CPS/Child Abuse Protocol

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Do you have a set protocol at your school?

Background: Yesterday a counselor brought a 9th grade student to my office who had been attacked by her father the night before. police had been called, she filed a police report but apparently they left her with him because he drove her to school.

She had told a teacher, who brought her to the counselor, who then brought her to me to assess. She had no visible injuries. I asked the counselor who was reporting this to CPS (teacher, him, or me) - so that there weren't duplicate reports. He said he was going to let the grade-level principal know but I didn't have to do it, he would. He left with the student.

A few minutes later, grade level principal comes in, somewhat flustered, asking where student is. I say she left with counselor, and I think she was going back to class. He asked why she wasn't in my office anymore (because the counselor took her...) and why I didn't take photos of the injuries (there were no injuries to take photos of, plus I am uncomfortable taking photos of students on my personal cell phone). He later went to the medical director and said he was unsure the health office understood they were mandated reporters and we shouldn't have let the student leave. Medical director (who is an NP and also one of my best friends at work) discussed with me and she also clarified with him what happened after speaking to me. He was more calm and seemed to understand better.

Questions: Who calls in and fills out the CPS report in your school? It is my understanding duplicate reports don't need to be made (so the teacher, counselor, nurse, principal don't all need to call it in, just 1 of us).

What do you do with the student? Do you hold them in your office, another office? Call police?

We have a meeting on Monday to create procedures. Principal also asked for any "resources" we have that will assist in drawing up the plan.

Our policy (per CPS), is that the first one the student tells is the one who calls. The teachers think that by sending the student to me they get out of it. Nope, they still have to make the call. I will sit with them and walk them through it, but first person to know makes the call.

Edited to add, at our start of year nurse's meeting the subject of abuse came up. We were informed that we are NEVER to photograph an abusive injury to a student. We assess and document, but never photograph, that is for the police to do.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

We have a child advocacy agency in our city that handles every aspect of child abuse reporting. In the event that we suspect abuse, we simply call the agency and provide a safe place for the child to stay in the office until a representative arrives.

That person interviews the student, documents injuries, alerts law enforcement, prepares reports and instructs us on the next steps. We are truly blessed to have this expertise available to us. Children are protected, they never have to repeat their stories, or be examined by multiple people, evidence is preserved and there is never any question who is responsible for reporting, or how to go about doing it.

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Specializes in School Nurse. Having conversations with littles..
Either one of the school counselors or I make the report but we make sure all who interviewed the student are listed. We do get the SRO involved, too. I believe you were correct in declining to take the photos with your personal phone. Often these incidents end up either in my office or in the counselors office so which ever one of us has it tends to write the report. One of the APs is also involved by policy.

I never, never, ever will take a picture on my personal phone. But, sometimes, I will get a picture sent to me from a school that I am not at that day. I hate it when they do it. First of all, I don't want pics of any student's body part on my phone...ever. Second of all, I am holding on to my old "dumphone" for dear life (because I detest smartphones...which I really refer to as "stupidphones") and I can't see the little tiny picture on it anyway! I delete them, but I have always wondered if I could get in trouble for even that. They don't ever send any pic that is "personal" in any way..but still....CMON NOW! (woops-wrong thread?!) rant over.

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Specializes in School Nurse. Having conversations with littles..

Missouri changed our law a few years ago. And. I. Am. So. Glad. The person that the kid made the disclosure to is the one the is responsible to make the Hotline call. It does not negate their responsibility by passing them along to me, the counselor, principal, etc. I will help them, but they do it. In my "talk" at the beginning of the year with them. I explained to them that the counselor, nurse, or principal are no more responsible to make the call than the teacher is (if they get the first-hand information). I made up a form and gave it to them. It has helped them A LOT to have all the information down before picking up the phone. I have attached it, in case it may help anyone.

HOTLINE REPORT FORM.docx

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I never, never, ever will take a picture on my personal phone. But, sometimes, I will get a picture sent to me from a school that I am not at that day. I hate it when they do it. First of all, I don't want pics of any student's body part on my phone...ever. Second of all, I am holding on to my old "dumphone" for dear life (because I detest smartphones...which I really refer to as "stupidphones") and I can't see the little tiny picture on it anyway! I delete them, but I have always wondered if I could get in trouble for even that. They don't ever send any pic that is "personal" in any way..but still....CMON NOW! (woops-wrong thread?!) rant over.

I'm holding out for iPhone 8.

I drank the Kool Aid

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
I'm holding out for iPhone 8.

I drank the Kool Aid

Me too...I was anti Iphone until Sweet Petunia bought me one for my birthday 2 years and now I wouldn't have anything else.:nailbiting:

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Me too...I was anti Iphone until Sweet Petunia bought me one for my birthday 2 years and now I wouldn't have anything else.:nailbiting:

Same here. Hubby insisted that I needed an iPhone a few years ago. I was perfectly happy with my beater Droid, but then I drank the Kool Aid. Now there's no going back.

