APS) |
APS does not give the reporter case information unless he or she is otherwise entitled to records. APS only gives the reporter pertinent case information necessary to:
See the Adult Protective Services Handbook, 6123 Interviewing the Reporter. |
Provider Investigations |
Provider Investigations notifies the reporter within five business days of completing the investigation, stating the outcome of the investigation, and giving them information about the appeal process. See the Provider Investigations Handbook, 3520 Investigation Status Report and Report Provision. |
2147 Breach of Confidentiality
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The intake specialist does not confirm or deny that SWI received a report on a person or family, unless the intake specialist verifies a reporter’s information from a previous report. This includes discussion of any information only provided in the previous report. It is a breach of confidentiality to confirm or deny that a person or family is currently or has ever been involved with DFPS. The intake specialist may confirm involvement by DFPS to law enforcement only after verifying law enforcement’s employment.
The following is an example of what the intake specialist can say:
I cannot confirm or deny if this person has an open case. However, I can take the information from you and run a search through the system. If a match is found, I can forward the information to the local office.
Examples of what cannot be said:
- I found this person in the system, but I see that you were not the original reporter on this report.
- The previous report was made anonymously, so I am unable to verify you were the original reporter.
See:
2710 Subsequent Contact from Reporters
3422 Texas Law Enforcement Requests Case History
2150 Reporter Requests to Speak to a Specific Intake Specialist
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
When a reporter requests to speak to the intake specialist with whom he or she spoke previously, the intake specialist who receives the request determines whether it is acceptable to transfer the call to the original intake specialist.
Acceptable to Transfer
If the documentation and processing of the original call are not complete, the second intake specialist (the one who received the request) contacts the requested (original) intake specialist. If the requested intake specialist is available and agrees to accept the call, the second intake specialist transfers the call. The second intake specialist speaks to the requested intake specialist on the phone first, before completing the transfer. Not doing so is known as a cold transfer. Cold transfers are not acceptable.
If the original intake specialist agrees to accept the call, the second intake specialist completes an I&R Other Business Call. The original intake specialist completes the call and processes the information according to standard procedures.
Not Acceptable to Transfer
The second intake specialist does not transfer the call to the requested intake specialist when any of the following apply:
- The report is in Closed status in IMPACT.
- The report is no longer on the requested intake specialist’s workload.
- The report was submitted to the Supervisor Approval workload, but it is still on the requested intake specialist’s workload.
- The reporter was anonymous.
- The requested intake specialist is unavailable or unable to take the call.
- The requested intake specialist does not agree to take the call before the call is transferred (cold transfer).
In these situations, the second intake specialist completes the call and processes the information according to standard procedures.
2160 Calling Back a Reporter
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
Sometimes an intake specialist needs to call a reporter in order to complete a call. Reasons include:
- Accidental disconnection.
- Realization after the call that more information is needed.
The intake specialist does not need to obtain approval to call back a reporter and does not complete any additional I&Rs to document the call.
The intake specialist should not call a reporter back if it is believed that doing so could compromise the reporter’s confidentiality or place the reporter in danger. If the intake specialist does not reach the reporter, the intake specialist completes the report based on available information.
The intake specialist uses the following guidelines when calling back a reporter.
|
If: | Then the intake specialist tells the reporter: |
|---|---|
The reporter answers the phone. |
|
Someone other than the reporter answers the phone, and the actual reporter is available to come to the phone. |
When the reporter gets on the line, the intake specialist:
|
Someone other than the reporter answers the phone, and the reporter is not available to come to the phone. |
|
The person believed to be the reporter denies having called SWI. |
|
| The intake specialist reaches an answering machine or voicemail. |
|
2200 Person List
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
The intake specialist obtains and documents information about each principal (PRN) and collateral (COL) mentioned in the report.
The intake specialist organizes this information into a person list for the following:
- All intakes.
- All case-related special requests (CRSRs).
- Some information and referral (I&R) reports. See 3200 I&R Person List.
For intakes, the intake specialist documents collaterals. For CRSRs and I&Rs, collaterals are not required, but the intake specialist may choose to document them if the report mentions them. When collaterals are documented (in an intake, CRSR, or I&R), the intake specialist may place this documentation either on the person list or in the narrative.
For I&Rs, the intake specialist may place the person list in either the Person section or the Narrative section.
See:
Methods of Reporting
Phone
For reports received by phone, the intake specialist obtains and documents details about each person in the report. The specific information the intake specialist gathers and where he or she documents the information depends on the principal’s or collateral’s involvement in the report.
Mail or Fax
For reports received by mail or fax, the intake specialist reviews the mail or fax and makes a person list.
For a CPI intake, if the reporter does not document or identify (either on the person list or in the narrative) anyone who would be the parent or managing conservator (MC) of the alleged victim, the intake specialist creates an entry to represent this person. This entry is the case name.
E-Report
For e-reports, the intake specialist does the following:
- Reviews the information that was auto-populated in the person list.
- Corrects any errors.
- Validates addresses for all reporters and principals (PRN).
- Documents any discrepancies in the person notes.
- Reviews the narrative for any additional details about PRNs and documents those details in the person notes.
- Documents additional people who are relevant to the report on the person list if there is sufficient information about the person in the narrative.
For a CPI intake, if the reporter does not document or identify (either on the person list or in the narrative) anyone who would be the parent or managing conservator (MC) of the alleged victim, the intake specialist creates an entry to represent this person. This entry is the case name.
Information to Obtain about Each Person
For each principal (PRN), the following information is required:
- Name.
- Address.
- Phone number.
- Type (PRN).
- Role in the case (for example, alleged victim or alleged perpetrator).
- Relationship or interest (Rel/Int).
- Demographics (see 2270 Demographics).
- Race and ethnicity.
- Person notes, if applicable.
For each collateral (COL), the only required information is name and contact information.
If Required Information Is Unavailable
If the reporter submitted the report by mail, fax, or e-report and omitted some of the required information, the intake specialist does the following:
- Documents the required information that the reporter provided.
- For each piece of required information that is missing, leaves that information blank. (However, if the reporter leaves names blank in an e-report, IMPACT automatically generates Unknown 1, Unknown 2, and so forth.)
If the reporter makes the report by phone, the intake specialist does the following:
- Documents the required information.
- Requests each piece of required information that the reporter does not mention.
- For each piece of requested information that the reporter does not know or declines to provide, documents that it was requested.
If DFPS Staff Makes a Report
It is acceptable to request a principal’s person identification (PID) number from a reporter who is a DFPS staff member. The intake specialist verifies with this reporter that the information already documented for that PID remains correct. If any information has changed, the intake specialist updates the PID’s documentation with the new information.
2210 Names
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The intake specialist gathers and documents a first and last name for each principal (PRN) and collateral (COL).
See:
The intake specialist documents only full, legal names. These may include special characters such as spaces, hyphens, and apostrophes when they are part of the person’s legal name.
The intake specialist never documents the following as names on the person list:
- Initials or nicknames.
- Suffixes or titles.
- Names of facilities, hospitals, resources, building, and so on.
- Description of person (such as “baby boy”, relationships, or role descriptors (such as “unk”).
- Abbreviations documented by reporters in e-reports.
Instead, the intake specialist documents this information in the person notes.
If a person has more than one name, the intake specialist also documents the additional names in the person notes.
Documenting Partially Unknown Names
Sometimes, reporters may only have a partial name. If the reporter has only a first or last name for a person, the intake specialist documents only the part of the name known by the reporter.
Examples:
- The reporter knows that the oldest victim’s name is Destiny but does not know her last name. The intake specialist documents “Destiny” for the first name and does not document anything for the middle and last name.
- The reporter knows that the aunt’s name is Mrs. Smith but does not know her first name. The intake specialist documents “Smith” for the last name and does not document anything for the first and middle name.
Documenting Totally Unknown Names
If the reporter does not know a person’s name at all, but he or she can specifically identify the person by other means, the intake specialist:
- Does not document anything for the first, middle, or last name.
- Documents any available demographic information.
- Documents any available identifying information in the person notes field.
Example:
- The reporter knows that the oldest victim is 2 years old but does not know his name. The intake specialist documents “2” for the age and does not document anything for the first, middle, or last name.
When nothing is entered into any of the name fields of a person on the person list an “Unknown#” placeholder label is automatically assigned. For example, “Unknown 1,” Unknown 2, to separately identify each unknown person.
Documenting a Named Collateral (COL) with no Contact Information
If the reporter knows the name of a collateral (COL) but does not have contact information, the intake specialist documents the name in the narrative only. The name is not entered on the person list.
2220 Addresses
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
The intake specialist gathers and documents an address for each principal (PRN). The address consists of the following:
- Street address
- Apartment or suite number (if applicable)
- City
- State
- ZIP code
The address ensures that field staff can locate a family or client. It is important to validate addresses while the reporter is on the phone. This allows the intake specialist to clarify with the reporter any address that does not validate in IMPACT.
If a reporter identifies that he or she lives at a state hospital or state-supported living center, then it is permissible to obtain the address from the State Hospitals and State-Supported Living Centers page on the DFPS intranet. The intake specialist still asks for and documents the name of the unit or dorm the client lives on.
See:
The intake specialist selects the address type as it relates to the person. For example:
- The reporter may work at a residential facility, in which case, the address type would be Business. The victim may live at that same address, but for the victim, the address type would be Fac Residence.
- The reporter may be a counselor at a school, in which case the address type would be Business. The victim may be a student at that same address, but for the victim, the address type would be School. Although it is preferable to document the student’s home address as the primary address, there may be occasions when the school address is the only one available.
The intake specialist documents any other available addresses.
Partial Address
A partial address may be one where the street address is incomplete or only the city or county is known.
When the intake specialist has only a partial street address, such as Hwy. 29, Apple Apts., or 24th & Cross, the information is documented in the Locating Information section of the narrative. A partial address is never entered into the address field on the Person List.
If the reporter provides only a city, a county, or both, the intake specialist documents that information in the City or County fields, as applicable.
Medicaid Address
The intake specialist never uses the address type Medicaid Card. Instead, the intake specialist uses another appropriate address type, such as Residence or Facility Residence.
2230 Phone Numbers
SWI Policy and Procedures December 2022
The intake specialist obtains and documents a phone number for each adult principal (PRN) and collateral (COL). Phone numbers ensure that field staff can contact a person, family, or adult victim. It is not necessary to obtain phone numbers for principals who are children.
See:
The intake specialist selects the phone type as it relates to the person. For example:
- The reporter provides a cell phone number for the mother, in which case the phone type would be Residence-cell. If the reporter also provides a phone number for where the mother works, then the phone type would be Business.
- The mother has a cell phone, in which case the phone type for her would be Residence-cell. The father may also use this cell phone, but for him, the phone type would Family/Relative, because it is not his personal phone.
The intake specialist also documents any additional phone numbers.
If a reporter identifies that he or she lives at a state hospital or state-supported living center, then it is permissible to obtain the phone number from the State Hospitals and State-Supported Living Centers page on the DFPS intranet.
2240 Types
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
The intake specialist identifies each person on the person list with an appropriate type. A person can be a principal (PRN) or collateral (COL).
2241 Principal (PRN)
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
In most cases, a principal is any person who has some involvement in the reported situation. Each program has specific requirements for determining whether a person should be a principal.
For intakes and CRSRs, the intake specialist documents principals in the Person section in IMPACT.
See:
2242 Collateral (COL)
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
A collateral is any person who can provide additional information about the reported situation.
The intake specialist attempts to obtain the name and contact information for at least one collateral for all intakes. He or she may document the collateral’s information in the Person section or the narrative in IMPACT. The intake specialist is not required to gather this information for CRSRs or information and referral (I&R) reports.
See:
2250 Roles
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
The intake specialist assigns each person on the person list a role according to the situation and the program involved. It is important to assign roles correctly, because field staff is unable to change an assigned role. This means that if a person is incorrectly associated with an allegation in the case record, the error cannot be corrected. Principals (PRN) may be assigned any of the following roles, depending upon the program:
- Alleged victim (VC)
- Alleged perpetrator (AP)
- Victim perpetrator (VP)
- Unknown (UK)
- No role (NO)
Collaterals (COL) are always assigned the role of No role (NO).
See:
2251 Alleged Victim (VC)
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
An alleged victim is a person who was reported to be abused, neglected, or exploited. Each program has specific requirements for who can be an alleged victim.
There must be at least one alleged victim on the person list for intakes, even if there is limited or no information about the identity of the alleged victim.
See:
2252 Alleged Perpetrator (AP)
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
An alleged perpetrator is a person reported to be responsible for the alleged abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Each program has specific requirements for who can be an alleged perpetrator.
When the identity of an alleged perpetrator is unknown, the intake specialist may or may not add the alleged perpetrator to the Person List, depending on the program.
SWI defines an alleged sex offender as any person 10 years old and above who is alleged to have sexually abused or sexually assaulted someone, whether the victim was a child or an adult. The alleged sex offender does not have to have a criminal conviction or be on the sex offender registry.
See:
2253 Alleged Victim Perpetrator
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
An alleged victim perpetrator is a person who is both an alleged victim and an alleged perpetrator. Only CPI and APS use this role.
2254 Unknown (UK)
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
A person is assigned the role of Unknown (UK) when there is not sufficient information to determine whether a person is an alleged victim or alleged perpetrator. Only Child Protective Investigations (CPI) and Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) use this role. CPI and RCCI have specific requirements for who can be assigned the Unknown (UK) role.
See:
2255 No Role (NO)
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
If the person clearly is not involved as an alleged victim, alleged perpetrator, or victim perpetrator, the intake specialist lists him or her as No Role (NO).
See:
2260 Relationship or Interest (Rel/Int)
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
The intake specialist identifies each person on the person list with a relationship or interest (Rel/Int) designation that best describes his or her relationship to the oldest victim, adult victim, or person of concern for all of the following:
- Intake
- Information and referral (I&R)
- Case-related special request (CRSR)
Any time intake specialists use a vague Rel/Int, such as Unrelated Household Member (UH), he or she documents an explanation of the relationship in the person notes or narrative.
See:
4130 Relationship/Interest (Rel/Int)
5230 Relationship or Interest (Rel/Int)
6230 Relationship or Interest (Rel/Int)
7230 Relationship or Interest (Rel/Int)
8230 Relationship or Interest (Rel/Int)
9230 Relationship or Interest (Rel/Int)
2270 Demographics
SWI Policy and Procedures February 2023
The intake specialist obtains and documents the following demographic information for each principal:
- Date of birth (DOB).
- Age or approximate age, if DOB is unknown.
- Date of death (DOD), when applicable.
- Gender.
- Marital status.
- Social Security number (SSN).
- Language.
The intake specialist does not gather this information for collaterals.
Date of Birth (DOB) and Age Fields
If the reporter is not able to provide a date of birth for a principal, the intake specialist requests an age, approximate age, or age range.
