INSTRUCTIONS TO STAFF 340:75-3-6
Revised 3-26-10
1. (a) Hotline functions.
(1) Centralized Hotline staff:
(A) document reports of abuse and neglect;
(B) provide information concerning emergency after-hours assessments and investigations; and
(C) process abuse and neglect reports for response by the appropriate county.
(i) In instances where there is a disagreement regarding how a Child Protective Services (CPS) referral is accepted or prioritized by the OKDHS Abuse & Neglect Hotline, the chain of command is followed until the disagreement is resolved.
(l)The local supervisor contacts the Hotline supervisor.
(ll) The local supervisor contacts the designated county director, assistant county director, or child welfare field liaison (CWFL) who attempts to resolve the issue with the Hotline assistant director.
(lll) The Hotline director is contacted.
(lV) The CPS programs manager is contacted.
(ii) When the original acceptance or prioritization requires change, the OKDHS Abuse & Neglect Hotline does an override and enters the new designation.
(2) The Hotline is not a message service for Child Welfare (CW) staff or the public.
(3) The Hotline number is provided to the public for reporting abuse and neglect.
(4) The ongoing responsibilities of Hotline staff are listed in (A) through (G).
(A) Reports received through the Hotline are documented in KIDS and a determination is made whether the allegations in the report indicate the need for an emergency response. If so, the Hotline staff informs county CW staff immediately for response.
(B) The Hotline staff prioritize all reports to determine whether any report meets the criteria of a Priority I or an emergency requiring immediate contact with county CW staff for response.
(C) Hotline staff conducts Information Management System (IMS) and KIDS searches on all reports. When a KIDS search is not conducted due to KIDS down time, the Hotline staff documents the down time on the report.
(D) Inquiries from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for information concerning the history of a deceased child are documented as a report in KIDS by Hotline staff and sent to the county of last contact with the child and family. Hotline staff:
(i) provides the medical examiner with initial information obtained through KIDS and IMS searches;
(ii) informs the medical examiner which county will be notified and may be contacted for additional information;
(iii) when there is no record of contact with the child or family, sends the KIDS referral to the county of address. The county of address contacts the medical examiner to provide current information;
(iv) when the medical examiner inquiry indicates an investigation will be conducted, immediately notifies the county of address; and
(v) forwards information concerning the medical examiner inquiry to Children and Family Services Division (CFSD) CPS Section for documentation of the child's death.
(E) Reports received appropriate for investigation by the Office of Client Advocacy are documented in KIDS by Hotline staff and sent via KIDS to the county of the child's location for information only. The report is screened out for CPS investigation by the county. Hotline staff faxes a copy of Form 04KI001E, Referral Information Report, to the Office of Client Advocacy.
(F) Hotline staff do not release on-call pager numbers or CW workers' personal phone numbers.
(G) Hotline staff send reminder messages to the county CW offices by e-mail to maintain a current on-call list. When changes are made to the on-call list, Hotline staff is immediately notified by e-mail, phone, or fax.
(b) County notification during office hours. Hotline staff enter child abuse and neglect reports in KIDS and forward the report via KIDS to the county where the child victim is located. When a referral is a Priority I, the county is contacted by phone. Reports are sent only to the counties in which child victims are located, even when other family members reside in other counties. The county where the child victim is located notifies and coordinates the investigation with other counties as necessary.
(c) County notification after office hours.
(1) When county staff requires notification of a Priority 1 referral, child’s runaway status, need for medical consent, or other emergency, the Hotline staff:
(A) determines the on-call worker by reviewing the on-call list from KIDS;
(B) uses the most expeditious method to contact the on-call worker; and
(C) notifies the on-call worker electronically and verbally of all report information.
(2) The on-call worker takes the complete referral or emergency information and contacts all appropriate staff to address the issue.
(A) When the on-call worker does not respond by phone, the worker is paged by Hotline staff.
(B) When there is no response from the on-call worker to the page after 20 minutes, the worker's supervisor is contacted by phone or page. The supervisor takes the complete report or emergency information and locates the on-call worker or arranges for another worker to respond.
(C) The on-call worker may consult his or her supervisor to determine if an emergency response is required to the report.
(d) County responsibilities when working with Hotline staff.
(1) Counties are responsible for maintaining a current on-call list accessible through KIDS. The on-call schedule for the upcoming month is entered in KIDS by the end of the preceding month. The on-call list includes the name, home and alternate telephone numbers, and on-call dates of each person and back-up person on-call.
(2) When contacted by Hotline staff, the on-call worker takes complete report information and other information necessary for after-hour emergency response. Each county:
(A) maintains a protocol for emergency response to after-hour Hotline calls; and
(B) designates whether the on-call worker or another worker is responsible for responding to the emergency.
(3) The on-call worker for each county has a current statewide on-call list available with telephone numbers for appropriate supervisors, county directors, and other local providers, including but not limited to, foster parents and shelters.
(4) The Hotline number is provided for the reporting of abuse or neglect and is not used as an after-hours message number or indicated as such on CW staff business cards.
(5) The on-call worker returns pages or calls from the Hotline on the outgoing line, not on the toll-free Hotline number.
(6) All forms of designated communication devices are charged and in the on position and within hearing range of the on-call worker at all times.
(7) When a report of child abuse or neglect has been sent or reported to an incorrect county, the Hotline, if still engaged, or the county in receipt of the report, forwards the report to the appropriate county.
(8) When a Priority I report is not assigned during business hours, county staff refer the report to the on-call worker.
2. (a) Purpose of CPS. Assessment of safety begins at intake and continues until case closure. Four purposes of Child Protective Services (CPS) intake are to:
(1) assist and guide the reporter in providing information regarding alleged child abuse, neglect, or both;
(2) interpret what child abuse and neglect is to the reporter;
(3) identify possible child abuse, neglect, or both; and
(4) gather sufficient information to make necessary decisions.
