Child Protective Services
Handbook Revision, February 2013
This revision of the Child Protective Services Handbook was published on February 1, 2013. Summaries of new or revised items are provided below.
Interviews With Collateral Sources
CPS Overhaul – Legal Background
Internet and Social Media Use by Children and Youth in Foster Care
Employment Preference for Former Foster Youth
Psychosocial Assessment, Psychological Testing, and Psychiatric Evaluation
Interviews With Collateral Sources (PATS 4042)
The items below are revised or added to clarify what people constitute collateral sources during an investigation. This revision is intended to provide better direction for field staff when determining:
• when to contact a collateral source; and
• which collateral contacts to enter into the Person Detail page.
See:
2392 Interviews With Parents, Alleged Perpetrators, and Other Adults
2393 Interviews With Parents or Primary Caretakers
2393.1 Parents or Primary Caretakers in the Home
2393.2 Referral for Domestic Violence Services
2394 Interviews With Alleged Perpetrators
2394.1 When a Child Age 10 or Older Is Also Alleged to Be a Victim
2394.2 Substitute Interview of Alleged Perpetrator
2394.3 Police Request That CPS Delay Interviewing Alleged Perpetrator
2394.4 Alleged Perpetrator in Police Custody
2394.5 Abbreviated, Unable to Complete, and Preliminary Investigations
2394.6 Complaints
2395 Interviewing Parents or Alleged Perpetrators
2395.1 Coordinating With Law Enforcement
2395.2 Required Content of Initial Interview With Parents or Alleged Perpetrators
2395.3 Use of Polygraphs With Parents or Alleged Perpetrators
2395.4 Family Cannot Be Located or Refuses an Interview
2395.5 Interviews With the Person Who Has Primary Legal Responsibility for the Child
2396 Interviews With Other Adults in the Home or Family
2397 Interviews With Collateral Sources
CPS Overhaul – Legal Background (PATS 5697)
The following items are revised as part of the CPS Handbook overhaul. See:
1200 Legal Bases for Child Protective Services
1210 Governing State Laws
1211 Texas Human Resources Code
1212 Texas Family Code
1212.1 Texas Family Code Chapter 261 (Legal Definitions of Abuse and Neglect)
1212.2 Texas Family Code Chapter 262 (Removal of Neglected Children)
1212.3 Texas Family Code Chapter 263 (Placement of Children Under Conservatorship)
1212.4 Texas Family Code Chapter 264 (Protection of Children in Conservatorship or Substitute Care)
1212.5 Texas Family Code Chapter 266 (Medical Care and Health Passports for Children Under DFPS Conservatorship)
1213 Texas Administrative Code
1220 The U.S. Constitution and Governing Federal Law
1221 Constitutional Protections Under the Fourth Amendment
1221.1 Definitions of Search and Seizure
1221.2 Definition of Imminent and Exigent
1222 Federal Funding Under the Social Security Act
1222.1 Title IV-A and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
1222.2 Title IV-B Child Welfare Services
1222.21 Title IV-B, Subpart 1 (The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program)
1222.21 Title IV-B, Subpart 2 (Promoting Safe and Stable Families)
1223 Title IV-E, Federal Payments for Foster Care, Adoption Assistance, and PCA Payments
1224 Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)
1225 Indian Child Welfare Act
The items below were revised to update cross-references:
2260 Overview of Transporting a Child During an Investigation
2315.2 Assessing the Family’s Response to Child-Safety Issues
2325.2 When Children Are at Risk
2352 Exigent Circumstances Relating to Entry of a Home
2441.1 Circumstances Requiring an FTM Referral
2442 Scheduling and Coordinating FTMs
2500 Removing a Child From the Home
2793 Out-of-State Incident and Perpetrators
3221 Constitutional Requirements for an FBSS Family Assessment
3331 Immediate or Short-Term Protection During an FBSS Case
3333 Determining Whether to Seek a Court Order or Removal Before or During an FBSS Case
3592 Identifying Court Protocols Before Removing a Child After Reunification
3593 Providing Notification of Removal After Reunification
3731 Removing a Child From the Home
5234.2 When a Parent of an Indian Child Cannot Be Located
5234.2 When a Parent of an Indian Child Cannot Be Located
6110 Before Removing a Child and Placing the Child in Substitute Care
Internet and Social Media Use by Children and Youth in Foster Care (PATS 5852)
The items below are added to provide guidance to staff about the use of the Internet and social media websites by children and youth in foster care. See:
6330 Email, Internet, and Social Media Use by Children and Youth in Foster Care
6831 Use of Email by Children and Youth in Foster Care
6832 Use of the Internet and Social Media by Children and Youth in Foster Care
6833 Online Privacy Expectations of Children and Youth in Foster Care
Employment Preference for Former Foster Youth (PATS 5867)
The item below is added to describe the eligibility requirements for the Employment Preference for Former Foster Youth program, and the role of Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) staff in implementing that program.
