11000 SWI Child Protective Investigations (CPI) Intake Screening
11100 Legal Basis for Screening
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
State law requires DFPS to screen certain Child Protective Investigations (CPI) abuse and neglect intakes prior to assignment for investigation or alternative response and reprioritize less serious cases.
Prioritizing reports allows DFPS to investigate cases of abuse and neglect according to severity. A case is considered less serious if the circumstances of the case do not indicate an immediate or imminent threat of severe harm or death of a child as a result of abuse or neglect.
After contacting a professional or other credible source, DFPS determines whether a child’s safety can be assured without further investigation.
11200 Screening Purpose and Program Organization
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The purpose of the screening is to determine if the reported information requires investigation by clarifying and researching information related to the intake. Screeners do the following:
- Use critical thinking skills and professional judgement when prioritizing or closing intakes.
- Clearly document the rationale for decisions.
CPI seeks to avoid unwarranted intrusion into a child's life and the lives of the child's family or household members. However, ensuring the safety of the child remains the primary concern.
11210 SWI Child Protective Investigations (CPI) Screeners
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
Screeners review certain CPI intakes regarding abuse, neglect, and exploitation to determine assignment for investigation, alternative response, or closure. Screeners make decisions about the following:
- Intake prioritization.
- Assignment for investigation or alternative response.
- Appropriate referrals.
- Effective interventions with consideration for child safety factors.
Screeners may assist field staff with various tasks upon request.
11220 Screener Supervisor
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
Screener supervisors are responsible for:
- Assigning intakes to individual screeners on a rotating and fair basis.
- Consulting (staffing) with screeners about specific intakes to ensure correct assessment and approve the next actions taken with consideration for child safety factors, child vulnerability, and parental or caregiver protective capacities.
- Delegating supervisory duties when the supervisor is absent.
11230 Screener Program Administrator
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener program administrator provides leadership and support to screening staff and supervisors.
11240 Workload Distribution
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
IMPACT routes eligible intakes to a screener’s workload for screening. To help manage caseloads, cases are distributed across all units.
If an intake is incorrectly assigned, it is the responsibility of the screener to notify the screener supervisor and ensure the intake is sent to the correct jurisdiction.
See 2850 Reentering Reports (Reentry).
11250 Sensitive Intakes
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
Screener supervisors receive sensitive intakes for review by regional field staff designated as sensitive contacts. The screener supervisor assigns the sensitive intakes to appropriate screening staff. Sensitive intakes received regarding a DFPS employee as an alleged perpetrator are screened by a screener supervisor.
11300 Screening Process
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener uses the following to assess intakes on a case-by-case basis:
- Statutory definitions of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
- CPI jurisdiction, policy, and procedures.
- Quality investigative practice, including research of prior intakes or investigations for prioritization decisions.
- Professional judgment.
The screener reviews the intake to determine screening eligibility and the accuracy of the initial priority. The screener assesses:
- Information about the severity of the allegation.
- Risk to all children involved.
- History of all alleged perpetrators
- Credibility of the reporter. Previous history helps the screener determine if the reporter made false accusations or invalid reports in the past.
Reviewing the intake narrative provides the screener with a general sense of the case. The primary focus of this review is to determine whether the intake meets criteria for investigation.
11310 Criteria
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
Priority 2
Screeners review Priority 2 (P2) intakes when all victims are children at least 6 years old and there is not an open CPI or CPS case in any of the following stages:
- Alternative Response (AR)
- Investigation (INV)
- Family Preservation (FPR)
- Family Substitute Care (FSU)
- Family Reunification (FRE)
Screeners also review P2 school intakes when the alleged victim was a child at the time the abuse or neglect occurred.
See:
4430 CPI Screener Eligibility Question
Priority None
Screeners review all Priority None (PN) intakes, regardless of the child’s age.
Note: This includes child death intakes with one of the following PN codes:
- Child Death/Incident Addressed in Previous Case
- Past Abuse or Neglect; No Current Safety Issues
See 11530 Child Deaths for more information.
See also:
11320 Eligibility
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener answers the questions for determining eligibility in the Formal Screening section of the Priority/Closure page in IMPACT for all screened intakes, regardless of priority. The screener takes the appropriate actions, as described in the table below.
