Investigation KIDS How To

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Investigation KIDS How To

Investigation

General Information

Most information entered into an investigation will be entered under the Investigate icon. Remember to use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Never use all capital letters. The information documented in these screens will populate to the Report to DA.

Referral Screen Review and update this screen, particularly the Family Name and Address as needed. Ensure the County of Investigation is accurate in order for you to get credit for primary assignment of the investigation.

Demo Screen Review client information particularly SSN’s, DOB’s, and AFCARS data (yellow boxes).

Note: Click the check box Inaccurate Entry under Role in Referral when someone has been entered as a client in error.

Relations Review for accuracy or completed relationships if not entered. A relationship between the Perpetrator and Victim must be entered in order to later complete the Findings screen.

Investigate and AOCS screens can only be accessed after a referral has been accepted for assessment or investigation by a supervisor. The Assessment/Investigation icon will be locked until the acceptance is done.

Note: Refer to Assessment of Child Safety KIDS How To for details on completing assessments.

Interview

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Click on the Investigate icon.

This toolbar will display with the icons necessary to complete an investigation.

Narrative This screen was completed when the referral was received. This screen is a read only screen. It can be viewed but information cannot be added. This allows you to refer back to preliminary information without losing focus on the investigation.

Collateral When a search indicates an existing KK case for the family, it may be more efficient to do a Case Connect now. This will pull in existing information regarding clients and previous collateral contacts. A previous collateral in the case will reflect in the pick list in the Collateral Interview screen after case connection. Collateral that already existed in a case will be duplicated if that person is added as a collateral in the new referral. Collateral cannot be merged. You must end date the collateral in the case.

Note: If you want the collateral to show up in the Report to DA, then don’t end date the collateral. End dating may be done later in the case if necessary.

Interview There are four (4) icons under this screen: Victim, Sibling, PRFC/Perpetrator, and Collateral interview. The Family icon is always locked in investigations. It is available in assessments.

Note: Click on the Investigate Icon to return to the main toolbar.

Victim

Click on the Victim icon.

Select the victim’s name from the Alleged Victim pick list. Only clients marked as a Child in the Demo screen will populate.

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Select a location from the Type of Contact pick list. A “Face to Face” selection must be made to demonstrate initiation.

Enter Date Interviewed/Contacted and Time.

Note: The date and time on this screen is what determines if an investigation was initiated on time. An investigation is considered initiated only when a face to face (or) face to face failed attempt victim interview has been entered. The Results of the Interview can be added at a later if this practice is approved by the supervisor. Refer to OAC 340:75-3-8. regarding interview documentation required timeframes. Victim and PRFC interviews are to be documented within ten (10) working days or less per CPS policy. Victim and PRFC Interviews on an open PP or VFCS case (or) in a Foster or Trial Adoptive Home are documented within ten (10) working days or less of the date the report is received. Refer to OAC 340:75-3-8.1 for extension procedures.

Click on the Clear button to create a blank page for additional interviews with the same victim or another victim. A list of all interviews will display at the top of the screen. Highlighting any interview will allow it to be read or changed. Interviews can also be deleted prior to the close of the investigation by clicking on the Delete button.

Sibling This screen functions exactly the same way as victim screen.

Note: Record Copy is a function that may be useful for entering multiple identical entries, such as failed attempts on several children. Select a different sibling from the

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pick list and Click on the Add button to record multiple entries with the same information on siblings. Refer to the Record Copy Kids How To.

PRFC/Alleged Perpetrator This screen functions exactly the same way as victim and sibling interviews. The only clients that show up on the P/P Intv screen are adults in the Demo screen.

When a new interview is added on the P/P Intv screen, if is checked (or) no address was entered in the Demo screen, the following Information message will display:

Click on the Yes button and the record will be added and the Address screen will display. Click on the No button and the record will be added and you will return to the interview screen.

If the Address Unknown checkbox is not checked and there is an address in the Demo screen the following Warning message will display:

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Click on the Yes button and the Address screen will open and the interview will be added. Click on the No Button and you will return to the current screen and the interview will be added.

Collateral This screen works in much the same way as the other interview screens.

Note: A Collateral must be entered in the Coll Info screen in order to populate to the pick list. Click the radio button marked. Click on the collateral interview screen to see if the collateral already exists. When no collaterals have been entered this pop up appears:

Click on the Coll Info screen to enter collaterals.

Note: Click on the Copy to Connections button to add a Collateral as a possible future placement provider or anyone who could provide an ongoing relationship with the child.

Abuse/Neglect Allegation

This screen displays the reported allegations of the referral.

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Note: New allegations can be entered when discovered during investigative process.

