3.13 Intakes Involving Child Death, Near Fatality or Serious Injury

Georgia State Seal

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
Child Welfare Policy Manual

Chapter:

(3) Intake

Policy Title:

Intakes Involving Child Death, Near Fatality or Serious Injury

Policy Number:

3.13

Previous Policy Number(s):

3.17

Effective Date:

December 2021

Manual Transmittal:

2021-06

Codes/References

O.C.G.A. § 19-15-3 County Multiagency Child Fatality Review Committee
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)

Requirements

The Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) will:

  1. Receive Intake Reports involving:

    1. Children in DFCS custody

    2. Child Death/Near Fatality/Serious Injury (CD/NF/SI)

    3. CD/NF/SI - No Maltreatment

    This includes Intake Reports from the DFCS representative of the Child Fatality Review Committee when it is determined that the child death was due to abuse, and the case has not been previously reported to DFCS (see policy 1.10 Administration: Child Fatality Review).

  2. Complete the Intake Assessment information gathering process with the reporter

  3. Screen-in all Special Investigations Intake Assessments that meet the Georgia statute and DFCS policy requirements for child abuse and accept and assign for response within the following timeframes to ensure child safety and wellbeing:

    1. Immediate: When a present danger situation is indicated.

    2. 24 hours: When an impending danger safety threat or child abuse (maltreatment) is indicated.

    These reports shall not be assigned to the Initial Safety Assessment track.

  4. Screen-out or screen-out and refer Special Investigations Intake Assessments involving CD/NF/SI that do not meet Georgia statute and DFCS policy requirements for child abuse and provide notification to the following:

    1. The legal and boarding (if applicable) County Director(s) and the County Department’s CPS Intake Communication Center (CICC) Point of Contact(s) (POC), within two hours of the screen-out disposition; and

      When the screen-out Intake Assessment involves a child in DFCS custody, the County Department shall conduct a face-to-face purposeful contact with the child and their caregiver(s) within 24 hours of being notified of the screen-out disposition to confirm child safety in accordance with policy 10.18 Foster Care: Purposeful Contacts in Foster Care.

    2. The Knowledge Management CD/NF/SI Review Team.

      The notification will occur via a system generated alert in Georgia SHINES upon supervisory approval of the Intake Assessment.

  5. Adhere to the applicable policy when the CD/NF/SI Intake Report involves a:

    1. DFCS or child placing agency (CPA) foster or adoptive home (see policy 3.9 Intake: Intakes Involving DFCS or Child Placing Agency Foster or Adoptive Homes).

    2. Foster care kinship placement (see policy 3.10 Intake: Intakes Involving Foster Care Kinship Placements).

    3. Residential or non-residential facility (see policy 3.11 Intake: Intakes Involving Residential and Non-Residential Facilities).

    4. Public or private non-residential schools or overnight camps (see policy 3.12 Intake: Intakes Involving Public or Private Non-Residential Schools and Overnight Camps).

  6. Conduct a second level review on screen-out Intake Assessments involving a CD/NF/SI within 24 hours of receipt of the Intake Assessment to verify that it does not meet Georgia statute and DFCS policy requirements for child abuse. If the second level review decision is to screen-in, use the original reported date and time of the Intake Assessment.

Procedures

CPS Intake Communications Center Social Services Case Manager

  1. Complete the Intake Assessment information gathering process with the reporter in accordance with policy 3.1 Intake: Receiving Intake Reports.

  2. Thoroughly evaluate all information gathered to make an intake decision in accordance with policy 3.2 Intake: Making an Intake Decision.

    1. Classify the intake report as a Special Investigation: Child Death-In Care, Near Fatality-In Care, or Serious Injury-In Care when the intake report involves a child in the custody of DFCS. See Practice Guidance: Special Investigations – Maltreatment in Care (MIC);

    2. Classify the intake report as a Special Investigation: Child Death-Not in Care, Near Fatality-Not in Care, or Serious Injury-Not in Care when the intake report does not include a child in DFCS custody; or

    3. Classify the intake report as a Special Circumstance: Child Death-No Maltreatment, Near Fatality-No Maltreatment or Serious Injury-No Maltreatment when the intake report does not include an allegation of child abuse, and the reporter does not intend to make a referral of child abuse.