Eligibility for Formal Screening
Screener Action |
|
Not eligible |
|
Eligible or eligibility unknown |
|
11321 Not Eligible for Formal Screening
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
A screener may determine that an intake is ineligible for screening at the initial eligibility stage or after formal screening begins.
An intake is not eligible for screening when any of the following is true:
- The initial priority of the intake is a P1.
- A child is in immediate or imminent threat of severe harm or death as a result of abuse or neglect.
- Any alleged victim in a P2 intake is 5 years old or younger.
- There is an open CPI or CPS case in any of the following stages (see 4430 CPI Screener Eligibility Question:
- Alternative Response (A-R)
- Investigation (INV)
- Family Preservation (FPR)
- Family Substitute Care (FSU)
- Family Reunification (FRE)
- A previous intake was investigated within the last 12 months and dispositioned as Unable to Complete (UTC).
- The intake is a P2 with allegations that abuse or neglect contributed to a child’s death, even if there are no living children in the home. See 11530 Child Deaths
- The screener obtains additional information from a collateral or reporter that makes the intake ineligible.
An intake may become ineligible for screening if an open intake with a common principal is progressed to the Investigation stage. Multiple reporters may make a report with SWI about the same people at or around the same time.
11330 Times Frames
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
Within 72 hours of the time and date the report was initiated at SWI, screening for intakes that meet the formal screening criteria are completed. The screener contacts the reporter or collaterals for additional information or clarification, when necessary. When a case does not require additional information, the screener reviews and progresses or closes the intake within 24 hours from the time and date it was assigned.
If the screener believes an intake needs to be upgraded to a Priority 1, the screener completes all formal screening activities immediately and consults with a screener supervisor.
The screener does not hold an intake on the screener’s workload after completing screening tasks. Cases are assigned to CPI immediately after progressing to investigations or alternative response.
11340 Contacting and Interviewing
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener must contact a reliable collateral or a principal who is able to provide new and relevant information about the allegations and current safety of the child.
If the family lived out-of-state previously, the screener contacts the other state’s protective service agency for any history on the family.
11341 Contacting Reporters
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener contacts the reporter to:
- Clarify information in the intake including severity indicators, safety concerns, and risk factors.
- Request any additional information since the time of the intake.
- Gather any needed collateral information.
- Clarify the location of the child and alleged perpetrator.
The screener begins collateral contact with the reporter for every formally screened intake. The screener documents all attempts to contact the reporter, even when the contact was unsuccessful. If the reporter is an alleged victim or perpetrator, the screener consults with a screener supervisor for guidance before making contact. The screener may contact a reporter who is an alleged victim or perpetrator in the following circumstances:
- The reporter is an alleged victim, and there is limited identifying and locating information for that person.
- The reporter is an alleged perpetrator, and there are concerns that a role or allegation is assigned to that person in error.
See 11510 Mandatory Consultations.
11342 Contacting Collaterals
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener contacts collateral sources to obtain significant information related to the intake allegations. After contacting the reporter, the screener contacts all other collaterals from the intake or those identified by the reporter. Collateral information may also come from research of case history. The screener documents all attempts to contact a collateral, even when the contact is unsuccessful.
Child safety must remain the priority when the screener makes decisions about contacting collaterals. The screener considers if the collateral might jeopardize the investigation by alerting the alleged perpetrator in the intake.
If a collateral source is not listed in the current intake or does not respond to an attempt by the screener to gather more information, then the screener does all of the following:
- Reviews all IMPACT records for the family to determine if another collateral can provide information relevant to the case.
- Documents the attempts to contact or locate a collateral in the Collateral Contact section of the Formal Screening Contact Narrative.
- Documents the reason contacting the collateral is not required for determining if an investigation is needed.
The screener may obtain supporting documents (photos or medical paperwork) from the reporter or collateral by providing an email address where the reporter or collateral can send the documents. The screener attaches these documents in the email sent to the router and supervisor. These documents are not used as a primary source for making a prioritization decision.
