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  • Standards of Practice Manual
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  • C2.14.7 Investigations of Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTF), Crisis Stabilization Units or Psychiatric Hospitals
Effective: 1/22/2014

C2.14.7 Investigations of Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTF), Crisis Stabilization Units or Psychiatric Hospitals

Legal Authority

Introduction

​​​​​​​In addition to the guidelines specified in SOP C2.14 Specialized Investigations​ the SSW uses the following procedures in conducting investigations involving psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTF), crisis stabilization units, and psychiatric hospitals.​​​​

Crisis stabilization units are categorized either as licensed under a private child caring (PCC) facility or provided through a community mental health center (CMHC). The SSW utilizes the procedures set forth in this standard of practice (SOP) for all CMHC crisis stabilization units and utilizes SOP C2.14.2 Investigations of Licensed Private Child Caring Facilities for all PCC crisis stabilization units.

Practice Guidance

Procedure

Upon accepting a report, the SSW: 

  1. Notifies the service region administrator (SRA) and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (Cabinet/CHFS), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Division of Health Care Facilities and Services (DHCFS) regional office;
  2. Documents the contact in the assessment; 
  3. Notifies OIG/DHCFS regional office, as soon as possible, but no later than the next working day via telephone and faxed written notification if the SSW finds at the time of investigation that a child is in imminent danger or that a child needs to be removed;
  4. Provides the written findings to the administrator of the facility within 30 working days of receiving the referral/report, unless an extension is granted by the supervisor, when there is a finding of substantiation of child abuse or neglect and the alleged perpetrator is an employee of the facility;
  5. Conducts, along with OIG/DHCFS staff, an exit interview with the administrator or designee to share the recommendations, including needed follow-up actions and which agency is assigned to the follow-up;
  6. Follows procedures outlined in SOP C2.14 Specialized Investigations and SOP C2.12 Structured Decision Making Safety and RIsk Assessments when sending notification of a substantiated or unsubstantiated finding; 
  7. Also provides notification to:
    1. The agency/facility or license holder; and
    2. OIG/DHCFS regional office via fax (Refer to DHCFS Region Offices and the Counties Served and Specialized Investigation Fax Coversheet);
      (Refer to the CPS Investigative Distribution Chart for a complete listing)
  8. Faxes, upon approval, copies of the assessment for a PRTF and psychiatric hospital investigations to OIG/DHCFS regional office.​


Documents

Revisions