- If the report is for CPI, DCI, or RCCI, use the lower age of the range as the age.
- If the report is for APS or Provider Investigations, use the upper age of the range as the age.
The intake specialist also documents that the reporter could not provide the exact date of birth or age in the person notes and includes the age range provided.
Date of Death (DOD)
The intake specialist:
- Documents the deceased person on the person list only if he or she is pertinent to the report.
- Documents the date of death (DOD), if known.
See 5630 Death Caused by Abuse or Neglect.
Gender
The intake specialist selects the gender that is the person’s biological sex. When there is a discrepancy between the biological sex and the gender with which a person identifies, then the intake specialist documents the biological sex on the Person Detail page but clarifies in the narrative the gender with which the person identifies.
Language
It is important for the intake specialist to obtain a language spoken for each person and not make assumptions based on:
- A person’s name.
- The reporter’s language.
- The language of other family members.
When a person speaks a language other than English, the intake specialist asks if he or she needs an interpreter.
2280 Race and Ethnicity
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The intake specialist gathers and documents the race and ethnicity for each principal. He or she does not gather this information for collaterals.
2290 Person Notes
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The intake specialist documents the following additional information about a person in his or her person notes:
- Basis of knowledge.
- Place of employment.
- Work hours (days and times).
- Sources used for obtaining information about a person other than the reporter or case history.
- Conflicts between the information about a person provided by the reporter and information found in case history.
- Availability of supporting materials and documentation that may be pertinent to the report, such as internet links, pictures, emails, videos, letters, social media posts, and so on.
- Explanations of vague or unclear relationships.
The intake specialist does not document that information was obtained from a person record in case history.
2300 Narratives
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The narrative contains information the intake specialist gathered from the reporter about the situation. He or she documents a narrative for all intakes, all case-related special requests (CRSRs) and most information and referral (I&R) reports.
2310 Narrative Structure
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Intake specialists document narratives according to the Narrative Instructions document on the DFPS intranet. Consistent documentation ensures that intake specialists communicate information more effectively. These instructions explain what to document and how to organize the narrative based on the type of report completed.
The narrative has three sections:
- General Information/Description
- Conclusions
- Locating Information
2311 General Information/Description Section
SWI Policy and Procedures September 2023
The intake specialist documents relevant information obtained from the reporter about the situation in the General Information/Description section of the narrative. The intake specialist typically documents the following in this section:
- Open case history.
- Information about the people involved in the report.
- Information about special needs, medical conditions, or disabilities.
- Information about the allegations. Each program defines abuse, neglect, or exploitation differently, which means the information the intake specialist documents varies. However, for all programs, the intake specialist documents all information the reporter gives about each allegation.
- Other relevant information the reporter provides that does not pertain to any allegation.
- The intake specialist’s name and title.
- Consultation (staffing) information, as needed. See 2570 Consulting (Staffing).
- Call-out information, as needed. See 2686 Documenting the Call-Out.
Exception: When an anonymous reporter provides information about child abuse or neglect that is under CPI’s jurisdiction while reporting information for law enforcement, any other DFPS program, Child Care Regulation (CCR), or Provider Investigations (PI), the intake specialist does not include that information in the narrative unless it involves a safety concern relevant to the applicable law enforcement agency, the other DFPS program, CCR, or PI. See 2122.1 Anonymous Reporter Includes Concerns about Child Abuse or Neglect under CPI’s Jurisdiction While Making a Report for Law Enforcement or Another Program
If the reporter cannot provide answers to questions the intake specialist asks, the intake specialist documents what is not known to the reporter. This includes when reporters are unable to provide collaterals. This documentation verifies that the intake specialist conducted a thorough interview and helps field staff proceed efficiently. The intake specialist does not use generalized statements such as “No other information available” in the narrative.
For narrative documentation requirements for each program and report type, see Narrative Instructions.
2312 Conclusions Section
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The Conclusions section contains the program, allegations, and priority for intakes. It also contains the appropriate closed-case history. The intake specialist may also explain the assessment if necessary. For example, Unable to Complete (UTC) P1s, an assessment based on IMPACT history, or when the narrative does not support the assessment.
2313 Locating Information Section
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The Locating Information section contains any additional information to help locate the people involved in the report. This information may include:
- Directions to a home
- School information
- Day care information
- Employment information
- License plate information
2320 Clear and Professional Writing
SWI Policy and Procedures January 2022
Intake specialists write a clear and professional narrative. This eliminates confusion and ensures that critical information is effectively communicated. The intake specialist:
- Writes in complete sentences.
- Uses paragraphs.
- Uses proper grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
- Uses approved terms and abbreviations throughout the narrative. For a list of the approved abbreviations used in narratives, see the IMPACT and Narrative Abbreviations and Definitions page on the DFPS intranet.
- Refers to people in the same manner consistently throughout the narrative.
- Proofreads the narrative.
2330 Reporter’s Confidentiality in the Narrative
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Regardless of the reporter’s personal or professional involvement in a reported situation, an intake specialist always writes the narrative to protect the reporter’s identity. Someone reading the narrative should not be able to determine who reported the information. The reporter’s identity is confidential by state law. See 1130 Confidentiality.
The intake specialist can reduce the possibility that the narrative may reveal the reporter’s identity in different ways, such as:
- Writing the narrative in the third person to make it seem like an “outsider looking in” provided the details.
- Removing the terms “reporter” and “caller” from the narrative. It is understood that the reporter gave the information.
2340 Information from Previous Narratives
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The intake specialist does not copy text from narratives in any previous case history into the current narrative.
Exception: Intake specialists copy text from previous narratives when completing re-entries, Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL) reports, and Unable to Complete (UTC) reports.
See 2865 Completing a Re-Entry.
2350 Narratives for E-Reports
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
For e-reports, IMPACT automatically fills in the Narrative page with the questions from the e-report form and the responses that the reporter entered.
The intake specialist does not change the information entered or remove information that identifies the reporter. Exception: If the narrative contains a complaint about field staff from the public, and the report needs to go to the local office, the intake specialist removes certain information. See 2842.3 Completing the Report for the Complaint.
The intake specialist completes the narrative according to the Narrative Instructions on the SWI Intake Procedures page of the DFPS intranet.
Reports Written in a Language Other Than English
When a reporter submits an e-report in a language other than English, an intake specialist who is officially designated as proficient in reading the language completes the report. For all report types (intake, I&R, and CRSR), the intake specialist who completes the report documents a detailed summary in English in the conclusion section.
If an intake specialist pulls an e-report and is not proficient in reading the language, he or she contacts Floor Support. A floor support supervisor finds an intake specialist proficient in the needed language to complete the report. If SWI does not have an intake specialist proficient in the needed language, the supervisor follows the steps for written translation in the “Other” section of the Handle Floor Support Requests resource on the DFPS intranet.
2360 Narratives for Mail or Fax Reports
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
For mail or fax reports, the intake specialist documents a summary of the mail or fax in the narrative, according to the Narrative Instructions on the DFPS intranet.
Reports Written in a Language Other Than English
When a reporter submits a mail or fax report in a language other than English, a support staff member removes the mail or fax from the queue and sends a private chat to SWI Workforce Management (WFM) to locate an intake specialist who is officially designated as proficient in reading the language. That intake specialist then completes the report. For all report types (intake, I&R, and CRSR), the intake specialist who completes the report documents a detailed summary in English in the narrative section.
If SWI does not have an intake specialist proficient in the needed language, a support staff member does as follows:
- Completes a request for written translation by filling out Form 4101 Request for Translation Services. If SWI staff is unable to identify the language in which the report is written, it is acceptable to leave that item on the form blank.
- Obtains approval from a support or intake supervisor.
- Submits the form and the report that needs translation, either by email or through the portal, to MasterWord translation service.
Support staff holds the mail or fax until the translation is completed. Once the support mailbox receives the written translation, a support staff member sends a private chat to WFM to find an intake specialist to complete the report (using the English translation). Support staff sends the original report (the document that SWI received by mail or fax) to the local office. The local office receives the English translation through IMPACT.
2400 Searches
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The intake specialist performs several kinds of searches, depending on the information needed. He or she can use IMPACT to search for people, staff, case history, case events, and resources. He or she can also use other agency databases or the internet to find information needed to complete reports.
2410 IMPACT Person Searches
SWI Policy and Procedures February 2023
Intake specialists use person searches to determine whether a person in the current report has case history.
2411 Reports and Persons That Require Person Searches
SWI Policy and Procedures February 2023
Intakes and CRSRs
For intakes and case-related special requests (CRSRs), the intake specialist performs person searches on all principals, but not collaterals.
I&Rs
For information and referral (I&R) reports, the intake specialist performs person searches only for certain I&R types and on certain people. See 3310 Person Search.
Unknown Persons
For all reports that require person searches, if a principal is listed as “Unknown” on the person list, the intake specialist follows these guidelines:
- If the “Unknown” principal’s address is unknown, a person search is not required.
- If the “Unknown” principal’s address is known, a person search using the address is required. However, if there is more than one “Unknown” principal with the same address in the same report, the intake specialist performs a person search on only one of them.
2412 Person Search Results
SWI Policy and Procedures February 2023
The intake specialist views person search results and looks for a match to the person in the current report. The intake specialist compares names, dates of birth, addresses, social security numbers, and other information (if available) to determine whether the person in the current report already has a person identification number (PID or Person ID number) in IMPACT. A case history search may also be necessary.
Intakes and CRSRs
Relating (or relate) is the term for connecting a person in the current case to a matching person in case history.
If the current report is an intake or a CRSR and the intake specialist finds a match, he or she relates the person in the current report to the person already in IMPACT. The goal is for each person to have one unique Person ID number to make sure IMPACT contains an accurate history for each person in all reports.
I&Rs
If the current report is an I&R that requires a person search and the intake specialist finds a match, he or she copies the person’s case history and pastes it into the narrative in the current report if that I&R type requires pasting history. However, some I&R types only require a search to make sure there is no open case and to inform assessment, without pasting any history that is found. See 3320 Narrative.
The intake specialist does not relate persons if the current report is an I&R.
2413 Special Types of Matches from Person Searches
2413.1 If Match Is to a Staff Record
SWI Policy and Procedures February 2023
If a person is or was a DFPS staff member or contractor, the person’s staff record has a blue diamond icon next to the person’s name.
The intake specialist does not relate a person in the current report to a staff record in IMPACT. Instead, the intake specialist documents the following in the Person Notes in the current case:
- The fact that there is a match to a staff member.
- The Person ID number from the staff record.
2413.2 If Match Is Uncertain
SWI Policy and Procedures February 2023
The intake specialist does not relate persons if the match is not a clear match, based on names, dates of birth, addresses, social security numbers, or other information (if available). Instead, the intake specialist documents the following in the Person Notes in the current case:
- The fact that there is a possible match.
- The Person ID number that is a possible match.
If the intake specialist does not relate a person, then the intake specialist does not paste possible case history involving that person into the narrative.
2413.3 If Match Is Based on Household Composition from a Prior Case
SWI Policy and Procedures February 2023
The intake specialist does not use household information from a prior case if the reporter does not give any information about household members. If a name is found in a prior case, that does not mean the person is still in the home.
However, if the reporter provides enough identifying information for the intake specialist to be certain the persons in the current report and the persons from case history are the same, then the intake specialist does the following:
- Creates an unknown person on the person list in the current case for each identifiable person.
- Relates each of these people to the matching person in the prior case.
The intake specialist does not enter information obtained only from IMPACT (such as names or exact ages) on the IMPACT Person Detail page. The intake specialist only enters information provided by the reporter on the IMPACT Person Detail page.
Example: The reporter says there are six children, including two teen boys and one elementary-age girl. When the intake specialist searches the names or addresses from the reporter (for any of the parents or children), there is a possible match that indicates there are six children in the family, two are boys ages 14 and 16, and one is an 8-year-old girl. The mother’s name matches what the reporter provided. The intake specialist relates these three children and relates the mother.
2414 Potential Duplicates in Person Search Results (for Intakes and CRSRs)
SWI Policy and Procedures February 2023
A person can be related to only one Person ID (PID) in IMPACT. If the intake specialist finds multiple Person IDs that match the person he or she is searching for, then the intake specialist does the following:
- Marks the radio button of the oldest correct Person ID.
- Checks the Potential Duplicate box of any additional PIDs that match the same person.
- Relates the oldest correct Person ID (with the marked radio button) to the person in the current case.
When deciding whether to check a person search result as a potential duplicate, the intake specialist uses the same criteria as when deciding whether to relate. See:
2413 Special Types of Matches from Person Searches
If a potential duplicate exists but was not checked during the relate process, the intake specialist manually enters the Person ID number of the potential duplicate in the Potential Duplicates section on the related person’s Report Person Detail page in the current case.
2415 Corrections to Names, Contact Information, and Demographics after Relating
SWI Policy and Procedures February 2023
A person’s name is always attached to a Person ID number in IMPACT. His or her Person ID number appears in the first case and in any cases to which the first case is related.
When relating, the intake specialist decides which name, contact information, and demographic information to keep (from the reporter or from IMPACT history).
If the intake specialist relates a person, and then realizes that he or she made a mistake in the person’s name, contact information, or demographic information, he or she does the following:
- Unrelates the person.
- Corrects the mistake.
- Relates the person again.
If the intake specialist realizes that he or she related an incorrect person, he or she notifies a supervisor. Unrelating does not separate the information associated with the Person ID numbers that were related.
2420 IMPACT Case History Searches
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
For intakes and case-related special requests (CRSRs), the intake specialist searches for case history for each principal. For information and referral reports (I&R), the intake specialist searches for case history only for certain people. See 3310 Person Search.
After finding matches through a person search, the intake specialist reviews the case history to determine if it affects the assessment, special handling of the report, or both.
He or she also searches case history when Texas law enforcement, out-of-state agencies, or foreign agencies make appropriate requests for case history information.
See 3420 Requests for Case History.
2430 IMPACT Resource Searches
SWI Policy and Procedures July 2023
IMPACT resource searches can help determine which agency or program has investigational jurisdiction, the facility type, and the correct name or address of a resource.
The intake specialist can search the resource directory for information about facilities and operations including:
- Mental health facilities
- Facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities
- Residential child care operations
- Day care operations
- Home and Community Service (HCS) group homes
- Law enforcement agencies
- Service providers
- Schools
2440 IMPACT Staff Searches
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Staff searches provide additional details about employees and external staff, current and former.
The intake specialist most commonly uses staff searches to:
- Confirm the identity of staff requesting record checks.
- Find a phone number of an employee in specific circumstances.
- Find the name of a particular employee’s supervisor.
- Find the termination date for a particular employee.
2450 IMPACT Event Searches
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Event searches provide information about all events on a case or report. SWI staff typically performs event searches while doing re-entries or performing quality assurance.
2460 Internet Searches
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The intake specialist can use the internet to find details for a report.