The DFPS Law Enforcement Locator determines which law enforcement agency the screener may contact for collateral information about calls to the family’s address. External databases used by screeners may provide the names of relatives, people who live at the same address, or other people associated with the intake who can provide collateral information.
11342.1 Reliable Collateral
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
A reliable collateral is a person who meets the following criteria:
- Has a professional or personal relationship with the child or family.
- Has knowledge about the concerns documented in the report and the current safety of the child.
Examples of reliable collaterals include:
- Teachers, school counselors, or other administrators.
- Medical professionals.
- Law enforcement.
- Probation and parole officers.
- Mental health professionals.
- Service providers such as speech therapists, occupational therapists, or other Early Childhood Intervention providers.
- Relatives or other people who are likely to have relevant information.
- Neighbors who are likely to have relevant information.
- DFPS staff who know the family. DFPS staff cannot serve as the only collateral contact.
Before closing an intake, the screener attempts to contact one or more reliable collaterals during the screening process to refute allegations or indicate that the child’s safety can be assured.
11342.2 People Who Are Not Appropriate to Contact
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener does not contact the following people:
- Alleged perpetrator
- Victim
- Other minors who are not the reporter (for example, the alleged victim’s 16-year-old best friend)
11343 Contacting Principal Sources or Parents
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener may contact a principal source or the parent, managing conservator, or legal guardian of an alleged victim. Before making contact, the screener must complete the following steps:
- To prevent initiating the investigation, the screener must first confirm that the principal source, parent, managing conservator, or legal guardian is not listed as an alleged perpetrator (AP) in the intake.
- If the principal source, parent, managing conservator, or legal guardian is not an AP, the screener confirms that he or she is aware of the intake by answering yes to at least one of the following questions:
- Is the principal source, parent, managing conservator, or legal guardian aware that the intake was made?
- Is the principal source, parent, managing conservator, or legal guardian the reporter?
- Is the intake being made on behalf of the principal source, parent, managing conservator, or legal guardian or with their knowledge or information provided by them?
- If the screener answers yes to at least one of the questions in step two and has confirmed that the principal source, parent, managing conservator, or legal guardian is not an AP, the screener then consults with a screener supervisor or designee to obtain:
- Confirmation he or she can contact the principal source, parent, managing conservator, or legal guardian.
- Guidance on the extent to which he or she may question the principal source, parent, managing conservator, or legal guardian.
See Contacting Parents During CPI Screening.
11400 Searching
11410 Searching for DFPS History
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
During the initial eligibility screening, the screener performs a cursory history search for open cases and reviews the Principal Case History list. A thorough examination of each principal’s case history is necessary to determine if the family has prior history with DFPS. If the screener finds case history, he or she reviews and considers the history and summarizes it in the IMPACT History section of the Formal Screening Contact Narrative.
11420 Analyzing History
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
Reviewing case history provides the screener a better understanding of:
- Family and interpersonal dynamics
- Patterns of abuse or neglect
- Past cooperation with DFPS
Case history can also help the screener formulate questions when contacting the reporter and other collateral contacts.
If the screener finds case history, he or she does the following:
- Fully documents the last five cases involving the family, regardless of stage.
- Fully documents all substitute care (SUB), family substitute care (FSU), and child death cases even when they are not the five most recent cases involving the family.
For all other cases involving the family, the screener may document abbreviated case history. The screener fully documents all case history when reasonable and appropriate.
Case history is documented in the IMPACT History section of the Formal Screening Contact Narrative. The screener uses the Screener Case History Template for consistency in documentation from the different stages in a contact narrative.
11430 External Resources
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
When an intake has incomplete or inaccurate information about principals involved, the screener uses the following resources to complete and confirm information during screening:
- Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS)
- Data Broker
- Other reliable external resources
These resources can help the screener complete household, demographic, locating, and criminal history information on all principals that may be missing in the intake. External resource results may provide information that makes an intake ineligible for screening.
When the screener finds information about a person through an external resource, the screener documents the information in the Formal Screening Contact Narrative.
11431 Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS) Searches
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
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)
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
TIERS provides information such as a current address, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for members of a household. Searching TIERS is helpful when the intake has:
- Limited or no locating information for the family.
