9004 FSIU/CADE Case Consultation/Review and Technical Assistance Procedures

Georgia State Seal

Georgia Division of Aging Services
Administrative Manual

Chapter:

9000 Forensic Special Initiatives Unit (FSIU)

Effective Date:

02/20/2024

Section Title:

FSIU/CADE Case Consultation/Review and Technical Assistance Procedures

Reviewed or Updated in:

MT 2024-06

Section Number:

9004

Previous Update:

MT 2016-03

Summary Statement

FSIU/Crimes Against the Disabled and Elderly Task Force (CADE) provides the services of case consultation/review and technical assistance to advance DHS/DAS/, protect Georgia’s at-risk adults, prevent at-risk adult abuse, victimization, revictimization, and hold offenders accountable.

Basic Considerations

Scope

The scope of case consultations/reviews and technical assistance is to deliver accurate information, to make referrals to necessary local, state, and federal agencies and service providers, and to provide guidance on the investigation and prosecution of crimes against at-risk adults.

Definitions

  • FSIU/CADE- any and all members of the Forensic Special Initiatives Unit and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crimes Against the Disabled and Elderly Task Force

  • Case Consultation – A review and discussion of specific case information regarding an investigation of actual or potential abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an at-risk adult including but not limited to evidence, interviews, notes, and summaries.

  • Case Review- A review of specific case information regarding an investigation of actual or potential abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an at-risk adult.

  • Technical Assistance- Collaboration with any local, state, or federal agency and others who respond to abuse, neglect, and exploitation of at-risk adults to provide support with an investigation, inquiry, and/or question of actual or potential abuse, neglect, and exploitation of at-risk adults. The type and scope of technical assistance will depend on the type of customer. For further examples of technical assistance, please refer to the criteria section below.

  • Internal Customers- any and all staff within the Division of Aging including the AAAs and DHS as a whole.

  • External Customers- any and all individuals not employed by DHS, any and all local, state, and federal law enforcement, prosecutors, healthcare providers, mental health providers, judges, financial institutions, academic entities, EMS/Fire, the general public, professionals, medical examiners, coroners, victim service providers, non-profit organizations, other state agencies, multidisciplinary teams, task forces, and any and all entities not herein defined. FSIU/CADE reserves the right to edit this list as policy and state laws evolve.

    • Legally permissible external customers- those specifically named in O.C.G.A. 30-5-7 to include all local, state, or federal law enforcement, prosecutors and their staff including victim witness assistants, medical examiners, and coroners, state entities with statutory authority to investigate elder abuse and exploitation, and official Multidisciplinary Teams as chartered under O.C.G.A. 30-5-11.

    • General external customers- all others who are not specifically listed in O.C.G.A. 30-5-7, including but not limited to healthcare providers, mental health providers, judges, financial institutions, academic entities, EMS/fire, non-profit and elder care organizations, task forces, and the general public.

  • Requestor- any internal or external customer, person, entity, or agency who contacts FSIU/CADE for case consultation/review or technical assistance.

  • Communication- phone calls, emails, text messages, Teams calls, Teams messages, and in-person meetings

  • APS Record- Information reported to and documented by APS regarding suspected abuse, neglect, self-neglect, and/or exploitation of disabled or elder persons who are not residents of long-term care facilities which may include reports, notes, documents, documentation, investigations, and conclusions.

Criteria

  • A current, past, or potential case, report, intake, or investigation of actual or suspected at-risk adult abuse.

  • Case consultation/review and technical assistance can and will be provided by FSIU/CADE at any time, for any reason. Possible actions and examples of case consultation/review technical assistance include:

    • Record review

    • Evidence review

    • Brainstorming on next steps

    • Resource referral

    • Information and education

    • Gathering subject matter expert opinions

    • Assistance with law enforcement engagement

    • Policy discussion and development

      • Training

      • Contacting other agencies, individuals, or entities

      • Research

      • Participation in activities, meetings, or events

  • This list is not exhaustive or inclusive of every type of case consultation/review and technical assistance that is possible. FSIU/CADE reserves the right to expand this list as policy and state laws evolve.

Procedures

Requests for Consultation

FSIU/CADE may receive a request for case consultation/review and technical assistance from internal or external customers at any time and for any reason, . A request can be in the form of any communication defined above and can come to one or all members of the unit.

Step 1: Request Evaluation. When FSIU receives a call, email, or other request for case consultation/review and technical assistance, FSIU will evaluate the request, from what type of entity it has been received, and will evaluate what type of assistance can be provided.

Step 2: Response to Requestor. FSIU/CADE will respond to the requestor within two business days. The response will be an initial acknowledgment of the request and may include scheduling a meeting either virtually or in person, and/or a full response to the request depending on the type of request made and the type of customer.