Common examples include:
- Using Google or Bing to find an address.
- Using the Long-term Care Provider Search to determine the jurisdiction of a particular facility.
- Using the Texas Public Sex Offender Website (Registry) to determine whether someone is a sex offender.
He or she documents what information came from an internet search in the person notes.
2470 Social Media Searches
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
A reporter may indicate that information is on social media (for example, a Facebook page). The intake specialist should first ask the reporter for a description of the information. He or she completes this type of search only when the information necessary to assess or complete a report is unavailable through other means.
The intake specialist:
- Searches for the information without logging into his or her personal social media account. Generally, searching this way is successful only when the subject of the search has no privacy settings. Therefore, these searches may produce few viewable results.
- Views any posts that are open to public viewing. If the posts are not open to the public, the intake specialist does not sign in to his or her account to get the information.
- Documents the source of any information in the reporter’s person notes.
See the DFPS Human Resources Manual, Chapter 4, Employee Conduct (C. Social Media).
2480 Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS) Searches
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
TIERS is a statewide data system with information about people who applied for or are receiving state assistance, such as Temporary Assistance For Needy Families (TANF), food stamps, Medicaid, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
SWI uses TIERS to find names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and addresses when the information is vital to the report. The intake specialist requests TIERS searches when information that is necessary for the assessment or processing of a report is unavailable.
When a TIERS Search Is Necessary
Information such as ages, physical addresses, and nature and degree of disabilities may affect eligibility for services, investigative jurisdiction, risk assessment, ability to locate an alleged victim, and so on. For example:
- The reporter does not know the ages of the children in the home, and that information is necessary.
- The reporter knows that an adult, who was abused, is close to 65 but does not know the person’s exact age.
- The police find a person age 65 or older wandering alone. The person can give his or her name but not his or her address.
- The reporter has a post office box for a client or family but does not know the physical address or directions.
- The reporter does not know the client’s or family’s address.
The intake specialist requests a TIERS search to obtain locating information necessary to complete an intake for CPI, APS, and Provider Investigations.
TIERS searches add to report processing time, which is why their use is limited. An intake specialist who needs a TIERS search sends an instant message to SWI support staff.
2490 License Plate Searches
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
On occasion, the only information a reporter can provide is the license plate number of the vehicle in which he or she saw the child or client. If the intake specialist obtains a license plate number, he or she sends an instant message to SWI support staff to request a license plate search.
Results Found
If the search returns a result matching the license plate number, the intake specialist documents that information in the Locating Information section of the narrative. This information may include:
- Name of the person associated with the license plate number.
- Address associated with the license plate number.
- License plate number.
- Description of the vehicle.
The intake specialist documents the county where the incident occurred as the address for each principal. He or she also documents other available identifying or locating information from the reporter. For example, the reporter may have observed the gender or race/ethnicity of a person(s) involved.
The intake specialist assigns the report to the county where the incident occurred.
No Results Found
If the license plate search does not return results, the intake specialist assesses the report based on the available information.
2500 Assessment
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
The intake specialist assesses each report for abuse, neglect, or exploitation by applying the following:
- SWI and program-specific policy
- State statutes
- Applicable resources
- Professional judgment
Statements or conclusions made about a situation by a professional reporter are considered in the assessment, but the reporter’s opinion does not negate or override the intake specialist’s assessment.
2510 Report Types
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
A report is documentation of a contact in IMPACT that reflects the information provided by a reporter. The intake specialist assesses each report as one of the following types:
- Intake
- Case-Related Special Request (CRSR)
- Information and Referral (I&R)
Intake
An intake is a report that involves allegations of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Intake specialists use relevant state statutes, program policy, and program guidelines to determine the appropriate program, allegations, and priority for each intake.
Case-Related Special Request (CRSR)
A CRSR is a request for help that does not allege abuse, neglect, or exploitation; but does require some casework. The intake specialist only completes CRSRs for CPI and APS.
Information and Referral (I&R)
An I&R is a report that does not meet the definition of either an intake or a CRSR. These include:
- Supplemental reports sent to the local office.
- Reports sent to another program or agency.
- Reports that are documented and closed at SWI.
See 3000 Information and Referral (I&R) Reports.
2520 Programs
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Intake specialists assess reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation for all DFPS programs. The DFPS programs are:
- Adult Protective Services (APS)
- Child Protective Investigations (CPI)
- Child Care Investigations (CCI)
- Day Care Investigations (DCI)
- Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI)
Intake specialists also assess reports for some programs under the Health and Human Services Commission. These include reports of:
- Standards compliance issues in facilities licensed by Child Care Regulation (CCR)
- Day Care Regulation (DCR)
- Residential Child Care Regulation (RCCR)
- Abuse, neglect, or exploitation for Provider Investigations
- Client rights or facility administrative issues in a facility setting under the jurisdiction of Provider Investigations.
2530 Allegations
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
An allegation is an assertion that an alleged victim is in a state of, or at risk of, harm due to abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Each program has its own set of allegations of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
See:
2540 Determination Factors
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Determination factors are descriptive phrases that support the assessment of an intake. The intake specialist chooses the factors that are most appropriate to the reported situation for all intakes.
See the following resources on the DFPS intranet:
IMPACT Determination Factors - APS and PI
IMPACT Determination Factors - CPI, RCCI, and DCI
2550 Determination Descriptors
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Determination descriptors are phrases that reflect information frequently associated with a particular allegation. The intake specialist selects the descriptors that are most appropriate to the reported situation only for CPI, DCI, and RCCI intakes.
See IMPACT Determination Descriptors - CPI, RCCI, and DCI on the DFPS intranet.
2560 Priorities
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
Intake specialists classify intakes as a Priority 1, Priority 2, Priority 3, Priority 4, and Priority N (no priority), based on the immediacy of the risk and the severity of the possible harm to the victim. Not all programs use all of these priorities. Each program has its own definition of what situations constitute a particular priority, and each priority has its own time frame for a response by field staff.
See:
2570 Consulting (Staffing)
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Consulting (staffing) is a meeting between an intake specialist and a supervisor, acting supervisor, or worker V. An intake specialist consults (staff) to get help assessing reports.
Additionally, an intake specialist must consult (staff) with a supervisor or Worker V in the following situations:
- The intake specialist assesses the information to be sensitive. See 2830 Sensitive Reports.
- The intake specialist finds sensitive history when completing a case history search.
The intake specialist must consult (staff) with a supervisor, Worker V, or acting supervisor in any report involving the death of a child.
Exception: Intake specialists, who are also acting supervisors, are not required to consult (staff) in reports involving the death of a child.
The intake specialist initiates a consultation by calling the staffing queue. Intake supervisors, acting supervisor, and worker Vs monitor this queue.
Sometimes, a supervisor, worker V, or acting supervisor may not be available when a consultation is necessary. The intake specialist then consults (staffs) with the on-call supervisor. If that person is not available, the intake specialist consults (staffs) with the on-call program or division administrator.
Documenting a Consultation
The intake specialist documents a consultation in the narrative below his or her name and title, including the name and title of the person with whom he or she consults (staffs). For example, “Consulted (Staffed) with John Smith, Supervisor.”
If the intake specialist consults (staffs) with more than one supervisor, he or she only documents the name of the supervisor whose instructions were followed.
If the intake specialist consults (staffs) with a supervisor about only a specific aspect of a report, the intake specialist specifies the aspect discussed.
For example, “Consulted (staffed) with John Smith, Supervisor, for sensitive handling only.”
2600 Processing
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Intake specialists complete specific portions of a report or perform specific tasks to do the following:
- Track certain types of reports
- Route all reports (intakes, CRSR, and I&Rs)
- Notify law enforcement, when appropriate
- Alert field staff of reports requiring special handling or worker safety concerns.
Processing includes:
- Disaster relief codes
- Case names and In Regards To
- County
- Resource section
- Worker safety issues
- Special handling
- Law enforcement notification
- Call-outs and routing
2610 Disaster Relief Codes
SWI Policy and Procedures December 2022
The intake specialist uses disaster relief codes to track specific events. Some codes are ongoing, and others are introduced, then later removed, as the event occurs and resolves (such as hurricanes).
The ongoing codes are:
- Bank: This code tracks the number of reports SWI receives from financial institutions about concerns that include or are limited to exploitation and that intake specialists assess as an information and referral (I&R) report. SWI does not use this code for intakes or case-related special requests (CRSRs). See 5620 Reports from the Fraud Units of Financial Institutions.
- Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL): This code tracks the number of reports SWI receives from law enforcement about a person listed on the CSCAL. See 4612.2 CSCAL Discovered During Routine History Search.
- Unaccompanied Child Crossing Border (Unaccomp Child Xing Border): This code tracks the number of reports SWI receives in which a reporter mentions an unaccompanied alien child (UAC). See 4750 Investigational Jurisdiction of Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation of Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC).
- 911: This code tracks the number of times that SWI either recommends that a reporter contact 911 or contacts law enforcement on behalf of a reporter to respond to a situation requiring immediate attention. The intake specialist uses this code even when dialing another number (instead of 911) to contact law enforcement. Note: The intake specialist does not use this code when calling an officer at the scene at the request of the dispatcher. See 2125 Suicidal Reporters (Callers) and 2145 Law Enforcement Welfare Check.
If more than one disaster relief code applies to the report, the intake specialist uses the code that is most relevant to the current situation.
2620 Case Name and In Regards To
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
The intake specialist selects a case name for all intakes and case-related special requests (CRSRs). Each program has different guidelines for selecting the appropriate case name.
See:
The Case Name and In Regards To fields should match for intakes and CRSRs.
Information and referral (I&R) reports do not use case names. Instead, the intake specialist documents an In Regards To. Each I&R type has different guidelines for documenting the In Regards To.
See 3330 In Regards To.
2630 County
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The intake specialist assigns each intake and case-related special request (CRSR) a county so it routes to the correct location. IMPACT automatically assigns a county based on the case name, though the intake specialist can manually change it if needed.
Each program has different guidelines for determining to which county a report is sent. The intake specialist assigns a county only for some information and referral (I&R) reports.
2640 Resource Section
SWI Policy and Procedures December 2023
Intakes
The intake specialist enters details about a facility, foster home or operation in the Resource section. Only intakes for Day Care Investigations (DCI), Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI), and Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Provider Investigations (PI) use the Resource section in IMPACT.
Sometimes intake specialists cannot find the operation in IMPACT resources. This usually occurs with unregulated day cares or providers due to the following:
- There is limited information about the operation.
- The name of the operation is unknown.
- The operation is not in the resource directory.
The intake specialist manually enters any known operation information into the Resource section. At minimum, the intake specialist enters the name of the resource and selects a county. If the name of the operation is unknown, the intake specialist enters “Unknown” in the Resource Name field.
I&Rs
The intake specialist does not complete the Resource section when processing an I&R regarding a facility—Day Care Licensing (DCL) or Residential Child Care Licensing (RCCL) Standards Compliance, Referred to HHSC or AFC Client Rights/Fac Admn Issues. Instead, the intake specialist documents the facility’s information in the Narrative because the Resource section is not visible to the field. If the Resource section is used to complete the history search, the intake specialist deletes the entry before processing the I&R.
2650 Worker Safety Issues
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2022
A thorough interview includes assessing the safety and well-being of field staff, as well as the safety of victims. Intake specialists explore any potential worker safety issues during a call with a reporter if such issues arise. This does not mean that the intake specialist must ask about worker safety on every call. He or she only asks follow-up questions when there is an indication of potential worker safety issues.
Intake specialists consider all factors and use their judgment to determine if there is a worker safety issue. A principal or a collateral can pose a threat to worker safety. Awareness is key.
Documenting Worker Safety Issues
When an interview, e-report, or mail or fax report reveals potential threats to field staff, the intake specialist documents the concerns in the Worker Safety Issues Comments box and in the narrative.
For the information to display correctly, the intake specialist documents the concerns in the Worker Safety Issues Comments box in a specific manner. The intake specialist begins the documentation with the appropriate label from the list below, followed by an explanation of the threat. The explanation is brief, simple, and to the point.
Worker Safety Options and Examples
- Gang-related hazard: Explain the person’s affiliation or association with the gang, including the gang’s name.
- Weapons-related hazard: Explain how the weapons pose a threat to worker safety. For example, the family or client threatens family or visitors with weapons that are accessible, or a person is known to answer the door with a loaded weapon.
- Drug-related hazard: Explain how current or past drug presence threatens worker safety, such as a methamphetamine (meth) lab in or around the home.
- Threat, assault, or serious aggression: Explain how the person’s current or past aggressive or threatening behaviors pose a danger to a worker. For example, a person has a history of threatening, trapping, locking, or blocking field staff.
- Dangerous animal: Explain what makes the animal a threat to a worker, such as aggressive dogs who are likely to bite, or goats who are likely to head-butt visitors to the home or on the property.
- Purple paint (no trespassing): Purple-painted property fence and tree lines are “no trespassing” markers. Explain the location of purple markers and that workers need to take caution when approaching these properties.
- Mental health issue: Explain how the person’s past or current mental health issues pose a threat to a worker. For example, the client has delusions of persecution that result in aggressive behavior toward government officials. A mental health diagnosis alone does not indicate a worker safety issue.
- Hoarding or other housing hazard: Explain what makes the housing situation dangerous to a worker, such as:
- An accumulation of belongings that inhibits safe movement through the home.
- An infestation of rodents and potential airborne illness.
- An accumulation of books that threatens the structural integrity of the home.
- Raw sewage and fecal contamination inside the home.
- Possible infection: Explain what infectious disease the person has and any precautions a worker needs to take when around the person. This explanation could include Ebola, tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV, COVID-19, or any other potentially life-threatening, highly contagious disease.
When information is entered into the Worker Safety Issues Comments box, an alert appears on the case summary and field staff’s workload and is documented in a printed copy of the intake report. The purpose of the alert is to draw attention to worker safety issues.
2660 Special Handling
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Some situations require field staff to handle a report differently. SWI identifies these circumstances with one of the following special handling reasons:
- Active military
- Law enforcement
- Native Amer/Reserve
- OAG-ACP (Office of Attorney General – Address Confidentiality Program)
- Retired Military
- Suspected Manufacturing of Methamphetamines
- Sensitive Case
2661 Active Military
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
SWI uses the Active Military reason for special handling when a principal is active military or resides on a military installation.
The intake specialist obtains and documents the name of the service member, branch of the military, and duty location in the special handling comments.
2662 Law Enforcement
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
SWI uses the Law Enforcement reason for special handling when a principal works for the law enforcement agency responsible for investigating any crime related to the report.
The intake specialist documents the principal’s name and employer in the special handling comments.
CPI and CCI Intakes Involving a Principal Employed by Law Enforcement
If a principal in a CPI or CCI intake works for the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction to investigate, SWI does not complete a law enforcement notification. Instead, the intake specialist selects the “To be done locally” option for the law enforcement notification. Field staff is responsible for sending the notification.
