I'm a bit amazed at how ridiculously annoying it is the report suspected child abuse where I work. It takes ages to get someone on line to make a verbal report then I have to make a report on line as well after they give me a code. It is truly annoying and makes me honestly not want to probe too much into abuse/trauma (just kidding, of course). Is the same for the rest of the people on here? Also, in my hospital, the ED nurses and physicians are also mandated reporters, however, they expect Psychiatry to do the report after hearing second hand information.
Reporting Child Abuse?
- Thread starter bisell26
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At both the children’s hospitals I’ve worked at, we consult our social workers when there is concern for abuse, and they file the concern with CPS. I admit, I’ve never had to file a complaint myself, so I can’t imagine how onerous it is, but it seems frustrating from the back end.
Very frustrating when you have patients to see and are on the phone waiting for someone from CPS to answer for over 45 minutes.
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I've made several verbal reports at my program. It usually only takes about 10-15 minutes or so. Sorry your state seems to have a pretty inefficient system.
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This is ridiculous and shouldn't even be legal. The person who hears it/suspects it needs to do the reporting, not a third party.
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CPS is a state office it is not law enforcement or police.
It depends on what you are reporting. Some Police Departments if there is not risk of iminient harm, will refer you to CPS.
You don't have to be a witness or have it first hand in any way. Rumors can go in. Not every report goes to Police.
It goes to that govt office, and they receive it and process it, and determine what steps are next, whether they call around or send someone out or review records or call Police.
Nevermind, I'll send you a state CPS link. I remember now that was how I learned it in med school.
CDSS Public Site > Reporting > Report Abuse > Child Protective Services
It depends on what you are reporting. Some Police Departments if there is not risk of iminient harm, will refer you to CPS.
You don't have to be a witness or have it first hand in any way. Rumors can go in. Not every report goes to Police.
It goes to that govt office, and they receive it and process it, and determine what steps are next, whether they call around or send someone out or review records or call Police.
Nevermind, I'll send you a state CPS link. I remember now that was how I learned it in med school.
CDSS Public Site > Reporting > Report Abuse > Child Protective Services
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The point that anyone can initiate is meant to keep the burden of proof low for initiating the report and subsequent investigation, at least that's the law part of it.
Typically all that's required is a report. CPS will follow up whether or not they hear it from psychiatry or the nurses.
So while CPS will take any report, the question is why can the hospital than decide who. Only at the point of CPS reporting. Everyone will have to cooperate with the CPS investigation, if it goes that far, and ultimately it comes down to Police and DA who can and cannot talk.
Typically all that's required is a report. CPS will follow up whether or not they hear it from psychiatry or the nurses.
So while CPS will take any report, the question is why can the hospital than decide who. Only at the point of CPS reporting. Everyone will have to cooperate with the CPS investigation, if it goes that far, and ultimately it comes down to Police and DA who can and cannot talk.
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Every mandated reporter should be sure they are educated how this system works to best use it to protect children.
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We usually don’t have to wait but our CPS gets annoyed regularly if you don’t have all the info on the parents like all their addresses etc. And it’s always a longer conversation than I think it should be. I don’t enjoy reporting but usually our SWs do it so I don’t have to often. And it’s worth it to help the kids you can.
Yeah, and how are you going to get all this info from a quick evaluation in the ED?
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You should have their name, address, etc in the EMR if they live with the child or are the subscriber for their health insurance. If it's a parent not involved in their medical care it can sometimes be harder.
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Our social workers typically put in the reports in our hospital. The follow ups are typically poorly done and not much is often accomplished. But, to be fair, CPS is typically inundated by reports, are understaffed, and seem burned out. It's a tough situation.
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Yeah, I'm a little surprised that people **** on CPS so much, but mostly because they don't appreciate the situation. It'd be like staffing a major hospital ED with like 1 nurse and 1 doctor all weekend, and then being angry because the wait is so long. CPS is pretty much just triaging the worst of the worst and hoping something doesn't fall through the cracks due to their caseload being untenable.
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Yes, that's true. But I will say there is a logic in the criteria for being a mandated report. The reason is to take subjectivity out of the picture. If I'm working with a parent that I've established a good relationship with, I'm going to biased if a child tells me later that they are being inappropriately touched by a parent. Add in that the child might have a history of lying and I'm doubly biased. But kids that don't always tell the truth can be abused and parents that are easy to work with can still abuse their children. It's a tough situation....
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I do the reports myself if I'm the one with the suspicion of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. If you rely on a social worker to do it, and they don't, and then a child comes to harm, guess who is going to get blamed? Just do it. I have had social workers decide not to call CPS because they felt it wasn't a big deal. Seriously.