- Incomplete information for household members.
- Limited information on the household composition.
The screener must perform a TIERS search for intakes involving physical abuse allegations. It is recommended a TIERS search is completed on all screened intakes.
11432 Data Brokers
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
Data Broker is used to find locating information and criurminal history on people involved in DFPS cases. Searching Data Broker is helpful when:
- A TIERS search failed to return results.
- Locating collateral contacts who may live at the same address.
- Seeking criminal case history information.
Note: Criminal case history results from Data Broker may not be as accurate as those run in IMPACT.
11433 Other External Resources
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener may use other resources when TIERS and Data Broker are unable to provide additional information on people involved in the intake. Those resources include, but are not limited to, the following:
- White pages
- County appraisal district websites
- Sex offender registries
- Inmate searches
- Facebook and other social media
- Family Tree Now
- True People Search
11500 Consulting (Staffing)
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
Consulting (staffing) with a screener supervisor is an option any time the screener feels it is beneficial. Although not required, it is recommended that a screener consult with a screener supervisor for approval to close an intake without investigation in either of the following situations:
- The allegations involve sex trafficking or labor trafficking.
- The alleged perpetrator is school personnel.
Circumstances for mandatory consultation with a screener supervisor are explained below.
See CPI Screener Staffing Guidance.
11510 Children in DFPS Conservatorship
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener must consult with and receive approval from the screener supervisor to close an intake without investigation when a principal child is in DFPS conservatorship.
Intakes involving children in DFPS conservatorship may only be closed as a PN when the incident:
- Involves allegations addressed entirely by a previous investigation. The closure code is Incident addressed in previous case.
- Is within the jurisdiction of another DFPS program. The closure code is Incident jurisdiction of other DFPS program.
- Falls under the jurisdiction of another Texas state agency or another state. The closure code is Incident responsibility of Other Agency/Out of State.
No other PN closure codes are used for intakes involving children in DFPS conservatorship.
11520 Child Deaths
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener must consult with a supervisor on any intake involving a child death either in the current intake or in case history.
PN Code: Child Death/Incident Addressed in Previous Case
The screener may review a child death intake that meets all of the following criteria:
- The initial priority is PN code Child Death/Incident Addressed in Previous Case.
- The incident resulting in the child’s death has been previously investigated and closed.
- Abuse or neglect is alleged to be a contributing factor in the child’s death.
- There are no current allegations of abuse or neglect for other living children.
See 4631.5 Priority None (PN).
PN Code: Past Abuse or Neglect; No Current Safety Issues
The screener may also review a child death intake that meets all of the following criteria:
- The initial priority is PN code Past Abuse or Neglect; No Current Safety Issues.
- The incident involving the child’s death was either never investigated or investigated and closed.
- There are past allegations of abuse or neglect for the deceased child or other living children.
- There are no current allegations of abuse or neglect for other living children.
- The information about the child’s death is vague, unclear, or unknown.
See 4631.5 Priority None (PN).
Does Not Meet Criteria for Review
If the child death intake does not meet the criteria above, the screener does the following:
- Immediately sends the intake to traditional investigation for further review.
- Does not stage progress the intakes. These cases must be received by the investigations staff in the intake stage.
11530 Other Situations that Require Mandatory Consultation
SWI Policy and Procedures September 2023
The screener must consult with and receive approval from the screener supervisor to do any of the following:
- Upgrade the priority of an intake. The screener must communicate the urgency of the new priority to the caseworker.
- Close an intake with an initial priority of PN when an alleged victim is 5 years old or younger.
- Downgrade an intake with an initial priority of P2 to a PN for closure without investigation in any of the following situations:
- Contact with the reporter and at least one collateral was unsuccessful, and one of the following is true:
- The intake clearly does not meet Texas Family Code definitions of abuse or neglect.
- The allegations were addressed in a previous case.
- SWI made an initial assessment error.
- Contact is only made with the reporter.
- Contact is only made with a collateral, and the reporter was not a law enforcement agency referring information received from an anonymous reporter.
- Contact is only made with a reporter who is an alleged victim or perpetrator.
- History on the family involves a child death.