I&R Involving Someone Employed by Law Enforcement
If a law enforcement official is in a report that is not sent to CPI, CCI, CCR, APS, or PI, and the appropriate agency to notify is his or her employer, the intake specialist does the following:
- Completes an I&R Matter Referred On.
- Selects Law Enforcement as the special handling reason.
- Consults (staffs) the call with a supervisor or worker V.
- Submits the information and referral (I&R) report to the Supervisor Approval workload. The staffing supervisor reviews the report and calls the law enforcement agency for processing instructions.
2663 Native American Reservation
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
SWI uses the Native American Reservation reason for special handling when any principal resides in a Native American Nation or the abuse or neglect occurred in a Native American Nation.
The intake specialist documents the name of the person who is of Native American descent and the name of the reservation in the special handling comments.
2664 OAG-ACP (Address Confidentiality Program)
SWI Policy and Procedures September 2023
SWI uses the OAG-ACP reason for special handling when a person involved in the report is a participant in the Texas Address Confidentiality Program (ACP). The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) administers the ACP for a victim of family violence, sexual assault or abuse, stalking, child abduction, or trafficking of persons.
If a reporter states that a person involved in the report is an ACP participant, the intake specialist designates the report as sensitive.
The intake specialist asks for the participant’s ACP number. The intake specialist follows the procedures for completing a report involving an ACP participant even if this number is unknown.
Documenting ACP Information
The intake specialist makes sure that the participant’s physical address remains confidential. The intake specialist does the following:
- Documents the ACP post office box (P.O. Box 12108 MC068, Austin, TX 78711-2108) as the primary Residence-Mail address for each ACP participant, regardless of where the participant lives in Texas. To document this in the address fields in IMPACT, the intake specialist:
- Enters “P.O. Box 12108 MC068” in the Address Line 1 field.
- Enters “Austin” as the city and “78711-2108” as the ZIP code.
- Selects the Validate button.
- Selects the Entered Address radio button.
- Selects Use Selected Address.
- Selects OAG-ACP as the special handling reason.
- Uses the special handling comments to document the name of the ACP participant, current physical addresses for the residence, school, and workplace of the participant or family, and any other locating information for the participant or family. The special handling comments are the only part of the report where the intake specialist documents the participant’s or family’s actual locating information.
- Designates the report as sensitive.
- Documents “OAG-ACP” and the name of the ACP participant or participants in the sensitive case comments.
- Consults (staffs) with a supervisor.
- Submits the report to the Supervisor Approval workload.
Handling Person Search Matches for ACP Participants
The intake specialist does not relate person search matches to ACP participants. Instead, the intake specialist documents the person ID (PID) number of the match in the participant’s person notes. He or she documents any relevant history in the narrative, following standard procedures.
2665 Retired Military
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
SWI uses the Retired Military reason for special handling when any principal is retired from the military. The intake specialist documents only the term "retired military" in the special handling comments.
2666 Suspected Manufacturing of Methamphetamines
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
SWI uses the Suspected Manufacturing of Methamphetamines reason for special handling when any household member is suspected of manufacturing methamphetamines in the home or surrounding area.
The intake specialist documents details about the concerns, such as the location of the manufacturing, in the special handling comments.
2667 Sensitive Case
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Some intakes, case-related special requests and information and referral reports may need to be designated as sensitive. The intake specialist uses the Sensitive Case checkbox in the Special Handling section to restrict access to such reports.
Checking the Sensitive Case box activates text prompts in the Comments box. The intake specialist documents requested information, as well as other information related to the report’s sensitivity. Prompts include the employee name, person ID, and relationship to the victim. If the prompts do not apply, the intake specialist deletes them and enters the relevant details.
2670 Law Enforcement Notification
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
SWI is responsible for notifying local law enforcement for all Child Protective Investigations (CPI), Day Care Investigations (DCI), and Residential Child Care Investigation (RCCI) intakes.
SWI also notifies law enforcement about situations that involve criminal activity that threatens the health or safety of a child or adult when it is not under DFPS, CCR, or PI jurisdiction. The intake specialist completes an I&R Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law, if the incident occurs in Texas, or an I&R Matter Referred On for incidents under the criminal jurisdiction of out-of-state law enforcement.
Exception: SWI does not complete the law enforcement notification for CPI, DCI, and RCCI intakes designated as sensitive, or when any of the principals work for the law enforcement agency with criminal jurisdiction to investigate.
SWI is not required to notify law enforcement of any subsequent contact regarding an existing case when that information does not rise to the level of abuse and neglect.
CPI, DCI, and RCCI are responsible for notifying law enforcement, when necessary, after the initial law enforcement notification by SWI.
Adult Protective Services (APS), Child Care Regulation (CCR), and Provider Investigations (PI) are responsible for notifying local law enforcement, when necessary.
See:
2834 Law Enforcement Notification for a Sensitive Report
3171 Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law.
2671 When the Location of the Abuse or Neglect Incident Is Known
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
Intake specialists ask the reporter where the abuse or neglect occurs and document that information in the narrative. The law enforcement agency in charge of the location of the abuse or neglect completes the criminal investigation for that report regardless of where the victim lives.
Depending on the type of report, IMPACT can calculate the law enforcement jurisdiction if the reporter provides the address for an incident in Texas.
For all intakes, the law enforcement jurisdiction defaults to the address for the person or resource selected as the Case Name. If the abuse or neglect occurs elsewhere, the intake specialist must add the law enforcement agency with criminal jurisdiction of where the abuse or neglect occurs and, if needed, remove the default agency.
If the incident occurs on a military installation, the military police department has criminal jurisdiction. The IMPACT law enforcement database contains military police departments in Texas.
If IMPACT is unable to calculate the local law enforcement jurisdiction, use the law enforcement mapping tool.
2672 When the Location of the Abuse or Neglect Incident Is Not Specific
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
The reporter may know only the general area where the abuse or neglect occurs. For example, the reporter may know the abuse or neglect occurs in Travis County, but not the exact address. The intake specialist then clarifies the law enforcement jurisdiction with the reporter. The intake specialist may ask the reporter the following questions:
- Does the abuse or neglect occur inside the city limits or outside the city limits?
- Which law enforcement agency responds to the area where the abuse or neglect occurs: police, sheriff, or constable?
After clarifying the law enforcement jurisdiction, the intake specialist manually searches for and selects the correct law enforcement agency.
2673 When the Location of the Abuse or Neglect Incident Is Unknown
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
If the reporter does not know where an incident occurred, the law enforcement agency that responds to the area where the child or person of concern resides is considered the agency with criminal jurisdiction. If the address is a post office box or rural route, and the reporter does not know whether the residence is inside city limits, the county sheriff’s office is considered the agency with criminal jurisdiction.
2674 Multiple Criminal Jurisdictions
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
If multiple incidents of abuse or neglect occur in more than one law enforcement agency’s criminal jurisdiction, the intake specialist adds as many agencies as necessary. IMPACT sends the law enforcement notification to each of those agencies if the agencies are in Texas.
2675 When the Location of the Abuse or Neglect Incident Is Out-of-State
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
When abuse or neglect occurs out-of-state and is part of a CPI, DCI, or RCCI intake, the intake specialist manually adds the out-of-state law enforcement agency with criminal jurisdiction. Out-of-state law enforcement agencies are not listed in IMPACT.
See the IMPACT User Guide on the DFPS intranet on the Technical Support page for instructions.
When incidents occur both out-of-state and in Texas, the intake specialist manually adds the out-of-state law enforcement agency and enters the Texas law enforcement jurisdiction.
If an out-of-state law enforcement notification is needed and not part of a CPI, DCI, or RCCI intake, see 3173 Matter Referred On.
2676 When the Abuse or Neglect Incident Involves Human Trafficking
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
For a CPI, DCI, or RCCI intake that involves any human trafficking, the intake specialist chooses both the local law enforcement agency with criminal jurisdiction (in Texas or out-of-state) and the Texas Department of Public Safety – Joint Crimes Information Center (JCIC) for notification.
For an I&R Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law, the intake specialist chooses both the local law enforcement agency in Texas with criminal jurisdiction and the Texas Department of Public Safety – Joint Crimes Information Center (JCIC) for notification.
If human trafficking occurs out-of-state, and it is not part of an intake, the intake specialist completes an I&R Matter Referred On and adds the out-of-state law enforcement agency and the Texas Department of Public Safety – Joint Crimes Information Center (JCIC) for notification.
2680 Call-Outs and Routing
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The following subsections provide general information about on-call schedules, call-outs, and routing.
2681 On-Call Schedules
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
An on-call schedule is a list of field staff SWI uses to route and call out reports. It includes names, titles, phone numbers, and the order in which field staff should be contacted.
2682 Changing an On-Call Schedule
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Field staff is responsible for:
- Maintaining on-call schedules.
- Ensuring contact numbers are current.
- Ensuring schedules show correct staff.
- Ensuring all hours are covered.
When SWI Can Make Changes the On-Call Schedule
SWI changes the on-call schedule only under the following circumstances:
- It is an emergency, and field staff cannot complete an update.
- Field staff is calling in a requested change away from the office, and it is not during normal business hours or days for field staff.
If field staff is requesting a change to an on-call schedule, the intake specialist transfers him or her to SWI support staff. If SWI must make the change, an authorized support staff member makes those changes. In the absence of SWI support staff, an intake supervisor updates the schedule to reflect the change. The change is made for only 24 hours.
2683 Problem with an On-Call Schedule
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
SWI support staff review the on-call schedule weekly for each program, region, and county to ensure that the information is available to intake specialists and for routing.
If an intake specialist has a problem with an incorrect or absent on-call schedule, he or she contacts the floor support chat room for resolution. The intake specialist does not document the problem in the narrative.
2684 Call-Outs
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2024
A call-out happens when a SWI staff calls field staff to relay the details of a report before routing the report to the local office through IMPACT. Call-outs are made at any time of day and include routine and emergency situations.
Who Receives the Call-Out
The field staff whom SWI calls depends on when the call-out occurs, as follows:
- During business hours on both regular workdays and skeleton crew holidays, SWI calls the routing coordinator (RC) identified in the IMPACT on-call schedule. Local offices are required to have office coverage.
- After hours (on any day), on weekends, and on holidays when local offices are closed, SWI calls the on-call worker listed in IMPACT, in order of preference established by the Contact Order (CO) field in the on-call schedule.
Some CPI offices have extended business hours. Extended business hours are regular business hours for that office. This information is available in the CPI section of the Assignment Charts on the DFPS intranet. For CPI offices with extended business hours, call-outs are made to the RC (not the on-call worker) during the extended hours.
Who Makes the Call-Out
Under most circumstances, SWI support staff completes call-outs.
The intake specialist completes a call-out in the following situations:
- For all Provider Investigations (PI) Facility intakes. The intake specialist makes the call-out within 40 minutes of beginning the phone call, e-report, or mail or fax report.
- For emergencies or situations that cannot wait for the intake specialist to complete the report in IMPACT and send it to SWI support staff for call-out. This applies to reports for any program.
- When law enforcement requests immediate assistance or reports a person who is on the Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL).
- When directed to do so by a supervisor or worker V.
- When SWI support staff is not available, and a call-out is required.
Instructions from Field Staff at the Time of Call-Out
Assignment of the Report
If the on-call staff gives SWI specific instructions about assignment of the report (such as assigning it to another field staff), the intake specialist or support staff assigns the report as instructed and documents the request.
Change to the Report
If the on-call staff requests a change to the report (such as a change in priority), the intake specialist reviews the report and determines whether the requested change is necessary.
The intake specialist makes the change before assigning the report, if the requested change is necessary.
The intake specialist or support staff consults with a supervisor, worker V, or program administrator (PA) if any of the following apply:
- The requested change is questionable.
- The requested change is clearly against policy.
- The situation requires consultation with a supervisor or worker V. The following are examples of situations that require consultation:
- The intake specialist becomes aware that the report is sensitive.
- Support staff is making the call-out. (Support staff cannot make changes to a report.)
See 2686 Documenting the Call-Out.
2685 Contacting On-Call Workers
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
When calling out an intake, information and referral (I&R) report, or case-related special request (CRSR), SWI staff (support staff member or intake specialist) follows the procedures below.
Determine Which On-Call Worker to Contact
SWI staff uses the on-call schedule to determine whom to contact. The contact order (CO) lists the on-call worker to call first, second, third, and so on.
Call the Person Identified as #1 in Preference
SWI staff calls the on-call phone number for the staff member listed as #1 (first in preference) and follows the procedures below until an on-call worker answers:
- If the #1 on-call worker does not answer, SWI staff leaves a voicemail that includes the following:
- SWI staff member’s name.
- Date of the call.
- Time of the call.
- A request for the on-call worker to return the call at 1-800-252-3223 with the SWI staff member’s extension.
- SWI staff immediately calls the on-call worker’s home number, if listed. If there is no answer on the home number, he or she leaves another voicemail (containing the information listed above).
- If the on-call worker has another number listed, SWI staff immediately calls that number. If there is no answer, he or she leaves another voicemail (again, containing the information listed above).
- SWI staff waits five minutes for the on-call worker to call back. If the on-call worker does not call back, then SWI staff calls all the listed numbers again.
- SWI staff spends no more than a total of 10 minutes attempting to contact the #1 on-call worker before moving on to the #2 on-call worker (see next subheading).
Urgent situations may require a shorter wait time before making a second call to the first listed number for the #1 on-call worker or moving on to the #2 on-call worker.
Call the People Identified Next in Order of Preference
If SWI staff is unsuccessful in reaching the #1 on-call worker, he or she calls the on-call worker listed as #2 in preference, following the process above.
If the #2 on-call worker does not respond, SWI staff repeats the process by calling the next on-call worker listed in the on-call schedule, in the numerical order indicated.
Exception: SWI staff never makes a call-out to a routing coordinator (RC) outside business hours. The RC is listed in the on-call schedule outside business hours for routing purposes only.
Consult with an SWI Supervisor or Worker V
When an intake specialist or support staff member has called all the listed on-call workers, but none of them have responded, the intake specialist or support staff member uses the Floor Support Chat to contact a supervisor or worker V. The responding supervisor or worker V and the intake specialist or support staff member requesting assistance arrange to complete a consultation on a recorded line, outside the staffing queue. The supervisor or worker V may decide to contact another field supervisor or a higher-level field manager. The intake specialist or support staff member documents the instructions given during the consultation in the narrative for tracking purposes. The intake specialist or support staff member also completes the On-Call Concern template.
See the Auxiliary Phone Codes for Intake Specialists, 54: On-Call Concern (on the DFPS intranet).
2686 Documenting the Call-Out
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
The SWI staff member who made the call-out documents the call-out in the narrative, below his or her name and title.
The call-out documentation contains the following:
- First and last name of the on-call staff member contacted.