Click on the button. The radio button Collected During Assessment/Investigation now defaults and Alleged by Reporter cannot be checked.

Review each allegation to see if either a perpetrator has been selected (or) if Unknown Perpetrator has been selected.

Note: You must select a perpetrator in order to complete the Findings screen. The select box for alleged perpetrator field will only be active if it is blank or if it contains unknown perpetrator. You will be unable to change the name to another client’s name, add additional perpetrators, or change to unknown perpetrator if there is a perpetrator already added for this allegation. These actions must be done by adding another allegation.

Improper Entry : Initial or subsequent allegations may be marked as an Improper Entry. When an allegation is marked as an Improper Entry it will not display on the Findings Screen. If allegations have been entered as to a person that should not have been entered in the Demo screen, the Improper Entry function must be marked before changing the Role in the Referral to Inaccurate Entry in the Demo screen.

Note: The A/N Alleg. screen will become read only when findings are made in the Findings screen. You must delete the findings is you want to add or change allegations.

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Extension : This screen is used to request and approve an extension for the length of time to initiate or complete an investigation.

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There are limited reasons for an extension which are dictated by CPS policy. Click the Request box and the Reason Code pick list becomes mandatory. Select a reason from the Reason Code drop down pick list. Click on the Add button and the request goes to your supervisor’s inbox. The supervisor approves and enters a new completion date. This approval generates a new Tickler with the extension completion date and deletes the existing completion date tickler.

Click on the Clear button and enter a second request.

A supervisor may approve an extension up to an additional 30 calendar days then a subsequent request for an extension must be approved by the next supervisory authority and may not exceed an additional 30 calendar days. Extensions are not necessary on child death investigations because they are exempt from completion timeframes. Refer to OAC 340:75-3-11. Extensions on out-of-home investigations can only be approved by State Office sections. Refer to OAC 340:75-3-8.1 for extension procedures.

Notes

The Notes screen is a read only screen that will not allow entry of information.

Case Connect

This screen is where you create a new case or connect the referral to an existing case.

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Review the original Search Results and conduct another search prior to selecting a Connection option.

Click on one of the five (5) radio buttons.

: No previous KK cases or referrals are found.

: An open KK case has been identified. This selection makes the Case/Referral to Connect to field mandatory. You must enter a KK or referral number.

: A closed KK case has been identified. This selection makes the Case/Referral to Connect to field mandatory. You must enter a KK number.

: A screened out referral that has not been case connected has been identified. This selection makes the Case/Referral to Connect to field mandatory. You must enter a screened out referral number.

: One of the two (2) following criteria must be met in order to make this selection: Inability to locate a family which results in the inability to complete the investigation or Insufficient information to create a case (e.g. no names to create a case).

This Information message will appear:

The Comments text field is used to explain your case connection decision. For instance, if you found CW history, but it was mom’s case as a child, then you would not connect the new investigation to that case, but you should document the existence of that case.

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This screen requires supervisor approval because connection to the wrong case or failure to connect a referral to an existing case could cause information to be unavailable or enter erroneous information into a case.

Note: When any option except Do Not Open a Case is approved, KIDS automatically takes the supervisor to the Assign/Transfer screen so that the new or re-opened case can be assigned.

A case connection should be made as soon as there is enough information available to make a decision about creating a new case or connecting to an existing case. Generally a case connection should be done after the first contact with the family to verify identities and an additional search has been completed.

Note: When you print the Report to DA before case connection, prior CW history will not populate and be available for the District Attorney to consider in making decisions.

Note: When a child is removed and placed in out-of-home placement, the foster parent will not be paid when the referral has not been case connected.

An Information message will display when referral clients are marked as participating in another case. If they are, the clients will be made non-participating in the new case. The lower grid on the Case Connect screen will identify the two (2) cases and the client will be made non-participating in the new case.

If the client is not participating in any other case, they will be participating in the new case.

Findings

This screen contains two (2) tabs: Findings and Additional Information.

Findings Tab

This tab contains a list of the allegations and an Overall Finding pick list.

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You are able to make an Overall Finding without having to make an individual finding on individual allegations. You must select the Overall Finding before selecting individual findings. If the allegations have been marked as Improper Entry in the A/N Alleg screen, it will not populate into the Findings screen.

A Warning message will appear if you attempt to make the Overall Finding without having selected an Alleged Perpetrator or Perpetrator Unknown for each allegation.

The Rel column on the Findings screen will indicate if a relationship has been entered for the child with the alleged perpetrator. An Overall Finding cannot be made until all allegations have a relationship between the victim and alleged perpetrator. If you are missing a relationship you must go to the Relations screen and enter the relationship.