- Contact with the reporter and at least one collateral was unsuccessful, and one of the following is true:
11600 Decisions (Assessments)
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener decides whether DFPS needs continued involvement with the family or the intake can be closed.
When the screener determines that continued involvement is necessary, he or she decides if the intake is progressed to alternative response or traditional investigations.
Screening decisions are guided by:
- DFPS policy.
- Texas Family Code definitions of abuse and neglect.
- CPI Intake Guidelines and assessment tools.
- Alternative Response Practice Model.
- Safety Threshold (out-of-control, severity, child vulnerability, specific time frame, and observable and specific).
- Case history.
- Past intervention and cooperation by the family.
- Involvement of professional reporters, including doctors or law enforcement.
- Jurisdiction guidelines.
See CPI Screener Assessment Guidelines
11610 Assessment Responses
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
There are three possible responses a screener can recommend for an intake:
- Traditional investigations
- Alternative response
- Case closure
11611 Traditional Investigations
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
Certain situations require the screener to send an intake for a traditional investigative response.
See Child Protective Services Handbook,2611.1 Intakes Ineligible for Alternative Response.
Sending a case to traditional investigations may result in the screener upgrading the intake priority. The screener uses the following factors to determine whether to upgrade the priority:
- Legal definitions of abuse and neglect.
- CPI intake guidelines.
- Safety threats and present danger.
- Child vulnerability and protective factors.
- DFPS records or other agency records.
- Obtained collateral or reporter Information.
- DFPS policy.
See 11510 Mandatory Consultations.
11612 Alternative Response
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
Alternative Response (AR) is a shift in how CPI responds to certain cases of alleged abuse or neglect while providing formal interventions to keep children safe.
See Child Protective Services Handbook, 2600 Alternative Response.
All screened intakes are eligible for AR and assigned to the AR pathway unless the intake meets any of the following criteria:
- Requires a P1 response.
- Is appropriate for closure.
- Requires a traditional investigation.
Intakes that progress to the AR pathway are P2s that involve less immediate safety threats or risk to the child. If an intake with an initial priority of PN will progress to AR, the screener upgrades it to a P2 with supervisor approval.
See 11510 Mandatory Consultations.
Within 24 hours of the intake being progressed by the screener, field staff may return the intake to the screener to be routed to traditional investigations, if field staff determine that pathway is more appropriate.
See Change Case from A-R to INV Stage.
11613 Case Closure with Differential Response
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
Differential Response (DR) is for situations that meet the following criteria:
- A family is experiencing an identifiable challenge or could benefit from a community service to help with a challenge.
- The situation does not meet the criteria for investigation or AR.
DR strengthens DFPS's referral process by helping families find resources and encouraging their use.
The screener may decide, when closing a case, to provide DR. The screener contacts the parent, regardless of the parent’s identified role in the intake, during DR to provide him or her with resources or referrals that do the following:
- Assist the family with challenges it may be experiencing.
- Reduce the risk of future abuse or neglect.
The screener may contact a parent who is an alleged perpetrator during DR. Contacting a parent during DR does not initiate an investigation. Within 72 hours of the time of intake, the screener contacts the parent to provide him or her with specific resources to assist the family. The screener may consult with a supervisor for guidance before contacting a parent.
The screener documents the contact with the parent separate from the Formal Screening Contact Narrative. It is best practice to document contact with the parent prior to closing the intake. If the intake is closed, the screener documents the contact as a Closed Stage Addendum in IMPACT.
If a parent offers information that changes the screener’s assessment, the screener consults with a screener supervisor for guidance. The screener can progress the current intake for alternative response or traditional investigation if it has not been closed in IMPACT, or the screener may need to contact SWI to have the intake reentered or have a new intake generated.
See 2850 Reentering Reports (Reentry).
11620 Changing the Priority of an Intake about Abuse or Neglect
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
When the screener upgrades an intake to a P1, he or she notifies the regional routing coordinator (RC) about the intake by phone or email. The screener considers the amount of time left for the caseworker to meet investigation time frames when sending an email.
A screener supervisor or screener can change the priority of an intake. The following table describes how to change the priority in IMPACT.
