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SWI
Statewide Intake Overview

Statewide Intake serves as the “front door to the front line” for all DFPS programs. As the central point of contact for reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable Texans, SWI staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year.

Paid Expenditures and Total Average Filled
Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Staff

Total Staff 411.8
Workers 310.3
Supervisors 33.5
Other 67.9
Staff Costs $17,344,867.40

Worker demographic

Demographic Subcategory Number or Percent
Turnover Rate n/a 18.6%
Tenure Less than 1 Year   25.8%
1-3 Years   32.4%
Greater than 3 Years   41.7%
Entry Salary n/a $30,481.44
Average Age n/a 37.7
Race/Ethnicity African-American   10.5%
Anglo   66.1%
Hispanic   20.1%
Other    3.3%

Supervisor Demographics

Demographic Subcategory Number or Percent
Turnover Rate n/a 0.0%
Tenure Less than 1 Year 0.0%
1-3 Years   13.9%
Greater than 3 Years   86.1%
Entry Salary n/a $38,145.96
Average Age n/a 44.0
Race/Ethnicity African-American    2.8%
Anglo   63.9%
Hispanic   25.0%
Other    8.3%

Description of the Statewide Intake Process

Step 1: Contact with Statewide Intake (Phone, Fax, Mail, Internet)
Step 2: Interview & Assessment Information about the caregiver
  • History/Ability of Caregiver
  • History of Abuse/neglect or Exploitation
Information about the victim
  • Mental, Physical, or Medical Disability
  • Age
  • Ability to Protect Self
  • Access of Alleged Perpetrator to the alleged Victim
  • Location
Information about the alleged abuse/neglect or exploitation
  • Duration/Severity of problem
  • Bodily injury or substantial risk of bodily injury
  • Type, location and degree of injury
  • Length of time victim unattended
  • Safety of surroundings
Resources available to the family General dynamics of family – strength & weaknesses
Step 3a:
Meets Statutory Definition of Abuse / Neglect / Exploitation
  • (51.6% of calls)
Actions Taken
  • Determine DFPS Program
  • Determine Priority
  • Notify Law Enforcement (CPS, CCL)
  • Notify Field Office
Step 3b:
Does not Meet Statutory Definition
of Abuse / Neglect / Exploitation
  • (48.4% of calls)
Actions Taken
  • Refer to other Agency
  • Provide Resource information
Step 3a-2:
Appropriate Referral Made
  • Report of Abuse/Neglect or Exploitation to APS
  • Report of Abuse/Neglect to CPS
  • Report of Abuse/Neglect to CCL.

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Legal Responsibility for Statewide Intake

Statutory References

Federal: Social Security Act
State: Texas Family Code, Human Resource Code

Major Provisions

  • Centralized point of intake for child abuse and neglect, abuse, neglect or exploitation of the elderly or adults with disabilities, clients served by DSHS or DADS employees in State Hospitals or State Supported Living Centers, and children in licensed child-care facilities or treatment centers for the entire State of Texas.
  • Open 365 days a year, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
  • Able to receive information via phone, Internet reporting system, fax or mailed correspondence.
  • Responsibility to assess information received to the definitions of possible abuse, neglect or exploitation for each program served and to prioritize and route the information to the correct destination workload.
  • Information and Referral Service as warranted or when information received does not meet statutory definitions.
  • Generate Law Enforcement Notifications and route to the correct law enforcement jurisdiction for CPS and CCL programs.
  • Insure confidentiality of IMPACT history and caller identity.
  • Serve as an Expedited Background Check function for CPS by checking criminal and IMPACT history to aid field staff during emergency removals.
  • Quality Assurance unit to review complaints, random call monitors and to develop Best Practice trainings for Intake staff.
  • Point program for identifying problems with IMPACT rollouts.
  • Provide daily reports on call volume per application; hold times per application, etc.
  • Integrate hardware and software upgrades to phone and computer systems to reduce hold times and improve efficiency.
  • Use of an IEX Workforce Management System to schedule shifts, breaks and meal times for intake workers in order to maximize efficiency.
  • Telstrat Engage  call recording system utilized to record phone calls for Quality Assurance and legal requirements.

Challenges

  • Respond to ever increasing number of phone calls, Internet reports, fax and mailed correspondence while keeping average hold times to eleven minutes or less while maintaining a high quality of intakes.
  • Increase number of bilingual staff. 
  • Reduce turnover.