For internal and legally permissible external customers- case consultation/review and technical assistance may include the items listed above in the criteria section but also may delve further such as a review of APS records, clients, and cases. Legally permissible customers must request APS records per APS policy.

For general external customers- case consultation/review and technical assistance may include the items listed above in the criteria.

Step 3: APS Record Review, if applicable.

If FSIU access to APS records is limited: If the requestor is an employee of APS and there is an open APS intake or investigation or there are any past APS investigations, FSIU/CADE will ask for any and all current and past intakes and investigations to be opened by emailing a request to DHSFSIURequests@gets.onmicrosoft.com. Such requests may be sent as many times as needed to keep the case(s) open for review.

If FSIU access to APS records is not limited: FSIU/CADE will search DDS for any intakes or investigations related to the client(s)/victim(s) and/or the alleged perpetrator(s). FSIU/CADE will review any and all APS records pertaining to the client(s)/victim(s) and/or alleged perpetrator.

Step 4: Case Consultation meeting is scheduled/held. If possible and if scheduling allows, all members of FSIU/CADE will be present during case consultation/review and technical assistance meetings. If all members are not able to be present, any member or members of FSIU/CADE may respond to and conduct the case consultation/review and technical assistance.

Expectations and scope of duties of FSIU/CADE members during case consultation/review and technical assistance:

  • Ask probing questions about the facts of the current or potential case, intake, or investigation of actual or suspected at-risk adult abuse

  • Ask probing questions about the actions taken by the requestor of the current or potential case, intake, or investigation of actual or suspected at-risk adult abuse prior to FSIU/CADE’s involvement

  • Ask if there is any other information related to the current, past, or potential case, intake, or investigation of actual or suspected at-risk adult abuse that FSIU/CADE should know

  • Ask the requestor what is needed from FSIU/CADE to lay out clear expectations

  • All questions will be asked professionally with respect given to the requestor and the work of the requestor

  • When providing case consultation/review and technical assistance to external customers on past or current APS cases, FSIU/CADE will maintain the confidentiality of all records per O.C.G.A. 30-5-7.

  • If the requestor is a legally permissible external customer, FSIU/CADE will direct the requestor on how to request APS records on their agency letterhead and provide the requestor a template for a records request if needed.

At any time, FSIU/CADE may ask for further information, documentation, and/or evidence using any type of communication as defined above.

Step 5: Recommendations. FSIU/CADE will clearly explain to the requestor the next steps for the unit member(s)

Step 6:Follow up: FSIU/CADE will update the requestor as steps are taken, questions are answered, and the potential needs of the requestor are met. Communication of these steps may be any or all types of communication as defined above.

At any time, FSIU/CADE may reach back out to the requestor for follow-up and for any and all updates or additional information needed. Communication with the requestor may be any or all types of communication as defined above.

Step 7: Documentation. FSIU/CADE member(s) will enter the case consultation/review and technical assistance in DDS under “FSIU Technical Assistance” and complete each of the required fields to the best of their knowledge and ability.

Members of FSIU/CADE will brief the FSIU section manager on each case consultation/review and technical assistance if the section manager was not involved in the initial request and/or meeting and follow-up initiatives.

FSIU/CADE Initiated Case Consultation/Review and Technical Assistance

FSIU/CADE reserves the right to contact internal and external customers as defined above to inquire about a current, past, or potential case, report, intake, or investigation of actual or suspected at-risk adult abuse. FSIU members acting in their full and expected capacity are encouraged to communicate with internal and external customers in compliance with state and federal laws and with this policy.

FSIU/CADE member(s) will enter the case consultation/review and technical assistance in DDS under “FSIU Technical Assistance” and complete each of the required fields to the best of their knowledge and ability.

FSIU/CADE Case Consultation/Review and Technical Assistance for Medical Examiners

As FSIU/CADE capacity allows, FSIU/CADE will provide case consultation/review and technical assistance to medical examiners and their staff.

Step 1: Medical examiners and their staff will communicate with FSIU/CADE about potential at-risk adult suspicious deaths including the descendants' name, date of birth, date of death, county of death, and circumstances surrounding the death.

Step 2: FSIU/CADE will search APS records in DDS for a matching name and date of birth and review the APS record.

FSIU/CADE will communicate back to the medical examiner while maintaining confidentiality requirements.

If deemed necessary, FSIU/CADE will remind the medical examiner how to request APS records as mentioned above.

Step 3: FSIU/CADE member(s) will enter the case consultation/review and technical assistance in DDS under “FSIU Technical Assistance” and complete each of the required fields to the best of their knowledge and ability.

References

DHS/GBI MOU
O.C.G.A. §30-5-7 and §30-5-11
Older Americans' Act