Section R512-200-3 - Scope of Services(1) Child and Family Services will maintain a system for receiving referrals or reports about child abuse, neglect, or dependency. The system shall supply Child and Family Services CPS workers with a complete previous Child and Family Services history for each child, including siblings; foster care episodes; reports of abuse, neglect, or dependency; treatment plans; and casework deadlines. (2) A Priority 1 response shall be assigned when there is an emergency situation requiring an immediate response and law enforcement is not available. Intake will begin to collect information immediately after the completion of the initial contact from the referent. As soon as possible thereafter, to determine the priority the intake worker will obtain additional information, staff the referral, notify law enforcement, and assign to the Child and Family Services CPS worker. The intake worker shall provide the Child and Family Services CPS worker with information concerning earlier investigations on SAFE. The Child and Family Services CPS worker has 60 minutes from the time intake notifies the worker to initiate efforts to make face-to-face contact with an alleged victim. For a Priority 1R rural referral, a Child and Family Services CPS worker has three hours to initiate efforts to make face-to-face contact if the alleged victim is more than 40 miles from the investigator who is assigned to make the face-to-face contact. (3) A Priority 2 response shall be assigned when physical evidence is at risk of being lost, the child is at risk of further abuse, neglect, or dependency, or there is a critical situation requiring an urgent response within 24 hours as determined by the intake checklist. The intake worker will begin to collect information as soon as possible after the completion of the initial contact from the referent. As soon as possible, to determine the priority the intake worker will obtain additional information, staff the referral, assign the referral to the Child and Family Services CPS worker, and notify law enforcement. The intake worker shall give verbal notification to the assigned Child and Family Services CPS worker. The intake worker shall also provide the Child and Family Services CPS worker with information concerning earlier investigations on SAFE. The Child and Family Services CPS worker will respond as quickly as needed depending on the situation, but no later than 24 hours from the time intake notifies the worker to initiate efforts to make face-to-face contact with the alleged victim.(4) A Priority 3 response shall be assigned when potential for further harm to the child and the loss of physical evidence is low. Before transferring the case to a Child and Family Services CPS worker, and to determine the priority, the intake worker will obtain additional information, research data sources, staff the referral as necessary, complete documentation including data entry, make disposition to CPS, and notify law enforcement. The intake worker shall also provide the Child and Family Services CPS worker with information concerning earlier investigations on SAFE. The Child and Family Services CPS worker will make the face-to-face contact with the alleged victim by the end of the third business day. (5) If Child and Family Services received a report concerning a runaway child, the intake worker will gather information to determine if there is an allegation of abuse, neglect, or dependency that requires a CPS referral or will refer the caller to contact a youth services agency in accordance with Section 80-5-601.(6) Child and Family Services will take reasonable steps to ensure that reports of abuse or neglect are referred for investigation to the appropriate out-of-state agency and shall take reasonable steps to adequately protect children in Utah who were victims of abuse in another state or country from the alleged perpetrator. (7) When the referent identifies an incident of abuse or neglect that occurred outside Utah but the child is in Utah at the time of the referral, the intake worker shall: (a) obtain information needed to complete a referral;(b) determine whether the child is at risk of abuse or neglect from the alleged perpetrator;(c) contact the CPS agency in the state where the incident of abuse occurred and complete the referral process of that state;(d) assign the referral to a Child and Family Services CPS worker for a courtesy interview and coordination with the other state's investigation, when requested; and(e) in domestic violence related child abuse cases, recognize another state's protective order.(8) When a referent identifies an incident of abuse or neglect that occurred in Utah, and the child is not in Utah at the time of the referral, the intake worker shall: (a) obtain information needed to complete a referral;(b) determine the location of the child and the length of time the child will be at their current location, if the child will be outside Utah longer than 30 days, a request for courtesy casework will be made in the state where the child is currently located; and(d) if the child is determined to be at risk, a request will be made for courtesy casework within the priority time frame.(9) The Department of Health Child Care Licensing unit or the Department of Human Services Office of Licensing and appropriate Child and Family Services staff shall be notified by intake when Child and Family Services receives a referral for an allegation of child abuse, neglect, or dependency against a licensed child care provider or out-of-home care provider. The referral shall be forwarded to the assigned personnel for conflict of interest investigations when the allegation involves a child living in substitute care while in protective custody or temporary custody of Child and Family Services, or any other Child and Family Services conflict of interest in accordance with Section 62A-4a-202.6.(10) CPS are available in each geographic region of Utah. Utah Admin. Code R512-200-3
Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2015-20, effective 9/22/2015Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2022-07, effective 3/11/2022