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A Substantiate column with Yes and No radio buttons will allow you to identify valid substantiated allegations for which Findings should be made. It will also allow you to disregard those allegations that are not substantiated.

You must select an Overall Finding before other fields on the screen can be changed.

The Overall Finding will determine what values are available for individual Findings.

Example: If the Overall Finding is Substantiated-Court Intervention Recommended, then at least one individual Finding must be Substantiated-Court Intervention Recommended. If the Overall Finding is Unable to Locate, then all individual Findings will automatically default to Unable to Locate.

Making Findings (Refer to OAC 340:75-3-10.2.)

When Failure to Cooperate, Reasonable Parental Discipline, Ruled Out, Unable to Locate, or Unable/Locate-Insufficient Family Info is selected as the Overall Finding, the Substantiate? column in the inset grid defaults to No and the individual Finding will match the Overall Finding.

When Substantiated-Court Intervention Recommended, Substantiated-Services Recommended, or Unsubstantiated-Services Recommended is the Overall Finding, then at least one individual allegation must have a Finding the same as the Overall Finding.

To mark an allegation as Substantiated: Click on the Yes radio button then Select the individual Finding.

To mark an allegation as Unsubstantiated-Services Recommended or Ruled Out for an individual Finding: Click on the No radio button then Select the individual Finding.

You have the option to leave blank unfounded allegations or those that do not need an individual Finding.

Additional Information Tab

This tab contains text fields for Comments and Recommended Services, as well as, a Substance Abuse and Other Services Provided drop down pick lists.

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Click on the Additional Information tab.

Enter comments in the Comments text box.

List any recommended services in the Recommended Services text box. Note: This information will populate to the Notification of Findings letter printed from the Report to DA.

Select any services provided in the Other Services Provided pick list. Click on the Add button.

Select Yes or No on the Was Substance Abuse a Contributing Factor pick list. Select Yes and the Type Indicated pick list and text box become mandatory.

Overall Information regarding Findings Screen

Note: When the Findings screen has been added, the A/N Alleg screen becomes read only.

Note: To reset individual Findings: Click on the Delete button to erase all findings and information added on the Findings screen.

An Information message will display when the Delete button is clicked.

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Click Yes to proceed to delete the Findings. Click No to maintain the existing information.

Note: If the referral type is assessment, then the Overall Finding cannot be Substantiated-Court Intervention Recommended. The referral must be designated as an investigation for that specific Finding.

Note: If you have an Overall Finding of Unsubstantiated-Services Recommended, Substantiated-Services Recommended or Substantiated-Court Intervention requested, then you must have at least one allegation with an individual Finding that matches the Overall Finding. A Warning message will display providing the reminder.

Note: Investigations entered in KIDS with a referral date prior to September 2009 will have different Findings. They are Confirm, Confirm-Services Recommended, Confirm-Court Intervention Requested, Ruled Out, Services Not Needed, Services Recommended, and Uncertain. Some of these Findings no longer exist as valid Findings in KIDS.

DA

There are two (2) icons contained within this screen: and .

The Addendum icon will remain locked until the DA Info screen has been supervisory

approved.

DA Info

The DA Info screen will have two tabs: DA Info and Summary/Recommendation.

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These screens populates directly to the Report to DA. This information is required by the District Attorney to make a decision about your recommendation.

Select Yes or No on the radio buttons. These buttons automatically default to No.

Enter information in the text field boxes. Scroll down to view the remainder of the screen.

There is a Yes or No radio button to document if a Deprived Petition is recommended.

The Referral Synopsis text box requires a brief statement of the allegations or what brought the family to the attention of CW. This information explains to the DA the allegations that were made and investigated. This should be a good, concise summary of the referral.

A text box is provided to list Any Other Documents/Records Attached which you might attach to the Report to DA.

This tab contains text boxes for your summarization of your investigation and recommendations for DA action. If you have different Findings for individual allegations, you will need to specify those here. This first box contains 2000 characters. The second box allows for 4,000 characters. If your summary/recommendation is longer

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than the text box allows, you will need to complete it in the Report to DA after it is built into Word. This document can be saved to that Investigations File Cabinet.

Associated R/I button is located on the right hand side of the screen. This allows the supervisor to review prior referrals when approving the Report to DA.

This screen requires supervisory approval. It cannot be approved until the AOCS or *CPS Safety Assessment has been approved and all of the individual Findings are complete in the Findings screen. When sent for Approval before Findings are complete, a Check List dialog box will appear.

Click on the OK button and the Approval/Request can be completed, but the supervisor will get the same message and will be unable to complete the approval.

*Note: The CPS Safety Assessment is only required on Out-of-Home investigations in lieu of the AOCS.