Changing the Priority Assigned to an Intake
| IMPACT Code |
Reason for Change |
|---|---|
Due to Additional Calls Made |
Calls made to collaterals after initial intake provided additional information to support a priority change. |
Due to Local Records |
Information in local records revealed information to support a priority change. |
Inconsistent with Documented Risk |
The level of risk documented in the intake does not support the initial priority assigned. |
P1 Response Increases Vulnerability |
Responding within 24 hours may increase a child’s vulnerability. Example: To avoid escalating a situation, the caseworker delays the response until an unprotected child is in a more protective environment, such as at school or day care. |
Closed and Reclassified |
The allegations warrant follow-up by a different DFPS program area. The intake must be reentered as a report for another DFPS division. When Closed and Reclassified is selected changing an intake’s priority, Closed and Reclassified is selected for closing the intake. Example: A CPI intake alleges that the victim is a 16-year-old with an intellectual disability, but records indicate that the victim is actually a 19-year-old adult. The CPI intake is closed and reclassified as APS. |
Other Agency/Out of State |
The intake is outside CPI’s jurisdiction and must be handled by law enforcement, another Texas agency such as HHSC, or another state’s child protection agency staff. When Other Agency/Out of State is selected for changing the priority, Other Agency/Out of State must be selected for closing the intake. |
11630 Forwarding to Program or Closing the Intake
11631 Intakes That Clearly Meet Investigation Guidelines
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
When an intake clearly meets the guidelines for investigation or alternative response and no clarification of information is needed, the screener does all of the following:
- Documents the case history and actions taken to make the recommendation.
- Progresses the case to the next stage.
- Forwards the intake for investigation or alternative response following regional protocols.
Note: If an intake eligible for screening contains information that needs clarification or does not clearly meet the guidelines for investigation or alternative response, the screener completes the formal screening.
Recommending a Formally Screened Intake for Investigation or Alternative Response
When the screener recommends a formally screened intake for investigation or alternative response, he or she documents the actions taken to make the recommendation. The screener must progress the intake to the investigation stage or alternative response before sending it to the next caseworker.
If the original priority of the screened intake is a PN and the screener recommends it for investigation or alternative response, he or she must upgrade the priority of the intake before progressing it to the next stage.
See 11510 Mandatory Consultations.
11632 Closing an Intake
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
To close an intake, the screener must contact the reporter or a collateral and obtain meaningful information that meets both of the following criteria:
- Was not contained in the initial intake.
- Refutes the allegations or indicates that the child’s safety is assured.
The screener may close the intake without making contact in the following situations:
- Allegation was previously investigated.
- Intake not within the agency’s jurisdiction.
- Intake clearly does not meet abuse or neglect guidelines.
See 11800 Notifications.
11632.1 Closing Intakes Without Assignment for Investigation
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener may close an intake without assigning for investigation for any of the following reasons:
- There is not a reasonable likelihood that a child will be abused or neglected in the foreseeable future. This does not apply when the intake is related to certain child deaths.
See 11632.2 Closing Child Death Intakes without Assignment
- Reasonable effort is made to find additional locating information in the intake, but the child or the child’s family or household cannot be located.
- The current information was investigated in a case closed before the date of the new intake. The screener documents the closed case number and how the current case information in the new intake was addressed in the closed investigation.
- All allegations, alleged perpetrators, victim children, and incidences must have been investigated in the previous closed case.
- The screener merges PN intakes closed without assignment with any prior case history on the family in IMPACT.
11632.2 Closing Child Death Intakes Without Investigation
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
Intakes involving child deaths are not eligible for closure without investigation unless both of the following apply:
- No allegations involve living children in the home.
- The child’s death has been investigated and dispositioned.
All other child death intakes are assigned for investigation.
A child death intake of any priority other than a PN is ineligible for formal screening. The screener immediately consults with a supervisor in these circumstances.
See 11530 Child Deaths.
11632.3 Closing Intakes for Children in DFPS Conservatorship
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener may close an intake for a child in DFPS conservatorship without assignment if one of the following is true:
- All the allegations in the current intake have been investigated.
- The allegations do not fall within CPI’s jurisdiction.