- Date of contact.
- Time of contact.
For example: “Called out to John Smith on 6/1/2023 at 2:43 pm.”
SWI never documents the specific phone numbers called.
Multiple Call-Out Attempts
If the SWI staff member attempted to reach multiple field staff members to complete the call-out, he or she documents only the successful call-out. No additional information and referrals (I&Rs) are completed to document the unsuccessful call-outs.
Alternate Assignment Requests
If an on-call worker requests that SWI assign the report to someone else, SWI does the following:
- If support staff made the call-out, the support staff member does the following:
- Assigns the report as the on-call worker requested.
- Documents the change in assignment as an I&R Other Business Call.
- Also documents the assignment in the Contact Log if the report is an intake.
- If an intake specialist made the call-out, the intake specialist does the following:
- Assigns the report as the on-call worker requested.
- Documents the change in assignment in the narrative.
For example: “Called out to John Smith on 6/1/2023 at 2:43 pm. Assigned to Betty Jackson per John Smith.”
Changes to the Report
When the on-call worker requests a change to the report at the time of the call-out, and SWI determines the change is both necessary and appropriate, SWI staff does as follows:
- If the call-out was made by the intake specialist completing the original report, he or she documents the change in the narrative.
- If the call-out was made by an intake specialist or supervisor who did not complete the original report (or by SWI support staff), the following procedures apply:
- A supervisor re-opens the report to make the requested changes to the narrative. See the Re-opening Reports section of the SWI IMPACT User Guide on the DFPS intranet.
- The staff member completing the change documents his or her name, title, and the change on the narrative page, below the original signature block. See the example below this list.
- The staff member completing the change emails the supervisor and program administrator (PA) of the original intake specialist.
For example:
Maggie Smith, Intake Specialist IV
Joseph Brown, SWI Supervisor II – Downgraded priority from P1 to P2.
2687 Routing
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Routing is the process of moving a report (intake, CRSR, or I&R) between workloads, either within SWI or from SWI to a local office.
After the intake specialist completes a report, he or she routes it via IMPACT either automatically or manually. The intake specialist can route a report in one of three ways:
- Assign: This removes the report from the intake specialist’s workload and sends it to a designated workload.
- Submit: This removes the report from the intake specialist’s workload and sends it to a designated SWI workload for supervisor review.
- Close: This removes the report from the intake specialist’s workload but does not send it to another workload. Reports are closed when they do not need to be sent outside SWI.
SWI support staff completes the routing when either of the following occurs:
- The report was assigned to a designated SWI workload.
- An error occurs in IMPACT during the automatic assignment process.
Time of Transmission
The time of transmission is the date and time the intake specialist completes the report and selects Assign, Submit, or Close to route the report.
Automatic Routing
IMPACT automatically routes reports to the appropriate workload according to business rules related to the report type, priority, and time of transmission through the Auto Assign function. The Auto Assign function does not activate when business rules are not supported.
If the Auto Assign function is active and appropriate for the report, the intake specialist clicks Assign or Submit to auto-route the report.
Manual Assignment
When auto-assignment is not appropriate, the intake specialist manually routes the report according to the report type, program, priority, and time of transmission using the Assignment Charts on the DFPS intranet.
2700 Special Topics, Part 1
2710 Subsequent Contact from Reporters
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Sometimes, reporters make subsequent contact with SWI about an existing report. The following subsections explain how the intake specialist handles such contact from:
- The original reporter of a report.
- A reporter who is not the person who made the original report.
- A professional reporter who discloses knowledge of an open case that was previously reported by a different professional reporter.
- A law enforcement reporter in certain situations.
2711 Subsequent Contact from the Original Reporter
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
The original reporter may contact SWI again to add more information to a report.
The intake specialist verifies that the current reporter is the original reporter, even if the current reporter has the report ID number. The intake specialist requests the following information:
- First and last name.
- Address or phone number.
If this information matches the original report, the current reporter is verified as the original reporter.
If this information does not match the original report, the intake specialist assumes that the current reporter is not the original reporter. See 2712 Subsequent Contact from a Different Reporter.
Original Reporter Provides the Same Information or New Information That Is Not an Intake
The intake specialist completes an Information & Referral (I&R) report if either of the following applies:
- The original reporter provides the same information he or she previously reported. (The reporter might restate all the original information or only a portion of it, but there is no new information.)
- The original reporter provides new information, but it does not meet the legal definitions of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
The intake specialist completes the I&R as follows:
- If the case is still open, the intake specialist completes an I&R to the existing case. See 3120 I&R to Existing Case.
- If the case is closed, the intake specialist completes the appropriate I&R type.
Original Reporter Recently Submitted an E-Report
If the original reporter calls to follow up on an e-report, and the e-report has not yet been processed, the intake specialist does as follows:
- Places the reporter on hold. (The intake specialist may choose to let the reporter know that the hold might be long.)
- Pulls the e-report.
- Reviews the narrative.
If the reporter provides relevant information during the phone call that was not originally in the narrative of the e-report, the intake specialist adds the new information at the top of the narrative (above the statement that says, “The information in this internet report narrative has not been edited by Statewide Intake personnel.”).
The intake specialist signs out to the E-Report Aux Code while completing the e-report.
The intake specialist processes the report that was generated by the phone call as an I&R Other Business Call. The intake specialist signs out to the Call Work Aux Code while processing this I&R.
Original Reporter Provides a New Incident of Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation
If the original reporter provides information about a new incident that meets legal definitions of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, the intake specialist completes a new intake. This applies as follows:
- Whether the original case is open or closed.
- Whether the original allegation type is the same as or different from the new allegation type.
The table below provides examples of situations in which a report from the same reporter would result in a new intake.
| Example |
Assessment (Reason for New Intake) |
|---|---|
A neighbor made a report last week about a mother leaving injuries on a 3-year-old after she spanked the child with a stick. There is an open case for physical abuse (PHAB). A new call comes in from the same neighbor alleging the 3-year-old told her today that his mother bit him last night. He has bruising and multiple puncture wounds on his arm. |
Although there is already an open PHAB case, a new incident that meets legal definitions has occurred. The intake specialist processes a new intake for PHAB. |
An 82-year-old client contacted SWI last month to ask for help because she could not afford her medication. There is an open APS case for physical neglect (PHNG). The same client calls again because she just got a termination notice from her utility company. The client cannot afford to pay the bill. She is worried that she will not be able to run her oxygen machine without electricity. |
Although an open case exists with the same allegation type made by the same reporter, the new incident meets legal definitions and is assessed separately from the open case. The intake specialist processes a new intake for PHNG. |
2712 Subsequent Contact from a Different Reporter
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
A reporter who is different from the original reporter may make subsequent contact with SWI.
In most cases, subsequent contact from a different reporter results in a new intake if the information provided meets legal definitions of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, regardless of existing cases alleging the same concerns. When a new reporter provides information that does not meet these legal definitions and there is an open case, the intake specialist completes an I&R to existing case. If there is no open case, the intake specialist completes an appropriate I&R type.
Exceptions: There may be an exception if the subsequent contact is from a professional reporter. See 2713 Subsequent Contact from a Professional Reporter.
2713 Subsequent Contact from a Professional Reporter
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Multiple agencies may provide services to the same victim. As a result, a professional reporter may disclose knowledge of an open case reported by a different professional. For example, EMS calls SWI about a 70-year-old who has fallen. The EMS worker informs the hospital that he or she already reported the concerns to SWI. Later, a hospital nurse calls SWI to report X-ray results.
When knowledge of an open case is disclosed in this manner, the intake specialist asks the reporter whether his or her intention is to make a new report of abuse or neglect or to add information to an existing case. Unless the new professional reporter mentions a new incident or allegation, the intake specialist uses information provided to determine the reporter’s intent. The intake specialist must obtain enough information to search for the previously reported case while the reporter is still on the phone. The specialist may obtain the previous Report ID and use it to find an existing case.
The following table explains how the intake specialist assesses information from the new professional reporter.
| If: |
Then the intake specialist: |
|---|---|
The new professional reporter wants to provide more information on the open case. |
Assesses an I&R to existing case. |
The new professional reporter wants to provide additional information to the open case but mentions the abuse or neglect from the original intake. Example: A teacher states her principal filed a report earlier today regarding a 5-year-old with a bruise in the shape of a handprint on her face. The principal asked her to call SWI and provide the name of the day care that the child attends after school. The teacher has no other information. |
Assesses an I&R to existing case. Example: This would result in an I&R to existing CPS Case. Despite disclosing knowledge of abuse, the teacher’s intent is to provide information about the child’s day care. She did not wish to file another report. The intake specialist does not generate another intake unless he or she is unable to find the open case. |
The new professional reporter mentions a new incident of abuse or neglect or a new allegation. Example: A nurse calls to report that a 3-year-old, who was admitted last night after his father hit him in the head with a pan, has moved from ICU to room 242. The nurse does not need to make a report because the hospital social worker reported it last night. The nurse wanted CPS to know the child’s new location and provide an update on his condition. The nurse reports that his X-rays show multiple rib fractures in various stages of healing. |
Assesses an intake. Example: Despite the nurse’s intent to only add information to the case, this scenario would result in a new intake for PHAB, because the nurse has reported a new incident of abuse. |
The new professional reporter wants to report the abuse or neglect from the original intake. |
Assesses an intake. |
The new professional reporter wants to provide additional information, but the intake specialist cannot find the open case. |
Obtains all information the reporter knows and assesses according to standard procedures. |
The new professional reporter wants to provide additional information, but the local office has closed the case. |
Assesses an appropriate I&R type. |
2714 Subsequent Contact from Law Enforcement
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
Law enforcement may contact SWI again about an existing report.
Duplicate Correspondence
Law enforcement occasionally reports information to SWI twice. The most common examples include:
- Law enforcement faxes the same report to SWI twice.
- Law enforcement calls in a report, then later faxes the written report to SWI.
When SWI receives duplicate correspondence from law enforcement, the intake specialist completes an I&R Other Business Call and closes the report.
Call from Another Officer about the Same Incident
If an officer reports an incident that another officer already reported, see 2713 Subsequent Contact from a Professional Reporter.
Subsequent Contact from Law Enforcement about a Law Enforcement Notification (LEN)
SWI is responsible for notifying the local law enforcement agency of all CPI and CCI intakes. These notifications sometimes result in calls from officers who have questions about the intake or who have followed up with the family and have additional information.
Notification Follow-Up That Does Not Include New Abuse, Neglect or Exploitation Information
When law enforcement follows up on an intake that SWI sent through the LEN process, and the follow-up call does not include new information about abuse, neglect or exploitation, the intake specialist completes an I&R to the existing case. Some examples of these follow-up calls include:
- Asking a question about the intake.
- Requesting a history check.
- Providing the results of a welfare check.
The intake specialist must confirm the officer’s employment before acknowledging that there is an open case or discussing any details.
See 3422 Texas Law Enforcement Requests Case History.
Notification Follow-up That Includes New Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation Information
SWI sometimes discovers new information in a law enforcement follow-up, such as a new incident of abuse or neglect. The intake specialist assesses the new information separately from the open case and completes the appropriate report type.
2715 Subsequent Information on an Intake in Process
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
SWI may get new information when the original intake is still being completed and has not yet been sent to the local office. The intake specialist follows the procedures appropriate for the various situations as described below.
Original Intake Specialist Still Has Intake
If the same reporter calls SWI to add information to an intake in progress, the intake specialist sends the original intake specialist an instant message to see if he or she can take the new information. If so, the reporter is transferred to the original intake specialist who updates the original report with the new information.
The intake specialist who transferred the call completes an I&R Other Business Call.
If the original intake specialist is not available, the intake specialist:
- Obtains the new information.
- Consults with a supervisor or worker V to coordinate getting the new information to the original intake specialist.
- Completes an I&R Other Business Call unless directed otherwise by the staffing supervisor.
See 2150 Reporter Requests to Speak to a Specific Intake Specialist.
Intake Assigned to Immediate Call-Out Workload
If the intake has already been assigned to the Immediate Call-Out workload, the intake specialist receiving the new information:
- Completes an I&R to an existing case and includes the original case number.
- Assigns the I&R to the Immediate Call-Out workload.
- Notifies support staff of the new I&R through instant message.
Sensitive Intake Submitted to Supervisor Approval Workload
Original Reporter
If the original reporter on an open intake of this type calls with new information, the intake specialist does the following, in order:
- Consults with an intake supervisor or worker V.
- Informs the staffing supervisor about the new information so he or she can add it to the sensitive intake.
- Completes an I&R Other Business Call.
- Documents the new information and name of the supervisor to whom the information was given in the narrative.
- Designates the I&R as sensitive.
- Provides the report ID for the I&R to the staffing supervisor.
- Submits the I&R to the Supervisor Approval workload.
The supervisor transfers the information from the I&R to the intake, closes the I&R, and completes the processing of the sensitive intake.
New Reporter
If a new reporter provides more information and the intake specialist finds an open sensitive intake that has been submitted for supervisory review, the intake specialist consults with a supervisor or worker V and follows the staffing supervisor’s processing instructions.
2720 Reporter Requests to Speak to Field Staff
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
When a reporter requests to speak with field staff, the intake specialist first must determine why the reporter is calling. If the reporter is law enforcement, see 2721 Law Enforcement Requests to Speak to Field Staff.
The intake specialist assesses the following:
- If the reporter has a new report of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, the intake specialist completes the information as an intake and processes according to standard procedures. He or she informs the reporter that he or she is completing an intake.
- If there is an open case, and the current reporter has additional information, the intake specialist completes an information and referral (I&R) to the existing case. The intake specialist assesses whether a call-out is warranted and, if so, follows call-out procedures.
If the reporter asks to speak to field staff for any other reason, the intake specialist refers the reporter to the local office and provides the local office’s phone number. He or she completes an I&R Other Business Call.
If the reporter wants to speak to field staff to make a complaint, see 2840 Complaints.
2721 Law Enforcement Requests to Speak to Field Staff
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
When law enforcement (which includes Border Patrol officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers) asks to speak with field staff, the intake specialist first determines if the reporter wants to report abuse, neglect, or exploitation. If so, the intake specialist conducts the interview and follows standard procedures. If a new intake is appropriate, the intake specialist prioritizes the intake based on standard procedures.
When the situation does not involve allegations of abuse or neglect, but law enforcement asks to speak to field staff, the intake specialist completes either a case-related special request (CRSR) or an information and referral (I&R) report. He or she completes an I&R to existing case if a case is open, or a CRSR Rqst Local Public Svc if not.
For all types of reports, if law enforcement wants immediate assistance from field staff, the intake specialist contacts either:
- The routing coordinator, if the local office is open.
- The on-call worker, if the local office is closed.
