AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
2006 CRS "Dear Provider/Administrator" Letters
July 27, 2006
ADSA: CCRSS 2006-003
CERTIFIED SUPPORTED LIVING ABUSE ALLEGATION INVESTIGATIONS
Dear Certified Supported Living Service Provider/Administrator:
In a recent letter (ADSA: CCRSS 2006-001), the department described a change in procedures for receiving and investigating mandated reports of alleged vulnerable adult abuse, neglect, abandonment, and financial exploitation in supported living programs. Other providers are not affected. That letter is being reissued with revised information based upon experience and feedback provided during the past three months.
In February 2006, Residential Care Services (RCS) Division began conducting investigations of alleged abuse, neglect, abandonment, and financial exploitation in supported living programs. Adult Protective Services (APS) continues to do the investigation if the alleged perpetrator of abuse or neglect is not associated with the provider.
You, and your employees, are mandated reporters as defined by chapter 74.34 RCW. If you, or any of your staff, have a reasonable cause to believe that a vulnerable adult has been abused, neglected, abandoned, or financially exploited, you must immediately report it to the department. The law also requires you to report certain issues to law enforcement. The law has not changed, just who you report to and who from the department investigates the reported issue.
Please make sure that all of your staff know and implement ways to identify and prevent abuse and neglect and follow the related reporting requirements. A copy of the Vulnerable Adult abuse law (RCW 74.34) is enclosed for your convenience.
All mandated reports regarding allegations of client abuse and neglect must be made to the RCS Complaint Resolution Unit (CRU) hotline. That number is 1-800-562-6078 (TTY 1-800-737-7931). You should no longer be calling mandated reports to the APS phone numbers listed in DDD Policy 6.12.
This does not change your reporting responsibilities to law enforcement. It also does not change the current abuse and neglect reporting requirements for licensed boarding homes and adult family homes.
The CRU hotline is an automated system that cues you to provide information. The system has two options for callers to use. Option 1 is intended for use by clients, the public, and mandated reporters who are not calling on behalf of a service provider. While we prefer that you use Option 2, you may also use Option 1 to leave your report. However, if you use Option 1, please follow-up your call by sending a FAX of your program incident report to the CRU at (360) 725-2644. These are the only procedural changes.
Option 2 has a script including questions specific to the type of incident you are reporting. It will prompt you to leave the most complete information possible. When you call in a report, please be ready to provide as much of the following information as possible:
- The name of the client, please spell the client’s name
- Where the client lives, please provide a street address
- The name of the certified supported living provider
- The name of the person and telephone number to call for information
- Where (location) and when the incident occurred
- A description of the incident
- What intervention or treatment was given to the client
We recognize that you may not have answers to all questions asked by the hotline script. Regardless of which hotline option you use, please leave as much relevant information as you can. Do not delay calling in a report because you do not have all of the information; you may receive a call back for more specific information.
A copy of the complete CRU hotline script and some tips for using the system are enclosed. The script includes the questions you will be asked and information you should be ready to provide, if possible. The script is available online at www.adsa.dshs.wa.gov/professional/hotline2003.htm.
Also enclosed are two notices for calling the 1-800 number. One is for you and your staff and the other is for posting in the client’s home so that the client has the information necessary to call and report abuse or neglect.
If you have questions please contact John Gaskell, Program Manager at (360) 725-3210 or by e-mail at gaskejw@dshs.wa.gov. Thank you for your attention to this important matter and for your commitment to the clients you serve.
Sincerely,
Joyce Pashley Stockwell, Director
Residential Care Services
Enclosures:
cc: Linda Rolfe, Director, Developmental Disabilities Division