10330 Employment Preference for Former Foster Youth
The items below have been renumbered to accommodate the new item above. The previous item numbers are shown in parentheses. References to these items have been updated throughout the handbook.
10340 (10330) Preparation for Long-Term Care or Support in Adulthood for Youth with Disabilities
10341 (10331) Planning for Long-Term Care Needs
10341.1 (10331.1) Researching Long-Term Care Resources
10341.2 (10331.2) Ensuring Funding and Eligibility for Services
10342 (10332) Appointing a Guardian
10343 (10333) Criteria for DADS Guardianship Referral
10344 (10334) Steps in the DADS Guardianship Referral Process
10344.1 (10334.1) DADS Referral Step 1: Initial Request for Information and Assistance
10344.2 (10334.2) DADS Referral Step 2: CPS Initiates the Request
10344.3 (10334.3) DADS Referral Step 3: Guardianship Assessment
10344.4 (10334.4) DADS Referral Process Step 4: DADS Decision, Notification, and CPS Response
10344.41 (10334.41) DADS Agrees to Become Guardian
10344.42 (10334.42) DADS Denies Request for DADS Guardianship
10345 (10335) DADS Appointed as Guardian
10345.1 (10335.1) Youth Leaves CPS Foster Care
10345.2 (10335.2) CPS Foster Care Placement After DADS Appointed as Guardian
10345.3 (10335.3) Foster Parent Wishes to Be a Guardian
The items below were revised to update cross-references:
1543 Payment for Long-Term Care in Adulthood
1574 SSI Applications for Youth Aging Out of Care
6232 Transferring Conservatorship From DFPS to a Suitable Person
6274 Permanency Planning Meetings for Youth 16 and Over
10332 Appointing a Guardian
10442.1 Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) Guardianship
10442.1 Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) Guardianship
10452 Mental Capacity Issues in Signing the VEFCA
Psychosocial Assessment, Psychological Testing, and Psychiatric Evaluation (PATS 4550)
This revision introduces new clinical service descriptions and a new process for issuing Form 2054, Service Authorization, to pay for psychosocial assessments, psychological testing and psychiatric evaluations.
The regional directors have instituted a process requiring approval by the program director before caseworkers issue a Form 2054 for psychosocial assessments, psychological testing, and psychiatric evaluations. The caseworker documents this approval and includes the rationale for the service in the comment box on Form 2054. The supervisor must be the primary approver and the program director must give secondary approval. The new process helps to ensure that parents or caregivers and children undergo assessments, testing, and evaluation only when needed and that they participate in only those services which relate to their identified needs. The only exception to this process is when a court orders the provision of one or more of these services.
For children enrolled in STAR Health, caseworkers should continue seeking psychosocial assessments, psychological testing, and psychiatric evaluations through STAR Health using current processes.
CPS staff were informed of this policy with the issuance of PSA 11-073 on 7/18/2011.
See:
2376 Purchase of Medical, Psychological, and Psychiatric Examinations
8240 Evaluation, Treatment, and Substance Abuse Services
8241 Definitions
8242 Evaluation
8242.1 Psychosocial Assessment
8242.11 Determining Eligibility for Psychosocial Assessment
8242.12 Identifying Available Services for Psychosocial Assessment
8242.13 Referring Clients for Psychosocial Assessment
8242.14 Using IMPACT to Authorize Psychosocial Assessment
8242.15 Adding, Extending, and Reauthorizing Psychosocial Assessment Services
8242.16 Terminating Service for Psychosocial Assessment
8242.2 Psychological Testing
8242.21 Determining Eligibility for Psychological Testing
8242.22 Identifying Available Services for Psychological Testing
8242.23 Referring Clients for Psychological Testing
8242.24 Using IMPACT to Authorize Psychological Testing
8242.25 Adding, Extending, and Reauthorizing Services for Psychological Testing
8242.26 Terminating Service for Psychological Testing
8242.3 Psychiatric Evaluation
8242.31 Determining Eligibility for Psychiatric Evaluation
8242.32 Identifying Available Services for Psychiatric Evaluation
8242.33 Referring Clients for Psychiatric Evaluation
8242.34 Using IMPACT to Authorize a Psychiatric Evaluation
8242.35 Adding, Extending, and Reauthorizing Services for Psychiatric Evaluation
8242.36 Terminating Service for Psychiatric Evaluation
Appendix 8160: CPS Service Codes and Descriptions as Identified in IMPACT