2730 Law Enforcement Dispatch Calls with Limited Information
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
A law enforcement officer may have a dispatcher contact SWI on the officer’s behalf. The dispatcher often has little or no information to make a report, but is only providing contact information so that SWI can call the officer on the scene. When the officer at the scene is requesting assistance, the intake specialist does the following:
- Gets contact information for the officer on the scene.
- Calls the officer to get more information to determine what assistance the officer needs.
- Completes the report according to standard procedure.
The intake specialist completes an I&R Other Business Call for the contact with the dispatcher.
2740 Limited Locating Information
SWI Policy and Procedures May 2022
The reporter may have limited locating information for a report. How the intake specialist handles such a report depends on the following:
- If the report contains limited locating information about a child, the intake specialist follows the instructions in 4614 Limited Locating Information.
- If the report contains limited locating information about an adult, the intake specialist follows the instructions in 5640 Limited Locating Information.
2750 Sole Basis of Knowledge from Media
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
When a reporter’s information comes solely from a media source (for example, the news or social media), the intake specialist:
- Conducts a complete interview based on available information.
- Obtains the source of knowledge.
- Documents the source in the reporter’s person notes.
- Searches for an open case.
If an open case exists, the intake specialist completes an I&R to the existing case.
If the information meets the definition of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, and a case does not exist, the intake specialist completes an intake.
These intakes and all subsequent I&Rs may require sensitive handling because of media interest.
See:
2832 Consulting (Staffing) on a Sensitive Report
2760 Family or Adult Victim Moves During an Investigation: Transfer Cases
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Transfer Cases Within Texas
If field staff reports that a family or adult victim moved during an open investigation, and no new allegations are made, the intake specialist does not generate a new intake. The field worker should contact the local office where the family has relocated.
This policy applies to an open investigation that was either of the following:
- Not completed before the adult victim or family moved.
- Initiated in a county other than the family’s county of residence.
Transfer Cases From Out of State
If an out-of-state social services agency requests a transfer for a case on a family or an individual who has moved to Texas, the intake specialist:
- Determines whether the situation meets the definition of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
- Processes the report according to standard procedures.
2770 System Downtime
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
There are times when the applications necessary to perform intake duties are not available to SWI staff. These applications include the IMPACT case management system, the internet, the DFPS computer system, and the Automatic Call Distributor (ACD). Downtime is the term for the span of time when one or more of these applications are unavailable, and can be either of the following:
- Planned downtimes are known in advance, as is the expected duration.
- Unplanned downtimes have little or no warning, and the duration may be unknown.
Downtime requires specific steps to minimize disruption to intake activities.
A downtime lead, usually an on-site program administrator or their designee, is designated during downtime. The lead makes all decisions on intake activities and has the authority to delegate specific activities. The lead ensures that all calls are entered into IMPACT when it is back online.
2780 Reports with Technical Issues
2781 Stuck Reports
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
Sometimes, a report (intake, information and referral, or case-related special request) may have a technical error that prevents further action. This is known as a stuck report.
Common examples include:
- An intake specialist cannot get a report off his or her workload.
- Field staff cannot progress a report to the next stage.
When an Intake Specialist Has a Stuck Report
An intake specialist consults with a supervisor or worker V, and then does what that person says to do.
If the report cannot be fixed, the following procedure applies:
- The intake specialist manually reproduces the stuck report without using the New Using function in IMPACT. Reproducing the stuck report with New Using causes the new report to also be stuck.
- The intake supervisor routes the stuck report to the Deletion workload.
- SWI General Computer Services (GCS) deletes the stuck report.
When Field Staff Has a Stuck Report
Field staff should never assign an intake back to SWI.
When a field staff member has a stuck intake, he or she does the following:
- Requests a reentry from SWI. (SWI completes this request manually, without New Using.)
- Submits a ticket to the Submit Your Own Ticket online application on the DFPS intranet.
The Application Support team in the Program Support division deletes the stuck report. SWI can delete only a report on an SWI workload.
2782 E-Report Is Blank
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
When an intake specialist pulls an e-report from the queue for processing, and the information in the report appears blank, the intake specialist checks to see whether the information was auto-submitted. (An unsubmitted e-report auto-submits after a certain amount of time.) This is indicated by the statement “E-Report was auto-submitted”, which appears immediately below the statement, “The information in this internet report narrative has not been edited by Statewide Intake personnel.”
If the Report Was Auto-Submitted
The intake specialist assesses the available information and processes the report according to standard procedures.
If There Is No Statement about Auto-Submission
The intake specialist uses the instant messaging system to contact SWI General Computer Services (GCS). If GCS is unavailable, the intake specialist messages either the Floor Support channel or the intake specialist’s own supervisor for assistance. Supervisors and GCS have access to the raw data the reporter submitted before it was uploaded into IMPACT.
GCS or the contacted supervisor does the following:
- If the raw data is available, GCS or the supervisor provides the missing information to the intake specialist, and the intake specialist completes the report.
- If the raw data is not available, the intake specialist completes an I&R Other Business Call and closes the report.
2790 Mail or Fax Is an Exact Match or Duplicate of an Existing Report
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
When the mail or fax is an exact match or duplicate of an existing report, the intake specialist completes an I&R Other Business Call. An example of this situation is when a law enforcement agency sends a fax and then calls to tell SWI the same information.
The intake specialist does the following:
- Uses the date and time auto-filled by IMPACT.
- Documents the reporter’s information.
- Completes the In Re field.
- Documents the following in the narrative:
- The information was received by mail or fax.
- An exact match or duplicate was found.
- The Report ID number of the original report is xxxxxxxx.
- Does not document the details of the reported situation in the narrative of the I&R.
- Closes the I&R.
2800 Special Topics, Part 2
2810 Multiple Reports from the Same Contact
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Sometimes, one contact (phone call, e-report, or mail/fax) generates more than report. The reports may be unrelated or companion reports.
Unrelated reports come from the same reporter but include different people. For example, a hospital social worker makes several reports about unrelated families during the same call.
Companion reports come from the same report and out of the same situation. Examples include:
- A situation resulting in a CPI and APS intake for the same household.
- A case in which an RCCI intake and an I&R to Existing CPS Case are required.
- The abuse or neglect involves separate families living in one household, which requires two separate CPI intakes.
- An elderly couple is living in unsanitary conditions, which requires an APS intake for each victim.
2811 Requesting Help with Multiple Reports
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
When a reporter is making multiple reports, intake specialists typically take them all. However, sometimes it is appropriate to ask for help. Examples include:
- A report requires immediate action by the intake specialist, but the reporter still needs to make more reports.
- When the complexity or number of the reports is more than the intake specialist can handle, but the reporter still needs to make more reports.
- An intake specialist with less than one-year of tenure receives a call that results in multiple reports.
If an intake specialist needs help, he or she consults with a supervisor or worker V. The supervisor decides on the appropriate action. If necessary, the supervisor finds an available intake specialist to take the remaining reports. The supervisor gives the initial intake specialist the name and extension of the available intake specialist.
The initial intake specialist transfers the call to the available specialist, not back to the queue.This process ensures that the reporter does not have to wait on hold again to complete their call.
2812 Duplicating a Report (New Using)
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
The New Using function in IMPACT allows intake specialists to duplicate a report without manually reproducing it. The intake specialist selects the sections of the report to duplicate, and IMPACT uses those sections to create a new report and assigns it a new report ID number.
The report completed with the New Using function becomes a related report to the original report. On the Report Information page, IMPACT lists the report ID numbers of all related reports, including the currently viewed report.
Intake specialists use New Using to duplicate reports only when one or more of the following apply:
- The reports are companion reports. See 2810 Multiple Reports from the Same Contact.
- The intake specialist is completing a reentry. See 2860 Reentry Requests from Field Staff.
- The intake specialist is completing an Unable to Complete (UTC) or Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL) report. See 4610 Locating Families.
- A FINDRS search returns locating information.
- A child death case-related special request (CRSR) needs to be an intake.
Do not use the New Using function:
- When a reporter is reporting multiple, unrelated reports. Enter each report separately with the same reporter information.
- For new information obtained after the original report, even when it is from the same reporter, unless it is a specific example listed above.
2813 Modifying a Report Created by the New Using Function
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
After duplicating the report, the intake specialist modifies the new report to fit requirements. When applicable, the following items may be modified:
- Date and time of the report.
- Person types, roles, and relationship or interest (Rel/Int) designations.
- Person notes.
- Report Type section.
- Intake Actions page.
- Narrative.
2813.1 Date and Time of the Report
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
IMPACT assigns the current date and time to the new report when the intake specialist completes the New Using process. When applicable, the intake specialist manually changes the time (and date, if necessary) of each new report to match the original report.
All reports originating from the same call or e-report must reflect the same time and date as the original report, unless the reports are unrelated. Reports are unrelated if they do not involve any of the same principals. (For example, there would be two unrelated reports if a teacher calls and says two students are being neglected by their parents, but the students are not in the same family and do not live in the same home).
If the intake specialist is duplicating a report (New Using) at a later date and time, the intake specialist uses the new date and time (when the New Using is completed), unless DFPS staff made a request to backdate. For example, this may occur if SWI sends a report to DFPS field staff, but the field staff later determines that SWI needs to send it to a different program instead.
2813.2 E-Reports from DFPS Staff Requesting Reentry
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
Sometimes, a submitted e-report is from staff of DFPS, Provider Investigations, or CCR. The staff member may be requesting a reentry or making a new report of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
The e-report form has questions that only appear if the reporter is staff of DFPS, Provider Investigations, or CCR. These questions are:
- Is this a reentry?
- Do you need the report to be backdated?
- What date and time did you initiate the investigation?
When a staff member fills out the e-report, he or she does the following:
- Answers “yes” or “no” to the reentry question.
- Answers “yes” or “no” to the backdating question.
- Provides a date and time for the initiation of investigation question, if applicable. A staff member can request a change to the date and time of a report only for his or her own program. If reporting a situation that is under the jurisdiction of another program, this question should be left blank.
If the reporter only needs a reentry, the intake specialist marks the “reentry” checkbox and does not change the date and time.
If the reporter indicates that a reentry is not needed (“no” for the reentry question) but the investigation already started (“yes” for the backdating question), the intake specialist completes the report using the date and time identified by the reporter.
The intake specialist does not complete a reentry when the person requesting it does not work for the same program for which the reentry request is made. For example, a CPS caseworker should not request a reentry of a report of abuse of an adult with a disability (an APS situation), and if this request occurs, the intake specialist does not make the reentry. Instead, the intake specialist assesses according to standard procedures.
Sometimes, a staff member asks SWI to change the program classification of a report. For example, a CPI staff member may inform SWI that the alleged victim was mistakenly thought to be a 16-year-old with a disability but is actually an 18-year-old with a disability, so the report should go to APS instead of CPI. In this situation, the intake specialist assesses for the correct program according to standard procedures.
2813.3 People Not Involved in the Additional Reports
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
If someone on the original person list is not relevant or required for the new report, the intake specialist removes that person from the new report’s person list.
For example, the intake specialist may be completing two related reports about the same family: one for CPI and one for APS. The two-year-old family member needs to be on the person list for the CPI intake but should be removed from the person list for the APS intake.
2813.4 Principal, Collateral, and Role
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
The intake specialist adds a principal or collateral to the new report’s person list, if necessary. The intake specialist does not modify an existing person on the person list (even if the person is Unknown), because that person is associated with a specific Person ID number.
When applicable, the intake specialist may change the person type, role, and relationship or interest designation, as appropriate.
2813.5 Unnamed People
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
Each specific person has a specific Person ID number, even if the person’s name is unknown.
For each principal or collateral without a name on the person list, the intake specialist uses the same Person ID number (does not make a new number) when making changes to his or her Person Type, Role, or relationship or interest designation.
The intake specialist makes a new unknown person (with a new Person ID number) for each new principal or collateral without a name on companion reports.
For example, a call results in a CPI intake and an APS intake that are companion reports. The intake specialist decides to make the CPI intake first, and it has two unknown persons on the person list. Then, the intake specialist makes the APS intake and does the following:
- If the APS intake involves two unknown persons who are not (or might not be) the same two as in the CPI intake, the intake specialist makes two new unknown persons in the APS intake.
- If the reporter says the same two people (whose names are unknown) abused a child and an adult over age 65, the intake specialist uses the same two unknown persons (with the same two Person ID numbers) from the CPI intake and includes them in the APS intake.
2820 Assessing Reports Made by Field Staff
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Field staff may contact SWI to make a report for their program or a different program.
This contact is different from a re-entry. If field staff is requesting a re-entry, see 2860 Re-Entry Requests from Field Staff.
2821 DFPS Staff Makes a Report for His or Her Program
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
Field staff may call in a professional capacity to make a report for his or her own program. For example, a CPI caseworker reports an incident of child abuse. Field staff may also file a report through the Texas Abuse Hotline Website in a professional capacity to make a report for his or her own program.
2821.1 Determining the Date and Time of the Report
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
There are specific circumstances when an intake specialist needs to change (backdate) the date and time of a report. In some situations, backdating is only done at the request of DFPS staff.
Circumstances that do not require a request from DFPS staff to backdate are companion reports. See 2813 Modifying a Report Created by the New Using Function.
Circumstances that require a request from DFPS staff to backdate:
- A reentry, when the date and time of the reentry needs to be the same as the original report.
- A new report, when the investigator initiated the investigation prior to contacting SWI.
Requests to backdate reports can happen during phone calls or by e-reports. For e-reports, the request to backdate occurs when DFPS staff answers yes to the question: Do you need the report to be backdated?
Intake specialists only backdate reports when the request is from a staff member within the same program as listed in the new or reentered report. When a request to backdate a report occurs, the intake specialist does as follows:
- Changes the Date and Time fields according to the request, if the request is from the same program.
- Completes the report using the current date and time, if the request is from a different program.
2821.2 Assessing the Report
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
The intake specialist assesses the report according to the table below. Assessment includes the following:
- Report type (intake, I&R, or CRSR).
- Programs that have jurisdiction over the situation.
- Allegations.
- Priorities.
See 2500 Assessment.
| If… |
Then the intake specialist… |
|---|---|
Field staff does not request a particular assessment. |
Assesses and completes the report according to standard procedures. |
Field requests a particular assessment, and the intake specialist agrees. |
Completes the report according to standard procedures. |
Field staff requests an I&R or CRSR, but the intake specialist assesses the information as an intake. |
|
Field staff requests an intake by phone, but the intake specialist assesses the information as an I&R. |
|
Field staff requests an intake through an e-report, but the intake specialist assesses the information as an I&R. |
|
Field staff requests something that has program director (or higher) approval but is clearly against policy. |
|
2822 Field Staff Makes a Report for a Different Program
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Field staff from one program may make a report for a different program. For example, an APS caseworker reporting potential child abuse.
The intake specialist completes the report according to standard procedures. The intake specialist always uses the current date and time in this situation and does not change them.
2830 Sensitive Reports
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
DFPS staff may restrict access to specific reports in IMPACT by designating the report as “sensitive.”