(b) CPS intake decisions. At CPS intake, decisions are made in response to questions in (1) and (2).
(1) Does the report meet Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) guidelines for child abuse, neglect, or indicate safety threats to a child?
(2) How urgent is the report?
3. Hotline reports. Reports to the OKDHS Abuse and Neglect Hotline are made by any person, including OKDHS employees, and received by phone, in writing, or in person. CW staff may make a report on the basis of media reports, personal observations or reviews conducted by CW staff, or other situations when a person believes a child is at risk.
4. Interviewing the reporter. The process of interviewing the person reporting suspected abuse or neglect is critical to the protection of children. The report is immediately documented on Form 04KI001E, Referral Information Report. Gathering background information begins immediately upon receipt of a report of abuse or neglect.
(a) Assisting the reporter. The Child Welfare (CW) worker assists the reporter by:
(1) responding to the fears and concerns of the reporter; and
(2) discussing confidentiality.
(A) It is contrary to state and federal laws and OKDHS policy for the identity of the reporter or other information contained in the child abuse or neglect case record to be disclosed to any unauthorized person without a court order.
(B) The reporter is advised of the court process and that in some cases persons who have relevant information are needed in court to testify regarding the child's need for protection. Depending on practices of local court systems, court reports and other documents may be included in the court's case record.
(C) When a report of abuse or neglect is made alleging someone other than the person responsible for the child (PRFC) is the perpetrator, the reporter is advised that the reported information is shared with law enforcement and, if law enforcement requests, the identity of the reporter is provided;
(3) explaining the importance of reporting;
(4) explaining the role of CPS;
(5) explaining what information may be disclosed, at the completion of an assessment or investigation per OAC 340:75-3-13, to the reporter who identifies himself or herself; and
(6) providing the reporter with the KIDS referral number.
(b) Gathering information. The focus of the interview with the reporter is to obtain information that relates to harm or safety threats to the child.
(1) Information obtained focuses on:
(A) the alleged abuse or neglect;
(B) each child in the home;
(C) PRFC(s); and
(D) family functioning.
(2) The decision regarding acceptance of the report for assessment or investigation and the urgency of the response required is made solely on information obtained during the interview with the reporter.
(3) The appropriate CPS response is based on the information provided.
5. Diligent documentation. The CW Hotline worker makes diligent efforts to obtain and document:
(1) the reporter's name, address, and phone number;
(2) the relationship of the reporter to the child and family and how well the reporter knows them;
(3) whether the reporter knows of previous abuse or neglect;
(4) the reason for reporting;
(5) the reporter's source of information, such as personal knowledge or other sources;
(6) the names of any collaterals;
(7) the family's response, if the reporter has shared the concern with them;
(8) the identity and location of the child and PRFC;
(9) whether the reporter knows of any unsafe conditions in the home, such as:
(A) loaded firearms or other weapons;
(B) persons who are volatile or mentally ill; and
(C) use and types of illegal substances or any known manufacturing, distribution, or both, of illegal substances;
(10) the seriousness of the situation and the urgency of response; and
(11) the family's primary language.
6. Background information.
(a) Procedures. If information in the initial report is not sufficient, gathering of background information continues throughout the assessment or investigation until additional information is obtained.
(1) Background information includes whether the child and family are:
(A) known to OKDHS and CPS;
(B) currently receiving OKDHS or CW services;
(C) known to another state's CPS; or
(D) known to law enforcement due to reports of domestic violence, significant substance abuse, or sexual abuse.
(2) The CW Hotline worker gathers background information by:
(A) checking the Child Abuse and Neglect Information System for protective services alerts or previous CW reports. The Information Management System (IMS), including X-mail for an address search, and KIDS are reviewed for every person included in the report;
(B) contacting CFSD CPS Section immediately for additional information when a designated child protective services alert is found as a result of a search;
(C) reviewing the history of OKDHS services received. All OKDHS records sources are checked, including medical services history, Family Support Services Division and Oklahoma Child Support Services, OKDHS adoption, resource, and pre-resource records and, if applicable, Juvenile Justice Information System (JOLTS). If any CW case record is unavailable due to storage in CFSD Adoption Services Section, restricted status on KIDS, or storage in archives, CFSD CPS Section is contacted for assistance in obtaining any necessary case information;
(D) contacting any collateral that may have pertinent information to assist in making priority decisions;
(E) obtaining the name of any current OKDHS worker involved with the family. Contact with the current OKDHS worker is initiated, when possible, prior to the first contact with the child and family;
(F) contacting any county that has had CW contact with the family to determine the nature of the contact and to request the case records;
(G) contacting CPS in another state upon receipt of information that the family may have had CPS involvement in that state, including:
(i) making a verbal request for records;
(ii) following up with a written request for the records; and
(iii) scanning the records into the KK case File Cabinet upon receipt. If the volume makes scanning difficult, document in KIDS contact that the records are located in the case paper file;
(H) contacting law enforcement and obtaining any police records when the report alleges domestic violence, significant substance abuse, or sexual abuse; and
(I) screening the report to determine whether it is assigned using criteria, per OAC 340:75-3-7 Instructions to Staff (ITS).
(b) Exceptions. A check for OKDHS records and background information on the family is completed, prior to initiating the assessment or investigation, unless:
(1) an urgent response is required and there is no time to check prior to responding to the report; or
(2) the report was received after office hours and it is not possible to access KIDS or IMS.
(c) Unable to locate finding. Any allegations previously made that resulted in a finding of unable to locate are documented on Form 04KI001E, Referral Information Report, and assigned for assessment or investigation per OAC 340:75-3-8.6 ITS.