  3. Screen-in all Special Investigations Intake Assessments that meet the Georgia statute and DFCS policy requirements for child abuse and accept and assign for response within the following timeframes:

    1. Immediate: When a present danger situation is indicated.

    2. 24 hours: When an impending danger safety threat or child abuse (maltreatment) is indicated.

  4. Screen-out or Screen-out and refer Special Investigations Intake Assessments that do not meet Georgia statute and DFCS policy requirements for child abuse:

    1. Screen-out: No agency intervention is needed

    2. Screen-out and refer: The family could benefit from accessing community or agency resources (see policy 3.26 Intake: Screen Out and Refer Process).

    3. Notify the legal and boarding (if applicable) County Director(s) and CICC POC(s) via email, within two hours of the Intake Assessment screen-out or screen-out and refer disposition.

    4. Notify the Knowledge Management CD/NF/SI Review Team in accordance with policy 6.10 Special Investigations: Reporting of a Child Death, Near Fatality or Serious Injury; and

    5. Document in the Intake Assessment the notification to the County Director(s) and POC(s).

  5. When the Intake Report is received as a result of a review by the Child Fatality Review Committee and it was not previously reported to DFCS:

    1. Assign the intake report, if the death occurred within six months or less of the intake report date.

    2. When the child death occurred more than six months before the intake date:

      1. CICC will conduct a staffing to include the Regional Director/Designee, County Director and the Field Program Specialist to determine the report disposition.

      2. When the decision is made to screen out the intake report, document the staffing results in Georgia SHINES Intake stage Contact/Summaries detailing the date of death, circumstances of the death and information to support the screen out decision. Upload any related documents to support the decision which may include, but are not limited to, medical records, incident reports, police reports and emergency medical services reports.

CPS Intake Communications Center Social Services Supervisor

  1. Thoroughly evaluate all information gathered to make an intake decision in accordance with policy 3.2 Intake: Making an Intake Decision.

  2. Staff the Intake Assessment with the CICC SSCM in accordance with policy 19.6 Case Management: Supervisor Staffing.

  3. Review and approve the Special Investigations Intake Assessment in Georgia SHINES using the guidelines outlined in Maltreatment in Care Georgia SHINES Job Aid:

    1. Verify maltreatment exists; and

    2. Verify the Intake Assessment is classified as a Special Investigation.

  4. Participate in a staffing with the Social Services Administrator (SSA) to discuss the information gathered, intake disposition recommendation, and how the gathered information supports the recommendation.

  5. Submit all screened out CD/NF/SI Intake Assessments to the CICC SSA for second level screen-out review and approval. When the CD/NF/SI Intake Assessment is not approved:

    1. Discuss with the SSCM why the screen-out was not approved and identify any follow up needed to complete the Intake Assessment process.

    2. Upon resubmission of the Intake Assessment, verify that the intake disposition is updated to reflect the correct maltreatment code and present danger situation, or impending danger safety threat (if applicable) based upon the SSA’s feedback.

    3. Use the date and time of the original Intake Report.

    4. Notify the County Department of the decision to accept and assign the CD/NF/SI Intake Assessment.

  6. When the screen-out Intake Assessment involves a child in the custody of DFCS ensure email notification is provided to the legal and boarding (if applicable) County Director(s) and the County Department’s CICC POC(s) within two hours of the screen-out Intake Assessment disposition and the notification is documented in the Intake Assessment.

CPS Intake Communications Center Social Services Administrator/Designee

  1. Review and approve all screen-out or screen-out and refer CD/NF/SI Intake Assessments in Georgia SHINES;

  2. When the screen-out or screen-out and refer CD/NF/SI Intake Assessments is approved:

    1. Document justification to support the case decision in the second level justification box and on the Approval Authority page under the Comments section

    2. Assign approved screen-out and refer Intake Assessments to the appropriate County Department to complete the referral to prevention/early intervention services as outlined in policy 3.26 Intake: Screen Out Refer Process.