IMPACT automatically displays a red exclamation point icon next to a sensitive case or report. For intakes and case-related special requests (CRSRs), the icon displays before the case number on the Case List and on the caseworker’s workload. For information and referral (I&R) reports, the icon displays before the reporter’s name on the Report Log Search Results List section of the Report Log page.
Completing sensitive reports is the same as other reports except that the intake specialist:
- Consults (staff) on all sensitive or potentially sensitive reports.
- Designates the report as sensitive.
- Documents the reason for the designation and associated details, when appropriate.
- Sets the law enforcement notification to be done locally for sensitive CPI or CCI intakes.
- Follows additional instructions the staffing supervisor gives, when applicable.
- Submits sensitive reports unless instructed otherwise by the staffing supervisor.
2831 Sensitive Reasons
SWI Policy and Procedures February 2023
As much as possible, SWI identifies reports that require sensitive designation and marks them sensitive. The subitems of this section explain reasons why a report would need to be sensitive. However, sometimes SWI staff members are not aware that one of these reasons applies to a report. DFPS field staff can mark the case sensitive when the situation is discovered later.
2831.1 Sensitive Designation for Reports Involving Staff Members, Contractors, and High-Profile People
SWI Policy and Procedures February 2023
The table below explains when the intake specialist designates a report sensitive based on a person being a staff member or contractor or having a high profile and the person’s role in the report.
| If someone associated with the report is any of the following… |
And he or she also has any of the following roles in the report… |
Then… |
|---|---|---|
|
|
The intake specialist must do the following:
|
High-profile people include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Judges.
- Police chiefs.
- Members of a child welfare board.
- Court-appointed special advocates (CASA).
- Court-appointed attorneys.
- Celebrities.
2831.2 Specific Situations Requiring Sensitive Designation
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The intake specialist designates the report sensitive if any of the specific situations below apply:
- A non-DFPS employee who works in the same office as DFPS employees is an alleged victim or alleged perpetrator in an intake.
- The situation has, or is likely to have, significant media interest.
- The report involves a participant in the Texas Address Confidentiality Program, which is managed by the Office of the Attorney General. See 2664 OAG-ACP (Address Confidentiality Program).
2832 Consulting (Staffing) on a Sensitive Report
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Intake specialists must consult on all sensitive or potentially sensitive reports with a supervisor or worker V. This includes the following situations:
- The intake specialist finds sensitive history when completing history searches. This includes intakes, case-related special requests (CRSRs), and information and referral (I&R) reports.
- The intake specialist finds a person search result for a current employee or external staff (identified by a blue diamond icon) that matches someone in the report.
- The intake specialist recognizes that the report may need to be sensitive.
Only a supervisor or worker V can consult on (staff) sensitive or potentially sensitive reports. Acting supervisors are not authorized to do so.
The intake specialist documents the consultation beneath his or her signature in the narrative. For non-sensitive reports, the intake specialist documents this decision as part of the consulting information. If the staffing supervisor will be removing a previous sensitive designation, the intake specialist documents this removal as part of the consulting information in the narrative.
When a Person Search Result Matches a Staff Record
When an intake specialist performs a Person Search and finds a staff record result (indicated by a blue diamond icon) that matches someone in the report, he or she:
- Clicks the Name link for the match. The Person Detail page opens and shows one of five possible Attention messages.
- Reads the Attention message. This message is above the Person Name section on the Person Detail page.
- Uses the table below to determine whether to consult with a supervisor about the report.
| If the Attention message is: |
Then: |
|---|---|
This person is an employee. For more information, use staff search. |
Consult (staff) with a supervisor, because the report needs to be sensitive. |
This person is External Staff – with IMPACT access. For more information, use staff search. |
Consult (staff) with a supervisor, because the report needs to be sensitive. |
This person is External Staff – No IMPACT access. For more information, use staff search. |
Consult (staff) with a supervisor, because the report may need to be sensitive or the supervisor may need to do more processing. For example, the person is a CASA worker. |
This person is a former employee. For more information, use staff search. |
It is not necessary to consult (staff) with a supervisor for sensitivity, unless another reason for sensitivity applies. |
This person is a former external staff. For more information, use staff search. |
It is not necessary to consult (staff) with a supervisor for sensitivity, unless another reason for sensitivity applies. |
2833 Documenting a Sensitive Report
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
When documenting a sensitive report, the intake specialist does the following:
- Designates the report sensitive.
- Documents the reason for sensitivity as follows:
- For any report assigned to a DFPS, CCR, PI, or SSCC employee, the intake specialist documents the reason for sensitivity and associated details. (See Documenting the Sensitive Reason and Associated Details, below in this section.)
- For any report assigned to anyone who is not a DFPS, CCR, PI, or SSCC employee (in other words, to an outside agency), the intake specialist documents only the word “confidential” as the reason for sensitivity. This includes reports such as an I&R Matter Referred On, I&R Referred to HHSC, and I&R Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law. Note: An I&R Referred to HHSC goes to HHS Complaint and Incident Intake (HHS CII).
- Documents the consultation with the supervisor or worker V.
Documenting the Sensitive Reason and Associated Details
The intake specialist or staffing supervisor documents information about the reason for a sensitive designation. These details may include the following:
- Information about the person who is associated with the report, such as:
- Name.
- Person ID number (PID).
- Relationship to the alleged victim.
- Program in which the person works.
- Office location.
- City of employment.
- Details about the high-profile person and his or her position. For example, if the person is a judge, details may include the type of judge and for what city, county, and court.
- Reason the situation has, or is likely to have, significant media interest.
- Information specified in 2664 OAG-ACP (Address Confidentiality Program).
If the intake specialist knows the details about the sensitive designation, he or she documents that information in the comments.
If only the staffing supervisor knows the details, he or she tells the intake specialist to document that the staffing supervisor will document the information. The staffing supervisor documents the information when he or she reviews the report.
2834 Law Enforcement Notification for a Sensitive Report
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
SWI does not complete this notification for a sensitive CPI, DCI, or RCCI intake. Instead, the intake specialist selects the “To be done locally” option. In these instances, it is the responsibility of field staff to send the notification.
For a sensitive I&R Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law, SWI completes the law enforcement notification according to standard procedure. The intake specialist does not use the “To be done locally” option.
2835 Processing a Sensitive Report
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
For all sensitive intakes, all sensitive case-related special requests (CRSRs), and all sensitive information and referral (I&R) reports, the intake specialist does the following:
- Completes the report according to standard procedures, but does not assign it until after consulting (staffing) with a supervisor or worker V.
- Consults (staffs) with a supervisor or worker V, as required by 2832 Consulting (Staffing) on a Sensitive Report.
- Documents the staffing with the supervisor or worker V under his or her signature in the narrative.
- Follows processing instructions from the staffing supervisor.
- If instructed to do so, submits the report for supervisor review. If the staffing supervisor will not be the one who reviews the report, the staffing supervisor tells the intake specialist whom to notify when the report is ready to submit. (The staffing supervisor arranges for another supervisor to do the review if he or she is not available.)
- Sends an instant message to alert the identified supervisor that the sensitive report is ready to review.
The supervisor who completes the review does the following:
- Reviews the intake specialist’s documentation for accuracy.
- Makes any necessary changes.
- Clearly documents any changes made under the supervisor’s signature and staffing information in the narrative.
- Completes the sensitive reason, as needed.
- Informs the designated sensitive contact about the report, if applicable, according to the Sensitive Report Instructions on the DFPS intranet.
- Routes the report according to the Sensitive Report Instructions.
- Sends email notification to additional SWI or field staff, if necessary, according to the Sensitive Report Instructions.
2836 Sensitive Report from an SWI Employee
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2024
When an SWI employee needs to report abuse, neglect, or exploitation that involves himself or herself, a significant other, or a family or household member, he or she contacts a program administrator (PA) or supervisor.
The preferred method is for the SWI employee to submit an e-report and immediately give the confirmation number to the PA or supervisor to complete the sensitive report.
2837 Sensitive Report Involving an SWI Employee
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2024
When an intake specialist receives a report involving an SWI employee or an SWI employee’s significant other, family member, or household member, the report is kept in the smallest circle of people needed to complete the report.
At the Beginning of the Report
If an intake specialist learns a report involves an SWI employee at the beginning of the report, he or she stops the interview or review of the e-report, mail, or fax.
If it is a call, the intake specialist:
- Gets the reporter’s telephone number.
- Tells the reporter that he or she needs to consult with management.
- Asks the reporter to hold.
After stopping the interview or review, the intake specialist consults (staffs) with a supervisor. The supervisor may request the report be transferred to him or her.
If the report is transferred to the supervisor, the intake specialist:
- Completes an I&R Other Business Call separate from the report transferred.
- Does not document a narrative or In Regards To.
If the report is not transferred to the supervisor, the intake specialist:
- Documents the consultation.
- Marks the report as sensitive.
- Documents the sensitive reason.
- Completes the report according to the supervisor’s instructions.
- Contacts the same supervisor to alert him or her.
- Submits the report.
Late into the Report
If an intake specialist learns the report involves an SWI employee late into the report, he or she:
- Consults (staffs) with a supervisor.
- Documents the consultation.
- Marks the report as sensitive.
- Documents the sensitive reason.
- Completes the report according to the supervisor’s instructions.
- Contacts the same supervisor to alert him or her.
- Submits the report.
2840 Complaints
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
SWI receives complaints about SWI and field staff from different sources, including:
- Field staff
- SWI staff
- The public
2841 Public Complaint about SWI
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Reporter may call with a complaint about a report SWI completed or the customer service provided. The intake specialist then:
- Obtains the report ID.
- Obtains the name and number of the person calling.
- Obtains a brief explanation of the concern.
- Confirms caller is the original reporter by searching in IMPACT.
- Tells the original reporter that a supervisor will review the concern.
- Sends an instant message to the floor support chat room for help.
If the caller is not the original reporter, the intake specialist:
- Explains that they cannot share information.
- Conducts an interview and assesses whether to take a new report.
The supervisor:
- Returns the call, if necessary, as soon as the schedule permits.
- Arranges for a re-entry immediately, if needed.
- Forwards non-urgent complaints to the intake specialist’s supervisor, who reviews the concern and addresses it with employee, if necessary.
Completing the Report
If the call only contains information about the complaint, the intake specialist:
- Completes an I&R Other Business Call.
- Does not document information about the complaint in the report.
If the call contains information about both the complaint and other concerns, the intake specialist:
- Documents and assesses other concerns according to standard procedures.
- Does not document complaint information in the report. It is not appropriate to put complaint information in IMPACT.
2842 Complaint about Field Staff
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
A member of the public may contact SWI to make a complaint about field staff. Such complaints generally fall into one of the following categories:
- Complaints about how field staff handled a case.
- Serious concerns that need immediate attention.
2842.1 Public Complaint about Field Staff Regarding Handling of Case
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
When SWI receives a complaint from the public about how field staff handled a case, SWI’s procedures for handling the complaint depend on whether it was received by phone or by another method.
Complaint Received by Phone
The intake specialist refers the reporter to the chain of command of the field staff member who is the subject of the complaint. To do this, the intake specialist provides the phone number of the local office.
A chain of command is the structure of positions within a program, in order from lowest to highest. The specific job titles in a chain of command vary by program. In the context of complaints, the chain of command ends with the DFPS Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) or HHS ombudsman.
If the reporter already contacted the local office or does not accept that option, the intake specialist provides one of the following numbers, as applicable:
- For complaints about DFPS employees or single source continuum contractor (SSCC) employees: the number for OCA at 800-720-7777. The intake specialist may transfer the call using extension 1090264 during business hours (8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except state holidays).
- For complaints about Child Care Regulation (CCR) or Provider Investigations (PI) employees: the number for the HHS ombudsman at 877-787-8999.
The intake specialist does not take any other action, except as indicated in 2842.3 Completing the Report for the Complaint.
Complaint Received by Mail, by Fax, or through the Texas Abuse Hotline Website
The intake specialist completes one of the following email templates for the complaint, as applicable:
- For complaints about DFPS or SSCC employees: the OCA complaint template.
- For complaints about CCR or PI employees: the HHS ombudsman complaint template.
2842.2 Public Complaint about Field Staff That Requires Immediate Attention
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
If the intake specialist receives a serious complaint about field staff that requires immediate attention, the intake specialist consults (staffs) with an intake supervisor or worker V. If one is not available, the intake specialist consults with a program administrator or the on-call program administrator.
Examples of such complaints include:
- A field staff member is working while intoxicated.
- A field staff member is engaging in criminal conduct.
If the staffing supervisor (or worker V or program administrator, as applicable) agrees that the complaint needs immediate attention, the staffing supervisor does the following:
- Calls the on-call program director who covers the county where the field staff member works.
- Follows up by emailing the program director whom he or she called. The email includes details of the complaint and details of the call to the local office.
2842.3 Completing the Report for the Complaint
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
The intake specialist uses the following procedures to complete a report for a complaint from the public about field staff.
Complaint Received by Phone, Mail, or Fax
If the call or the mail or fax report contains only information about the complaint, the intake specialist does the following:
- Completes an I&R Other Business Call.
- Does not document details of the complaint the I&R.
If the call or the mail or fax report contains both the complaint and other concerns, the intake specialist does the following:
- Documents and assesses the other concerns according to standard procedures.
- Does not mention the complaint in the report. It is not appropriate to document complaint information in IMPACT.
Complaint Received Through the Texas Abuse Hotline Website
The intake specialist consults (staffs) with a supervisor or worker V because the report may need to be designated as sensitive.
Procedures for handling the report depend on what types of information its narrative contains, as follows:
- If it contains the complaint and no additional information that needs to go to the local office or another agency, the intake specialist does the following:
- Completes an I&R Other Business Call.
- Does not change the narrative.
- Marks the report sensitive.
- Documents Worker Complaint/Misconduct as the sensitive reason.
- Closes the I&R.
- If it contains the complaint and information that needs to go to the local office, the intake specialist does the following:
- Does not mark the report sensitive.
- Deletes the statement at the beginning of the narrative that reads, “the information in this internet report narrative has not been edited by Statewide Intake personnel.”
- Removes the complaint information from the narrative.
- Completes the appropriate type of report.
- If it contains the complaint and information that needs to go to another agency, the intake specialist does the following:
- Marks the report sensitive.
- Documents Worker Complaint/Misconduct as the sensitive reason.
- Does not change the narrative.
- Completes an I&R Matter Referred On or I&R Referred to HHSC.
2843 Complaint from a Foster Youth about His or Her Placement
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
If a foster youth calls SWI with a complaint about his or her placement, the intake specialist gathers information and assesses the report per standard procedures.
See:
CCR Situations Involving a Child in DFPS Conservatorship on the DFPS intranet.
