9002 Certified At-Risk Adult Crime Tactics Specialists (CACTS) Certification | ADMINISTRATION-5600-MANUAL
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Georgia Division of Aging Services |
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Chapter: |
9000 Forensic Special Initiatives Unit (FSIU) |
Effective Date: |
04/10/2023 |
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Section Title: |
Certified At-Risk Adult Crime Tactics Specialists (CACTS) Certification |
Reviewed or Updated in: |
MT 2023-06 |
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Section Number: |
9002 |
Previous Update: |
MT 2016-03 |
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Summary Statement
The Certified At-Risk Adult Crime Tactics Specialists (CACTS) Certification provides participants with basic knowledge and skills needed to respond to crimes involving the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults and adults with disabilities.
Basic Considerations
CACTS is a 2-day certification targeting primary and secondary responders of at-risk adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation conducted by the Forensics Special Initiatives Unit (FSIU).
Mission
The Mission of CACTS is to equip primary and secondary responders and others with knowledge and skills to respond to abuse, neglect, and exploitation and address the needs of at-risk adult crime victims in Georgia as part of a multi-disciplinary team, thus advancing public safety and the protection of at-risk adults
Cooperating Agencies
CACTS certification is provided by the Forensic Special Initiatives Unit in cooperation with:
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Administrative Offices of the Courts of Georgia (AOCG)
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Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police (GACP)
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Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI)
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Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC)
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Georgia Sheriffs' Association (GSA)
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Institute of Continuing Judicial Education (ICJE)
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Police Officer Standards and Training (POST)
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Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia (PACGA)
Continuing Education
CACTS certification is co-sponsored by the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia (PACGA)
CACTS certification offers the following continuing education credits for in-person classes:
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16 hours POST
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16 hours EMS
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13 hours CLE
CACTS certification offers the following continuing education credits for virtual classes:
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12 hours POST
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12 hours EMS
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12 hours CLE
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12 hours Social Work Core Credits
Topics Covered
Topics covered during the CACTS certification training include:
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Georgia law pertaining to crimes against at-risk adults
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The main types and indicators of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of at-risk adults
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Financial crimes targeting at-risk adults
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Crimes in facilities
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Undue influence
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Power of Attorney, Guardianship, Conservatorship
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Investigations of crimes against at-risk adults
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Prosecution of crimes against at-risk adults
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Suspicious Deaths
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Benefits Trafficking
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Multi-disciplinary approaches to crimes against at-risk adults
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Resources
| The above topics are not all inclusive. |
Locations
Requests to sponsor an in person class are sent to the FSIU or are sought out by FSIU. Preference is given to law enforcement agencies. FSIU strives to have at least one law enforcement officer become a certified CACTS Specialist in all 159 counties in Georgia. Preference is given to counties or regions of the state where this goal has not been met.
Virtual Classes: Classes held virtually will be hosted on the platform provided by DHS.
Marketing
Once an CACTS class has been scheduled, FSIU will send personalized letters and/or emails of invitation to law enforcement agencies, public safety organizations, prosecutors, regulatory agencies, health agencies, coroners/medical examiners, victim service providers, and social service agencies in the county where the class is being held as well as surrounding counties.
An electronic flyer containing CACTS class information will be posted on FSIU’s website, shared with collaborative agencies, and sent to the agency hosting an in-person class for distribution.
Registration
Information on how to register for classes can be found on the FSIU page of the DAS website and on the CACTS electronic flyer.
Certification
At the completion of the 2-day course, participants are given a certification exam. Participants must correctly answer 80% of the questions to receive certification. If a participant fails the exam, they are given one opportunity to retake the exam. Certification certificates are emailed to participants who successfully complete the course.
Receiving a certification for completing the CACTS course does not provide the recipient any independent authority to act, Certification is only proof that the individual successfully completed a specialized course of training. That person can then apply knowledge from the course in their existing career. CACTS certification does not give an individual the authority to act on behalf of DHS or other affiliated agencies.
Evaluation
An evaluation form is provided at the conclusion of the training to gather feedback on what can be improved and additional training needs. A 6-month post survey is conducted to determine if CACTS specialists are using the information provided during the CACTS certification (provided FSIU has access to a platform to deploy the survey).
Resources
CACTS specialists are provided with a link to access the slide presentations in PDF form prior to class.
CACTS specialists are encouraged to contact FSIU for templates, investigative tools, resources, and other materials to further assist in the recognition and response of crimes against at-risk adults.
CACTS specialists receive a monthly email update from the FSIU which contains current updates on Georgia law, resources related to at-risk adults, articles related to crimes against at-risk adults and other pertinent updates provided FSIU has access to a platform to deploy a monthly newsletter.