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Note: Once the DA screen has been approved, the Findings screen will be read only.

Open/Close

This screen contains three (3) tabs: Assessment/Investigation, AFCARS/NCANDS, and Open/Close History.

The Assessment/Investigation tab provides a summary of required information that must be completed before the investigation can be closed. A red check mark will appear when the information has been completed. A blue question mark will appear when the information is incomplete.

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This tab contains AFCARS/NCANDS information.

A red check mark will appear when the information is Complete.

A red X will appear when the information is Incomplete.

A blue check mark will appear when “required” information is incomplete.

Note: When the information is unavailable, you are required to enter a reason from a pick list either next to or below the question. When you enter the reason on the pick list, the blue question mark becomes a red check . These fields contain crucial client information. If you are unable to enter the data prior to investigation close, it will need to be obtained and entered during the life of the case.

Note: You are strongly encouraged to obtain the missing information and document it in all incomplete fields. You will not be allowed to close your investigation when required data remains incomplete (blue check marks still appear on this screen).

This screen documents the worker’s recommendation to close the completed investigation. Review the Open/Close History prior to requesting approval to ensure that all required information has been properly entered.

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Click on the Inv. Close button to close the Investigation.

This screen requires supervisory approval. If information is incomplete, a Check List box will display with required items that must be addressed before the investigation can be closed. The red check marks indicate the items that have been completed.

If the Check List box does not appear, the investigation can be closed successfully. You may receive another Warning box if something is incomplete.

This Warning box will not prevent you from requesting Approval. Click on the OK button.

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The Approval/Request box will display. The Closure Summary text field will become mandatory after you request closure. The Approval/Request will go to the supervisor’s inbox and he/she will receive the same message.

When the Investigation is closed the most recent Close Date will display in the Closure Summary.

To Reopen an Investigation

The Reopen button will be enabled for Supervisor Security 3. (For how long can a supervisor reopen or does the CWFL have to do this?

Click on the Reopen button and the Assessment Investigation box will display.

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The Social Worker field will populate with the name of the worker logged onto the machine. The Date field will populate with the current system date.

The Reason pick list will contain the following three (3) selections:

• Add Additional Information• Add Additional Interviews• Appeal Completed-New Findings

The Open Summary text field will become mandatory allowing for 300 characters.

Click on the OK button and the Assign/Transfer screen will display with the New button enabled.

An Information message box will display asking if you want to change the primary assignment.

Click on the Cancel button and no assignment will be created and the Investigation will

not reopen.

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Notification of Findings Letter

The Notification of Findings letter prints for all selected addresses, regardless of the Overall Finding. If there is more than one open address of the same address type, the system will print the most recent one. The Services Recommended text field on the Findings screen will automatically populate to the Notification of Findings letter. Use this field to specify what services should be suggested to the client(s). This letter will be only one page and will display the Overall Finding. If the Overall Finding is Substantiated-Services Recommended or Substantiated-Court Intervention Requested, the “Due to a substantiated report, you are eligible for an appeal” box will be checked.

To Reprint the Notification of Findings Letter

Click on the Reports icon.

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Highlight Findings Letter/Request for Appeal Form.

Click on the Print button.

Note: The letter will print for the addresses that were selected from the Report to DA screen. The letter will only be available for printing from the Report Icon when the Report to DA has been approved.

Note: If the Overall Finding is Substantiated-Court Intervention Requested or Substantiated-Services Recommended, then the Request for Appeal form will automatically print with the Notification of Findings letter.

DA Addendum

Click on the Addendum icon.

Click on the New button to create an Addendum. Click on the Show button to view an existing Addendum. If no Addendum's have been entered the Addendum Date and Status will be blank. The Show and Delete buttons will be disabled when there are no previous Addendums.

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Click on the New button.

Enter any subsequent information to provide to the DA in the text box.

Click on the Add button.

The Addendum must be supervisor approved. Click on the Approval button to request approval.

Note: Spell Check is available from both the Tools menu and the Zoom Box.

Note: The worker information will automatically populate with the name of the person logged onto the computer and the date of the entry. There is a Find button that allows users to change the name of the person to someone other than the person entering the information.

Note: The Addendum will become read only once it has been supervisor approved.

Once the Addendum has been added the date from the Addendum screen will populate to a pop up box. If the Addendum has not been approved the status on the Addendum will read Unapproved. When the supervisor has approved the Addendum the status will read Approved.

To Print an Addendum

Click on the Reports icon.

Highlight the Findings Letter/Request for Appeal Form.

A Report to DA message will display providing you the option to print the Report to DA with the Addendum(s) or the Addendum only.

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Click on the Print button.

Below is an example of a printed Addendum:

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