3101 CVS Caseworker Notification
4561.1 Situations That Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case
4561.2 Situations That Sometimes Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case
4720 Determining CPI or RCCI Jurisdiction for a Child in a Relative or Fictive Kin Placement
4730 Child Living with an Unrelated Caregiver
9150 Child Living with an Unrelated Caregiver
9530 Reports Involving Children in DFPS Conservatorship in a RCCR Operation
9710 Determining RCCI or CPI Jurisdiction for a Child in a Relative or Fictive Kin Placement
The intake specialist also refers the youth to the HHS Foster Care Ombudsman’s office at (844) 286-0769 and tells the youth the following:
- Leave a voice mail if staff does not answer.
- In the voice mail, provide the following information:
- His or her first and last name.
- Contact number.
- A brief description of the complaint.
See the HHS Ombudsman Foster Care Help web page for more information.
2844 SWI Complaint about SWI Staff
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Occasionally, an intake specialist may have concerns about how another intake specialist handled a call or completed a report. The intake specialist consults with a supervisor or worker V.
If necessary, the staffing supervisor emails a description of the concern and the steps taken for resolution to the involved intake specialist’s supervisor.
2845 SWI Complaint about Field Worker
SWI Policy and Procedures April 2022
If SWI staff has concerns about communication with the field worker or the field worker’s handling of a case, he or she documents the concern in an email to an SWI supervisor.
The supervisor reviews the issue. If warranted, the supervisor forwards the information to SWI Policy & Performance Management (PPM) at the QAUNIT mailbox. PPM notifies the appropriate regional contact. PPM does not perform case reviews.
2846 Field Worker Complaint about SWI
SWI Policy and Procedures August 2022
Field workers should not call or email an intake specialist or supervisor directly with a complaint about SWI. If field staff do contact the intake specialist about a report, the intake specialist does not respond directly to the field. The intake specialist messages either floor support or his or her own supervisor who will review the problem and follow up with the field, as appropriate.
When a field worker has concerns about an SWI report, he or she contacts SWI according to the types of concerns described below. The field worker needs to provide the following information to SWI:
- Report or case ID
- Specific description of the concern
Concern That Needs Immediate Attention
A field supervisor (or higher authority) does the following:
- Calls SWI on the administrative line at 1-800-252-3223.
- Identifies himself or herself by name and title.
- Asks to speak to an intake supervisor or worker V.
Concern about Incorrect Assignment
If the concern is about a report SWI assessed correctly, but assigned to the incorrect workload, the field worker routes the report appropriately. He or she does not close the report or assign it back to SWI. If the field worker does not know the correct assignment, he or she may call the SWI administrative line at 1-800-252-3223 and ask to speak with a supervisor. The supervisor can provide the correct assignment.
The field supervisor (or higher authority) then notifies SWI Policy & Performance Management (PPM) of the concern by emailing the QAUNIT mailbox. PPM may review the error and provide feedback to the intake specialist.
Other Concern about the Quality of an Intake
If the concern does not require immediate action, resolution, or reentry, the field supervisor (or higher authority) may send an email to the QAUNIT mailbox. Non-urgent action examples are as follows:
- An intake, Information & Referral (I&R), or Case-Related Special Request (CRSR) with incorrect documentation or missing or unclear information.
- An intake with a significant error in priority assessment.
- A complaint about SWI staff conduct when handling the report.
- A call-out that went to the wrong on-call worker or was not made in a timely manner.
Reentry Requests
To request a reentry, field workers call the reentry queue at 1-800-252-3223 or 512-929-6920. See 2860 Reentry Requests from Field Workers.
2850 Reentering Reports (Reentry)
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023
When a report (intake, I&R, or CRSR) must be reproduced in IMPACT because of a technical problem or an error by SWI or field staff, it is called a reentry. See 2780 Reports with Technical Issues.
Field staff may request a reentry by calling SWI at (800) 252-3223 or (512) 929-6920.
An SWI staff member notifies an intake supervisor or worker V if the staff member discovers a report that may require reentry. The intake supervisor or worker V does one of the following:
- Reenters the report.
- Assigns an intake specialist to reenter the report.
- Explains that the report does not require reentry.
The staff member completing the reentry sends the Reentry Template (available on the Templates and Forms page on the DFPS intranet) when the reentry was completed because of an SWI error. The template is automatically pre-filled with the applicable recipients.
2851 Reasons for a Reentry
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
SWI reenters reports for any of the following reasons:
- The intake had the wrong program.
- A related or companion report was indicated at the time of the original report, but the original intake specialist did not complete it. The companion report may be for the same program or a different one.
- The report type is incorrect.
- The narrative is missing.
- The report needs a different date or time. See 2821.1 Determining the Date and Time of the Report.
- The report will not progress from the Intake stage or to the Investigations stage.
- Field staff closed the intake that was in the Intake (INT) stage. For example, field staff downgraded the report to Priority None (PN) in error.
- Field staff progressed the intake to the Investigation (INV) stage, but it needed to be progressed to the Alternative Response (A-R) stage.
- A P1 intake was created due to CSCAL procedures. If there were no new allegations, and the CSCAL was entered in the Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS) stage, CPI requests the report be reentered as a case-related special request (CRSR).
- A Child Care Investigations or Child Care Regulation report did not automatically populate in the CLASS application.
- An information and referral (I&R) report was sent to an open APS or HHSC Provider Investigations case, but a disposition was recorded. No additional casework can be performed, and a new intake must be entered if it meets the legal definition.
- The intake specialist inaccurately related one person’s information to another person’s record in IMPACT.
- CPI field staff obtained additional information while working on a child death CRSR. The additional information indicates abuse or neglect and requires an intake.
2852 Changes That Do Not Require a Re-Entry
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
Field staff can make the following changes without a re-entry:
- Change an intake’s priority.
- Mark the checkbox so the intake can be screened.
- Assign a report to a different county.
- Assign a report to another workload or program outside SWI.
- Designate a report as requiring a special handling status.
- Add, modify, or remove sensitive details from a report.
- Change the status of an APS intake that is in open status on the Intake Actions page.
- Change a case name.
- Change the Resource section in an intake for DCI, RCCI, or Provider Investigations.
2860 Reentry Requests from Field Staff
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
Field staff or staff from the Data Corrections Department may ask SWI to reenter a report. A delay in this request may create a safety issue.
Field staff calls the reentry queue at 800-252-3223 or 512-929-6920 to request a reentry. A dedicated team of intake specialists monitors this queue and handles most reentry requests. Field staff should not request a reentry by mail, fax, through the internet, or via the QAUNIT mailbox.
If an intake specialist, not assigned to the reentry queue, receives a phone request from field staff for a reentry, he or she transfers the call to the reentry queue.
An intake specialist consults (staffs) with a supervisor on requests that come from the internet, mail or fax.
Technical Problems with a Report in a Stage Other Than Intake (INT)
Field staff calls the Customer Service Center (CSC) Help Desk at 877-642-4777 for help when the report is not it the intake (INT) stage. A reentry may not be necessary.
2861 Verifying the Requestor’s Employment
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The intake specialist compares the following details from the requestor to the data in that person’s staff record in IMPACT:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Region and Unit Number
- Supervisor’s Name (This will be needed to complete the template later.)
- Call back number
If the information matches, it is considered verified and the re-entry request may be completed. If the details do not match, a re-entry cannot be completed.
2862 Obtaining Details about a Reentry Request
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
The intake specialist obtains the following details:
- Requestor’s name.
- Requestor’s phone number.
- Requestor’s region and county.
- Requestor’s program.
- Case number or Report ID for reentry.
- Reason report needs to be reentered.
- Name and title of person authorizing the reentry.
- Name of the operation, if the reentry is related to Child Care Investigations, Child Care Regulation, or Provider Investigations.
- Date and time for new report. See 2821.1 Determining the Date and Time of the Report.
If a detail is unknown but is necessary to process the reentry, the intake specialist asks the requestor to call back with the information.
2863 Evaluating a Re-Entry Request
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2022
An intake specialist evaluates whether the re-entry request is valid and verifies that a supervisor (or higher) authorized the re-entry. Only a staff member within the same program may make these requests.
If the requestor calls for help deleting a report from a workload, the intake specialist tells the requestor to submit the request through Technology Assistance: Submit Your Own Ticket on the DFPS intranet. Application Support within the Program Support division handles the deletion.
Valid Request
See 2851 Reasons for a Re-Entry for what constitutes a valid request.
If the request is valid and a supervisor (or higher) from the same program authorized the re-entry, the intake specialist completes the re-entry.
The intake specialist duplicates the original report after validation and provides the requestor with the new report ID.
Invalid Request Received by Phone
If field staff can make the necessary changes themselves, the request is invalid and SWI does not complete a re-entry. See 2852 Changes That Do Not Require a Re-Entry.
If the reason for the request is not one of the valid reasons identified above or there is a disagreement about the assessment, the intake specialist asks the requestor if a program director (or higher) from the same program authorized the re-entry. The requestor does not need to be the person giving the authorization. Another staff member may relay the authorization. The intake specialist takes one of the following actions:
- If a program director (or higher) from the same program authorized the re-entry request, the intake specialist may complete the re-entry. If he or she still has questions about the validity of the re-entry, he or she consults with a supervisor or worker V.
- If a program director (or higher) from the same program did not authorize the re-entry request, the intake specialist consults with a supervisor or worker V. If the staffing supervisor agrees that the request is invalid, the intake specialist asks the requestor to get the necessary authorization. If the requestor does not get the authorization, the intake specialist does not complete the re-entry.
Invalid Request Received through Mail, Fax, or Internet
Field staff should not send a re-entry request by mail, by fax, or through the internet, but it may happen. If the requestor provides insufficient information or inadequate authorization, the intake specialist attempts to contact the requestor on the requestor’s business phone for clarification. The intake specialist takes one of the following actions:
- The intake specialist completes re-entry if he or she makes contact with the requestor, and the information supports a re-entry.
- The intake specialist consults with a staffing supervisor if he or she makes contact with the requestor, but the information does not support a re-entry or the requestor disagrees with SWI’s decision. If the staffing supervisor agrees that the request is invalid, the intake specialist asks the requestor to get the necessary authorization. If the requestor does not get the authorization, the intake specialist does not complete the re-entry.
- The intake specialist leaves a voicemail for the requestor if he or she does not make contact. In the voicemail, the intake specialist explains why the request cannot be completed and asks the requestor to contact the re-entry queue. The intake specialist completes an I&R Call Back for call-outs to field staff to get clarification and details on the request.
2864 Documenting a Re-Entry Request
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2022
The intake specialist documents each re-entry request as an information and referral (I&R) Other Business Call. If the request comes through mail, fax, or the internet, the submitted e-report or mail or fax report becomes the I&R Other Business Call.
In the I&R Other Business Call, the intake specialist:
- Documents the name, address, and phone number of the requestor as the reporter.
- Documents the same information entered in the original case in the In Regards To field.
- Documents the following in the narrative:
- Program requesting the re-entry.
- Reason for the re-entry request.
- Report ID or case number of the original report.
- Date and time of the report, whether it must match the original or be changed to the date and time of the request.
- Name of the supervisor (or higher) requesting or authorizing the re-entry.
- Reason the request was declined, if applicable.
- Documents the ID for the new report.
- Closes the report.
2865 Completing a Re-Entry
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2022
To complete an authorized and valid re-entry, the intake specialist takes the following steps, in order:
- Duplicates the original report.
- Changes the date and time to the date and time specified by the requestor, if applicable. See 2821.1 Determining the Date and Time of the Report.
- Designates the report as a re-entry.
- Selects the applicable reason for the re-entry.
- Backdating: Field staff requests a re-entry to correct the date and time, so both coincide with the initiation of the investigation.
- Child Safety Review: A child safety specialist requests the re-entry of a case that should not have been closed.
- Field Error: Field staff made an error such as incorrectly stage progressing or closing a case in error.
- SWI Error: A report cannot be acted upon due to an error by SWI staff.
- Technical Problems: IMPACT cannot process a report because of a technical issue.
- Other: A request that does not fit in one of these categories.
- Documents the following statement at the beginning of the narrative, with the appropriate information included: Re-entry for Report ID XXXXXX at the request of (name, program, title) because of (reason for the re-entry).
- Documents his or her name and title below the narrative of original report.
- Documents the requestor’s special instructions, if any.
- Updates other report elements according to the requestor’s instructions, as needed.
- Processes the report according to the requestor’s special instructions, if applicable. If not applicable, the intake specialist processes the report according to standard procedures.
2865.1 Reentering a Child Death CRSR as an Intake
SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023
When reentering a child death CRSR as an intake, the intake specialist does as follows:
- Duplicates the original CRSR, but only keeps the person list.
- Changes the date and time to the date and time specified by the requestor, if applicable. See 2821.1 Determining the Date and Time of the Report.
- Designates the report as a reentry.
- Selects Other as the reason for the reentry.
- Enters the name of the CPI Special Investigator (or person requesting the reentry) as the reporter, including address and phone numbers.
- Reviews the person list:
- Adds or removes persons from the list as applicable to the intake.
- Adds or corrects information about each person on the person list, including modifying the person types, roles, and relationship or interest.
- Documents the following statement at the beginning of the narrative with the appropriate information included: Reentry for Report ID XXXXXX at the request of (name, program, title) because child death CRSR upgraded to an intake.
- Conducts an interview and documents it in the narrative.
- Completes other sections applicable to the intake.
- Documents the requestor’s special instructions, if any.
- Assigns the report according to the requestor’s special instructions, if applicable. If not applicable, the intake specialist assigns the intake according to standard procedures.
See 4631 Death of a Child Not in DFPS Conservatorship.
2866 Sending the Re-Entry Feedback Template
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
When an intake specialist assigned to the re-entry queue completes a re-entry that was needed due to SWI error, he or she also does the following:
- Fills out the Re-Entry Feedback template.
- Sends the completed template to the supervisor of the intake specialist who generated the original report.
2867 Deleting the Original Report from a Workload
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
After SWI re-enters a report in IMPACT, field staff submits a ticket to delete the original to the Submit Your Own Ticket online application on the DFPS intranet. Application Support within the Program Support division handles the deletion of the report. SWI does not have the ability to delete reports from the workloads of field staff.
2868 Re-Entry Requests Handled by a SWI Supervisor or Worker V
SWI Policy and Procedures October 2020
The intake specialist consults with a supervisor or worker V if either of the following are true:
- Re-entry request involves a sensitive case.
- It is necessary to listen to the call recording.
If the staffing supervisor determines the request is valid, and a field supervisor (or higher) authorizes the re-entry, the intake specialist:
- Documents reason he or she gave the request to a supervisor or worker V.
- Documents name of the supervisor or worker V completing the re-entry in the narrative of the I&R Other Business Call.
- Provides the report ID for the I&R Other Business Call to the staffing supervisor.
- Closes the report.
The staffing supervisor may complete the re-entry or give necessary details to the intake specialist so he or she can complete it.