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Fortunately, in my state we're able to make reports online. We typically only call if we're unable to make a report online or if it's something urgent requiring an immediate response.
In my state the first person who hears of the suspected child abuse has 24 hours to report it. You have to call into the line and then also file it online.
I'm not dumping on CPS at all. I realize that they can't investigate everything, but the process to report it is just annoying. We need more funding for resources for mental health and for APS/CPS, but that is a discussion for another day.
I'm not dumping on CPS at all. I realize that they can't investigate everything, but the process to report it is just annoying. We need more funding for resources for mental health and for APS/CPS, but that is a discussion for another day.
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Agree.
OTOH, as a pediatrician I have been contacted about a mutual patient and possible abuse by a therapist and I offered to be the bad guy and make the call. I've always told families when I'm going to call so it would have been clear it was NOT their therapist. I floated the idea and the therapist ended up saying "oh well I guess should call".
I have also had people try to dump reporting child abuse onto me. "Sorry, you are a mandatory reporter as well. Sorry, you have never had to do it before. Here is the phone number. I recommend you write down the case number."
Here it is a 5 minute phone call. I usually said "I dunno" when they ask about other children in the house. Because I don't. The address I get from the facesheet.
The therapist was the one who heard about the abuse. It is their responsibility to report as well. They are also mandated reporters. Did the therapist refuse to do the report?
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Jesus Christ I have no idea why this is a task people would try to get out of or argue over it. The only way I would hand off the task was if I really felt like the other party was enthusiastic to do it. I don't mean enthusiastic as in happy. And I'm documenting it. And I'm following up.
This is an extremely important frakking duty, how about that. The call should be to compare notes and potentially designate one person for CPS' efficiency's sake.
If I had any questions about how well this would be handled, I agree, you do it yourself. You follow up with whoever was supposed to do it if it was delegated. I wouldn't consider my duty discharged until I had confirmation from that person that the report was made. If I had any doubts I would call.
This is an extremely important frakking duty, how about that. The call should be to compare notes and potentially designate one person for CPS' efficiency's sake.
If I had any questions about how well this would be handled, I agree, you do it yourself. You follow up with whoever was supposed to do it if it was delegated. I wouldn't consider my duty discharged until I had confirmation from that person that the report was made. If I had any doubts I would call.
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Reporting child abuse, and what that can do, is basically one of the most important interventions any human will ever make for another. We know what child abuse does. If you have a CPS report to make, unless someone is actively dying, that is basically the most important task you have as a physician, that day. I can't speak to having difficulties with CPS or how that affects people's workflows. I just mean in principle at least.
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As a non academic predominantly inpatient attending who sees both adults and children, I usually have the patient's inpatient therapist or social worker make the call.... though we are more often reporting to adult rather than child protective services
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The lack of enthusiasm comes from people in states where the mandatory reporting requirements are incredibly stringent and a very low bar is set for what is reportable. This often combines with institutional policies to avoid even the hint of liability that lower the bar even further.
Say I see a 10 year old who roughhouses with his 16 year old brother to the point that he gets a black eye or a cut or something? That's a report.
Someone tells me that their neighbor said the neighbor's nephew was being abused? That's a report.
An 11 year old is attacking his younger sister so violently that his mom throws an arm around his neck while trying to pull him off his sister? That's a report. On the mom.
A 10 year old exposes himself to a younger sibling and parents didn't know about it? That's a report. On the parents.
The class of mandatory reporters in this state is huge and includes faith healers, massage therapists, and literally anyone employed by the school system in any capacity.
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Guess I’m fortunate in my state, only had to report a couple times and it was almost easier than ordering a pizza over the phone.
The 10 year old and 16 year old, are not really reportable IMO, they are both minors.
The 11 yo whose mom tried to intervene, I don't really think that is reportable either.
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In Pennsylvania they most definitely explicitly are. Anyone in the home or who has care, keeping or custody of a minor and is over the age of 14 can be a perpetrator. Any physical contact that might lead to significant injury is mandated report. Neglect is mandated report, and can consist of those with care, keeping, and custody failing to protect a minor from psychological injury.
PA does not allow for an iota of reporter discretion, really. These are all mandatory, immediate, do not ask your supervisor first (explicitly in the regs!) reports. They are all also thinly fictionalized reports I have had to make to date.
Thanks, Jerry Sandusky
It's better to be safe than sorry. I'm very conservative about reporting. I have reported parents who smoke marijuana in a home with minors and I have also reported grandparents who spank their grandkids. I'm not taking a chance with my license.
