Marisol Barber main post COLLAPSE Discuss your agency’s protocols for making an

Marisol Barber main post
COLLAPSE
Discuss your agency’s protocols for making an abuse report for a child or elder.
After reviewing the policy for Crestwood Behavioral Health with my field supervisor regarding reporting elder abuse, the procedure for reporting is as follows.
Any person employed by Crestwood Behavioral Health Inc. is required by law to report, it he/she/they:
Observes or has knowledge of an incident that reasonably appears to be physical abuse, abandonment, isolation, financial abuse, or neglect
Is told by an elder or dependent adult they have experienced behavior constituting physical abuse, abandonment, isolation, financial abuse, or neglect
Reasonably suspects — objectively reasonable suspicion based
If suspected abuse results in serious bodily injury (see definitions), the reporter must do the following.
Report the incident immediately, no later than two hours by telephone, to local law enforcement, and
Send a written report within two hours to the local law enforcement agency, appropriate licensing agency/s, and the APS (using form SOC 341)
If the suspected physical abuse does not result in serious bodily injury, the mandated reporter must: i. Report the incident to the local APS and the local law enforcement agency by telephone immediately or as soon as practically possible
Provide a written report to the local APS (using form SOC 341), the appropriate licensing agency/s, and the local law enforcement agency within 24 hours. d. For suspected physical abuse, not resulting in serious bodily injury (as defined above), the mandated reporter must do the following:
Report the incident to the local APS or the local law enforcement agency by telephone immediately or as soon as practically possible.
A written report must follow within 24 hours to either the local APS (using form SOC 341) or the local law enforcement agency.
According to statute, licensing agencies are not required to receive these reports.
For other observed, alleged, or suspected non-physical abuse, mandated reporters must do the following:
Report the incident to the local APS or the local law enforcement agency by telephone immediately or within 24 hours. v. Complete and send written report, SOC Form 341, within two (2) working days.
Report ALL incidents of persons served injuries; persons served altercations or inappropriate staff behavior toward a person served, alleged or suspected as abuse, to the onsite supervisor, who reports to the Administrator or Director of Nursing immediately. This will assist the facility to protect the person served; initiate an investigation in a timely manner; and remain compliant per Health & Safety Code 1418.91, in reporting incidents of alleged abuse or suspected abuse of a resident ASAP, no later than 24 hours to the appropriate licensing agency/s.
Charge Nurse or designated management staff immediately suspends staff alleged to abuse person served and reports the event to persons’ served physician and next of kin or responsible party.
If the suspected or alleged abuse did not occur while the victim was a person served at the facility, the report may be made to the adult protective services agency.
Describe the state legal guidelines that exist for mandated reporting of abuse (child and elder abuse) in your specific state.
My internship age population at the facility I am doing is 18 years of age to 70; therefore, there are no children in this facility. As I looked for information on the website regarding guidelines on reporting elder abuse, I came across a free online multi-disciplinary Adult Services Training and Evaluation for Results (MASTER) program of the Academy for Professionals Excellence, a Sand Diego State University project School of Social Work. Reviewing the curriculum, there was reference information from the California Department of Social Services, California Penal Code, California Welfare and institution codes, National Adult Protective Services, and guidelines and laws on reporting Elder abuse. The course had information on how to report elder abuse outside a Long-Term facility and in a long-term facility. It also had information on protocol depending on the type of abuse. The internship I am working at is a licensed agency with adults with mental disabilities or other limitations that restrict their ability to carry out everyday activities and are admitted as inpatients to a 24-hour health facility. According to the California Legislative Information website CHAPTER 11. Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Ac, “A mandated reporter who, in their professional capacity, or within the scope of their employment, has observed or has knowledge of an incident that reasonably appears to be physical abuse, as defined in Section 15610.63, abandonment, abduction, isolation, financial abuse, or neglect, or is told by an elder or dependent adult that they have experienced behavior, including an act or omission, constituting physical abuse, as defined in Section 15610.63, abandonment, abduction, isolation, financial abuse, or neglect, or reasonably suspects that abuse, shall report the known or suspected instance of abuse by telephone or through a confidential internet reporting tool, as authorized by Section 15658, immediately or as soon as practicably possible. If reported by telephone, a written report shall be sent, or an Internet report shall be made through the confidential Internet reporting tool established in Section 15658, within two working days” (Code section. Law section 1991).
Discuss how being a designated mandated reporter impacts you on both a personal and professional level. (This is a self-analysis question that requires you to go beyond your current experience and project into possible situations that you may encounter – think it through. Stating that being a mandated reporter has no impact on your life indicates a lack of critical analysis regarding how this legal mandate can require a response that is difficult for you to make).
As a mandated reporter, this impacts me both on a personal level and a professional level for a few reasons. While my parents were alive, there was, in my opinion, abuse towards my parents by a few siblings. The abuse was not physical; it was financial abuse. My brothers used both my parents’ information to collect additional income tax on their taxes. They did not ask my parents for their permission to use them as dependents. Also, another sibling’s wife stole from my mother. On a few occasions, my dad fell, and my brother, who was his caregiver, did not bring him to the doctor. When I found out, I was so enraged. I know I did not need to be a mandated reporter to make a report. However, my mother did not want to report it. She did not want to end up in a convalescent home. While doing this course, I learned that APS would not force a person to leave their home or continue with a reported case if they do not want to. As a professional and on a personal level, this is frustrating because just like I needed to respect my parent’s decisions, not to make a report, I have also to respect my clients’ decisions. However, there are circumstances and conditions. For example, if my client was harmed or died, due to great bodily injury. Or if there was physical pain or mental suffering. I must report it regardless of my client’s decision. If I do not report it, I violate it, which can be punishable by a fine or imprisonment. I recommend all students to go to this website https://cdss.ca.gov/MandatedReporting/story_html5.html and do the training, and it was very educational. Here is a copy of my certificate of completion.
References
Code section. Law section. (n.d.). Retrieved May 11, 2022, from https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=15630&lawCode=WIC
Mandated reporting – elder and dependent adult abuse and neglect in California. (n.d.). Retrieved May 11, 2022, from https://cdss.ca.gov/MandatedReporting/story_html5.html
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