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Specializes in School Nurse, past Med Surge.

New law in my state is that whomever suspects the abuse is the one to make the call. Then it is reported to the principal.

It used to be that you could talk to the principal & they could decide who makes the call, but it didn't absolve you of making sure the principal (or whomever) followed through with making the report.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

As for the photos, we do them in the ER as part of the medical record, or the police do it, or CYFD. There is a chain of custody that has to be followed, we date and time, etc. The hospital photos belong to us and to the patient, if PD wants them it needs a subpeona or warrent. If PD does it, they're responsible for the evidence. We also have a consent form that must be signed for photography whether it is us or the cops. Sometimes PD is taking pictures while we are cleaning up or have a dressing open, timing on the consent gets a little iffy.

The ER has a dedicated camera for it, and a printer, and the photos get labeled and signed, and put in the permanent chart. Best way is to put a blue chux behind the limb or whatever, blue side up. That way the skin shows up well, doesn't get faded out by the white sheets. If it is immediately after the assault, the worst of the bruising won't show up for several hours anyway, plenty of time to get the right folks involved.

One little foster child in our home had bruises on the backs of her legs when we went to bathe her, and I asked if my daughter had been told about them. She was a little shocked, and immediately called the social worker who had brought the little one over, and they came straight back to do the photos. So, no, do not take pictures on your phone! Useless for chain of evidence, as well as all the reasons you said.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

The police investigated and saw fit to leave the kid in dad's custody. Police officers are also mandatory reporters. They had a duty to contact CPS if they suspected child abuse. You saw no bruises, you don't say whether or not the child reported abuse to you personally, but if she did not, then you had no reason to call CPS. I don't understand how anyone could rationally blame you for anything here. And taking pics of a kid's body parts on your phone is a very, very bad idea. I would refuse to do it and I work inpatient child psych, crisis stabilization. When I do body checks on kids, I document marks on a graphic, I never take pictures. I also have a witness with me when I check kids

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Specializes in school/military/OR/home health.
The police investigated and saw fit to leave the kid in dad's custody. Police officers are also mandatory reporters. They had a duty to contact CPS if they suspected child abuse. You saw no bruises, you don't say whether or not the child reported abuse to you personally, but if she did not, then you had no reason to call CPS. I don't understand how anyone could rationally blame you for anything here. And taking pics of a kid's body parts on your phone is a very, very bad idea. I would refuse to do it and I work inpatient child psych, crisis stabilization. When I do body checks on kids, I document marks on a graphic, I never take pictures. I also have a witness with me when I check kids

Excellent points. I had an issue last year and everyone was asking why I didn't take pictures...because I am not a forensic investigator, and I am obligated only to report what I suspect. It isn't on the mandatory reporter to collect evidence (photos) or prove anything at all. We report what we saw/heard/what the kid told us, and it ends there.

Also, if I was found to have photos of a kids body on my phone...um, yeah, those families who are being reported to DFS are the ones most likely to have you investigated for having their kid's butt on your phone.

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Thank you all!!

I have been researching and went to the state laws website (I'm in NY). There was also another incident yesterday of a school psych getting mad at me for reporting suspicious injuries (unexplained burns in multiple stages of healing, 1 was a cigarette burn down to subcut layer) because the school has been working with the family, super abusive controlling mom boyfriend in the Mob, etc. She kept saying "this is really bad!! mom is going to freak because boyfriend will freak! She might run to another state! This goes so deep! etc" She insisted the child told her how he got the cigarette burn, but he never told me. He said he didn't know then said a bonfire weeks ago. I was like i LEGALLY have to!! I HAVE TO (and why are we protecting this mother so much?) Again, this was all backed up by the district medical director (also my friend who i run lots of issues by) that I needed to report it. I cannot wait for our meeting on Monday to go over all this!

Basically in NY, from what I gather: you are responsible for reporting, there's no "1st outcry law" but you also can't just pass the buck. So yes the original teacher is responsible or needs to GUARANTEE someone else reported it, or else they are still legally liable. A report from every person who has been involved is not necessary, they only need 1, but everyone is still liable that that ONE report get there. You do not need permission from an administrator, that cannot be required in school protocol and there can be no retaliation from the school against the reporter for making a report.

Photos: we can take photos, on a camera publicly funded. basically if the school has a camera (which they do, at security) we can take photos on that and then we MUST submit those photos with our report. so NOT on my dang cell phone. Here in NY we call a mandated reporter hotline, give all the info, then have 48 hours to submit the written report form.

Basically everything I have done is pretty much correct ;) I have so much paperwork gathered for our protocol writing meeting on Monday... I seriously can't wait to show how right I have been all along LOL

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