See 11520 Children in DFPS Conservatorship.
11632.4 Closing Intakes for Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC)
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener is not required to consult with a supervisor before closing an intake that meets the following criteria:
- The intake involves abuse or neglect of an unaccompanied alien child that occurred in the child’s home country.
- The priority is a PN.
- The screener is unable to reach the reporter and collateral.
If the initial intake priority is a P2 and the screener is unable to contact the reporter or collateral, he or she must receive approval from a supervisor to close the intake as a PN without investigation.
The screener listens to the call recording associated with the intake and documents any additional information obtained from the recording before case closure.
11700 Documenting the Screening
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screening clearly and specifically articulates all of the following:
- Threats, or lack of threats, to child safety.
- Factors affecting child vulnerability.
- Caregiver protective actions or factors affecting parent-caregiver protective capacity.
The screener thoroughly documents the rationale for his or her assessment in the Formal Screening Contact Narrative in IMPACT. The screening assessment is incomplete without support. Using the required terminology without clear and specific explanation is not enough for an assessment. The screener documents any concerns or observed trends from reviewing case history and how those influence the screener’s assessment. The legal definition of abuse or neglect cannot be the only justification for case closure.
See Writing Screener Assessments.
11710 Formal Questions in IMPACT
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
Before progressing or closing an intake that is eligible for formal screening, the screener takes the following actions in IMPACT:
- Documents the following in the intake stage and contact detail narrative, using Formal Screening as the purpose code:
- The results of the person search, including a summary of any prior DFPS history.
- The contacts made and attempted.
- The rationale for the decision to close the intake or progress it to the next stage.
- Documents in the Priority/Closure page whether the intake was formally screened.
11720 Document within 24 Hours
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
The screener documents all actions taken and contacts made within 24 hours. If an intake is progressed for investigation or alternative response, the screener documents his or her actions and contacts quickly and progresses the case in a timely manner.
Tracking
The Tracking Log captures both eligible and ineligible intakes assigned to screeners. The screener supervisor uses the Tracking Log to monitor the screener’s workload, evaluate the outcomes of the intakes screened, and track patterns and trends in screening.
11730 When a Formal Screening is Not Conducted
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
If an intake is eligible for formal screening but one is not conducted, the supervisor or screener takes the following actions before progressing the intake to the next stage or closing it without assignment for investigation:
- Selects no to the question Was the Intake Formally Screened in the Formal Screening section of the Priority/Closure page in the intake stage.
- Documents the reason the formal screening was not conducted in the Contact Detail page of the intake stage.
To complete the review without a formal screening, the screener does the following:
- Approves or changes the initial priority assigned to the intake.
- Approves or changes the action recommended for the intake.
- Records the changes in the intake stage in IMPACT.
See:
11632.2 Closing Child Death Intakes without Assignment
11632.3 Closing Intakes without Assignment for Children in DFPS Conservatorship
11800 Notifications
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
When the screener closes an intake without investigation or alternative response after his or her review, the screener notifies the reporter about the decision by generating a letter in IMPACT before closing the intake.
See Generate the Closure Letter.
11900 Special Topics
11910 Call Recordings
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
SWI uses a call recording application for all hotline phone activity, including consultations between intake specialists and supervisors.
The screener can listen to the recorded call audio when information in the intake seems:
- Incorrect
- Vague or incomplete
- Confusing
Comparing the intake documentation to the call recording helps the screener determine whether the intake specialist accurately documented all information in the intake.
See 1520 Call Recordings.
11920 Follow-up to SWI Documentation
SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023
Screeners notify the SWI Policy and Performance Management (PPM) division when a case involves any of the following:
- Routing error.
- Incorrect program assessment.
- Incorrect, missing, or unclear information.
- A priority assessment error.
- Concern about the intake specialist’s conduct.
- A quality issue that does not need immediate action or resolution.
Depending on the urgency of the matter, screeners may need to call the SWI reentry queue directly to complete a reentry request. For non-urgent matters, an email to PPM may be appropriate. It is never appropriate to contact a specific intake specialist or intake supervisor directly by phone or email.
See 2850 Reentering Reports (Reentry).