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Total Number of Calls Received

Fiscal Year Hold Time # of Calls % Change
2006 7.1 821,774 2.0%
2007 9.6 647,909 -21.2%
2008 11.4 678,330 4.7%
2009 10.6 690,430 1.8%
2010 8.9 748,277 8.4%

Note: A major phone system upgrade occurred at Statewide Intake in August 2006. Phone scripts were updated, giving callers information about entities external to DFPS who might better meet their needs, such as 211, TANF, and Food stamps. As a result, significantly fewer callers chose to be routed to intake specialists than in past years for information and referral information.

Total Number of Calls Received by Method of Receipt Fiscal Year 2010

Call Type Number of Calls %
Internet 112,581 15.0%
Mail/Fax 31,832 4.3%
Other 1,153 0.2%
Phone * 602,676 80.5%
Walk-in 35 0.0%
State Total 748,277 100.0%

Total Number of Calls by Type Fiscal Year 2010

Total Call by Type Adult Protective Services
- In Home
Adult Protective Services - Facility Child Protective Services Residential Child Care Licensing Child Care Licensing Total % of Total
Reports of Alleged Abuse/Neglect* 103,479 10,533 264,450 3,799 3,486 385,747 51.6%
Case Related Special Requests 12 0 26,401 0 0 26,413 3.5%
Non Case Related Special Requests n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 649 0.1%
Information and Referral - Related to Protective Services n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 285,505 38.2%
Information and Referral -  Not Related to Protective Services n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 49,963 6.7%
Grand Total 103,491 10,533 290,851 3,799 3,486 748,277 100.0%

Note: The term "calls" represent information received by DFPS and then entered into IMPACT system. Information may be received in the form of a telephone call, regular mail, via Internet reporting system or via fax:
* Calls and reports by date report received.

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Source of Reports of Alleged Abuse/Neglect Calls by Program Area
Fiscal Year 2010

FY 10: CPS

CPS - Source of Report Number Percent
School 48,118 18.2%
Medical Personnel 42,553 16.1%
Other 37,541 14.2%
Law Enforcement 35,815 13.5%
Relative 31,281 11.8%
Parent 26,230 9.9%
Friend/Neighbor 16,580 6.3%
Anonymous 12,285 4.6%
Blank/Unknown 9,892 3.7%
Child Care Facility 2,043 0.8%
DFPS Staff 1,129 0.4%
Victim 934 0.4%
Legal/Court 49 0.0%
Grand Total 264,450 100.0%

FY 10: APS In-Home

APS In-Home Source of Report Number Percent
Relative 18,617 18.0%
Other 15,176 14.7%
Victim 14,276 13.8%
Institutional Personnel MHMR 14,139 13.7%
Social Agency 9,914 9.6%
Provider 7,424 7.2%
Medical Personnel 7,346 7.1%
Friend-Neighbor 6,461 6.2%
Law Enforcement 4,724 4.6%
Anonymous 2,563 2.5%
Blank/Unknown 2,387 2.3%
Legal/Court 452 0.4%
Grand Total 103,479 100.0%

FY 09: APS Facility

APS Facility - Source of Report Number Percent
Institutional Personnel MHMR 3,772 35.8%
Victim 2,374 22.5%
Other 1,194 11.3%
Anonymous 629 6.0%
Medical Personnel 600 5.7%
Social Agency 583 5.5%
Relative 428 4.1%
Blank/Unknown 394 3.7%
Provider 295 2.8%
Law Enforcement 106 1.0%
Friend-Neighbor 101 1.0%
Legal/Court 57 0.5%
Grand Total 10,533 100.0%

FY 10: CCL

CCL - Source of Report Number Percent
Parent 839 24.1%
Child Care Facility 642 18.4%
Medical Personnel 421 12.1%
Blank/Unknown 402 11.5%
Other 375 10.8%
Law Enforcement 303 8.7%
Relative 158 4.5%
Anonymous 146 4.2%
School 95 2.7%
Friend/Neighbor 61 1.7%
DFPS Staff 41 1.2%
Victim 2 0.1%
Legal/Court 1 0.0%
Grand Total 3,486 100.0%

FY 10: RCCL

RCCL - Source of Report Number Percent
Other 1,415 37.2%
Blank/Unknown 845 22.2%
Medical Personnel 430 11.3%
School 314 8.3%
Parent 217 5.7%
Law Enforcement 174 4.6%
DFPS Staff 112 2.9%
Relative 92 2.4%
Anonymous 68 1.8%
Friend/Neighbor 41 1.1%
Victim 36 0.9%
Child Care Facility 34 0.9%
Legal/Court 21 0.6%
Grand Total 3,799 100.0%

Note: Not all reports are assigned for investigation.


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