Utah Admin. Code R512-201-4 - Scope of Services
(1) A CPS
investigation shall include an SDM Safety and Risk Assessment. The Child and
Family Services CPS caseworker shall assess the immediate safety needs of a
child and the family's capacity to protect the child, as well as any ongoing
risk to a child. The Child and Family Services CPS caseworker shall include a
domestic violence assessment in cases with allegations or indicators of
domestic violence related child abuse.
(2) In addition to the requirements of
Sections 62A-4a-202.3 and
62A-4a-409, a CPS investigation
may include the following:
(i) assessment of
immediate risk, safety, and protection needs of a child;
(ii) assessment of risk, protection, and
safety needs for any siblings or other children residing in the home or cared
for by the same caregiver that are reasonably likely to have also been
subjected to similar abuse or neglect based on the specific shared
circumstances, or are reasonably likely to be subjected to abuse or
neglect;
(iii) assessment of the
family's strengths, needs, challenges, and limitations, and the ability and
willingness to protect the child;
(iv) determination of eligibility for
enrollment or membership in a Native American tribe; and
(v) medical or mental health evaluations
completed as required by statute within required time frames to evaluate
physical injury, severe physical abuse, medical neglect, exposure to a
hazardous, illegal chemical environment, recent sexual abuse, or evaluate to
negate or lessen the possibility of physical injury, severe physical abuse,
medical neglect, exposure to a hazardous, illegal chemical environment, or
recent sexual abuse.
(3)
CPS are available in each geographic region of the state.
(4) If the child and family move outside of
Utah before the Child and Family Services CPS caseworker can make the
face-to-face contact with the child and the new location of the child and
family is known, the Child and Family Services CPS caseworker shall contact the
state child welfare agency where the family has moved and request courtesy
casework. If the state child welfare agency where the family has moved refuses
to complete courtesy casework, the case shall be closed as "unable to locate."
If the receiving state child welfare agency agrees to complete the courtesy
casework, the Child and Family Services CPS caseworker shall make the
appropriate finding based on information from the receiving state.
(5) If the child and family move outside of
Utah after the Child and Family Services CPS caseworker has made the
face-to-face contact with the alleged victim and the whereabouts of the child
and family are known, the Child and Family Services CPS caseworker who began
the investigation shall contact the state child welfare agency where the family
has moved and make a request for courtesy casework referral, providing the
information that was obtained in the investigation. The case shall be closed as
"unable to complete investigation" unless the information obtained meets the
standard of "reasonable cause to believe" that the abuse, neglect, or
dependency occurred. If a finding of 'supported" is made against one or both of
the parents or caregivers, upon case closure a notice of agency action shall be
sent to the address of the family in their current state of residence.
If the facts of the investigation establish reason to suspect the child is in imminent danger, the Child and Family Services CPS caseworker shall make appropriate referrals to CPS and law enforcement in the other state and screen the case with the Assistant Attorney General for legal action.
(6) If the child
and family move out of Utah after the Child and Family Services CPS caseworker
has made the face-to-face contact with the alleged victim and the whereabouts
of the child and family are unknown, the Child and Family Services CPS
caseworker shall make reasonable efforts to locate the family to make a
referral to request courtesy casework from the state child welfare agency where
the family now resides. Reasonable efforts include contacting the post office
for a forwarding address and checking with the school to obtain the address
where records are being transferred when there is a school-age child in the
home. If there is an imminent danger situation, the CPS caseworker shall
conduct an internet-based search to locate the family.
(7) Regional and inter-regional Child and
Family Services offices will cooperate to ensure that a CPS investigation is
not interrupted and children are not placed in danger when the child who is the
subject of the investigation has moved within Utah.
(8) A Child and Family Services CPS
caseworker may request courtesy assistance for completion of specific
investigative activities on an open CPS case when the child or other related
individual is not accessible to the assigned Child and Family Services CPS
caseworker.
(9) A Child and Family
Services CPS caseworker shall assist in the protection and supervision of a
child under the jurisdiction of another state.
(10) A Child and Family Services CPS
caseworker shall not close an investigation as unable to locate solely on the
grounds that the child could not be located until reasonable efforts have been
made by the caseworker to locate the child and family members.
(11) At the conclusion of a CPS
investigation, a finding shall be made for each allegation identified at the
time of Intake or identified during the investigation. Each alleged victim in
the case shall be linked to a specific allegation or allegations and to an
alleged perpetrator or alleged perpetrators. Acceptable findings include:
(a) supported shall be used when there is a
reasonable basis to conclude that abuse, neglect, or dependency occurred, even
if the alleged perpetrator is unknown;
(b) unsupported or not accepted shall be used
when there is insufficient evidence to conclude that abuse, neglect, or
dependency occurred;
(c) without
merit shall be used when there is evidence that abuse, neglect, or dependency
did not occur;
(d) unable to locate
shall be used when the Child and Family Services CPS caseworker was unable to
complete face-to-face contact with the alleged victim and reasonable efforts
were made to locate the child and family members; and
(e) unable to complete investigation shall be
used when the caseworker cannot complete the investigation because the subject
of the investigation has moved out of the state or similar reason.
Notes
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No prior version found.