  3. When the screen-out or screen-out and refer CD/NF/SI Intake Assessment was not approved:

    1. Document the specific reasons the Intake Assessment was not approved and reject the Intake Assessment in Georgia SHINES.

    2. Contact the CICC Social Services Supervisor (SSS) to discuss the reason the Intake Assessment was not approved. See policy 19.6 Case Management: Supervisor Staffing.

    3. Verify that the intake disposition is changed to reflect the correct maltreatment code and present danger situation or impending danger safety threat (if applicable) and assign to the appropriate County Department.

Practice Guidance

Near Fatality

Near fatality means as an act that, as certified by a physician, places the child in serious or critical condition. Once the child meets this criterion then the allegation of “near fatality” should be marked along with any other type(s) of maltreatment.

Serious Injury

Serious Injury means bodily injury that involves substantial risk of death, extreme physical pain, prolonged and obvious disfigurement, or prolonged loss or impairment of the function of a body part, organ, or mental capability. Examples include burns, head trauma, blunt trauma, internal bleeding, multiple bruising and contusions, lacerations of organs, broken bones and amputation.

Intakes Involving Child Deaths with Unknown Information

When intake reports are received with minimal to no information regarding the circumstances of a child’s death, engage the reporter by asking follow up questions. Asking the reporter follow up questions about the death may trigger information that they may have regarded as insignificant. Inquire about how the reporter became aware of the child’s death and others who may have knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.

Special Investigations – Maltreatment in Care (MIC)

When intake reports are received alleging a child in DFCS custody has been abused, regardless of who has been alleged as the maltreater the intake report must be classified as MIC in Georgia SHINES. Alternatively, when intake reports are received alleging a child in DFCS custody was abused prior to the child entering DFCS custody, the intake report is coded as a Special Investigation-Not Maltreatment in Care.

The relationship of the alleged maltreater may be different from the relationship selected on the Georgia SHINES Allegation Detail page and what is identified on the Person Detail page of the alleged maltreater. For example, the child may be in the foster care kinship placement of his aunt. On the aunt’s Person Detail page, the relationship is primary caregiver; however, if the aunt is the alleged maltreater, the aunt will be identified on the Allegation Detail page as the kin caregiver, not the aunt.

Child Fatality Review Committees

The multidisciplinary Child Fatality Review Committee reviews all deaths of children ages birth through age 17 years. County Departments designates a representative to serve on the local Child Fatality Review Committee based on the County’s Child Abuse Protocol and Child Fatality Review Committee requirements. See policy 1.10 Administration: Child Fatality Review.

Special Circumstance CD/NF/SI-No Maltreatment - Screen-out

Each death or serious injury of a child is tragic; however, DFCS is only responsible for investigating CD/NF/SI in which child abuse is believed to have caused or contributed to the CD/NF/SI. Engagement with the reporter to determine their intent in notifying DFCS is needed. The call type Special Circumstance CD/NF/SI-No Maltreatment should only be used to screen-out intake reports:

  1. Involving a child death or serious injury as the result of a documented pre-existing medical condition (illness and disease), and the death was expected and there are no allegations of child maltreatment.

  2. When the reporter is calling solely based on their organization’s protocol to advise DFCS of all CD/NF/SI; The reporter does not believe child abuse caused or contributed to the CD/NF/SI and there are no allegations of child maltreatment.

Example: A healthcare professional indicates their hospital protocol is to notify DFCS of all child deaths, and reports a child died from a preexisting medical condition known to the physician, without allegations of maltreatment.

Example: A healthcare professional indicates their hospital protocol is to report all CD/NF/SI to DFCS and reports a child was severely burned in house fire, without allegations of maltreatment.

Example: A child in DFCS custody was born with a terminal medical condition. The child dies from the known medical condition while under the care of a physician at the time of death.

When the reporter makes a CD/NF/SI child abuse referral and CICC assesses the Intake Assessment as a screen out based on the information not meeting Georgia statute and policy requirements, special circumstance should not be used; the case would be screened out as Special Investigation CD/NF/SI.

Forms and Tools

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