REQUIREMENTS 

The Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) shall: 

1. Use the Intake Assessment process to assess all new intake reports on a family that is currently being investigated, receiving Family Support Services, Family Preservation Services or Permanency Services to determine whether the report involves a new allegation, a duplicate allegation, or no allegation of abuse and/or neglect. 

2. Assign to Initial Safety Assessment (ISA), regardless of the determination of a present danger situation or impending danger safety threat when a new Intake Assessment screened in on a family: 

   a. Who is currently being investigated; 

   b. Receiving Family Preservation Services; or 

   c. Receiving Permanency Services. (This case type may be assigned as a Special Investigation) 

   NOTE: This process will apply to non-custodial and custodial parents. 

3. Screen-in and assign to ISA, intake reports involving a caregiver who has an active foster care case giving birth to a child. 

4. Immediately notify the Social Services Case Manager (SSCM) and the Social Services Supervisor (SSS), assigned to the active case of the receipt of the intake report (regardless if the report is assigned or screened out). 

PROCEDURES

The CPS Intake Communication Center (CICC) Social Services Case Manager will: 

1. Permanency (Foster Care and Adoption) case or Foster Home: 

   a. Complete the Intake Assessment process as outlined in policy 3.1 Intake: Receiving Intake Reports; 

   b. If the report involves a caregiver giving birth who has an active foster care case, the report must be screened in and assigned to ISA; and 

   c. Assess for assignment as a special investigation or policy violation (for reports on placement resources) regardless if the reporter source is DFCS or non-DFCS. 

2. Family Support Services (FSS) case: 

   a. Complete the Intake Assessment process as outlined in policy 3.1 Intake: Receiving Intake Report ;

   b. Determine if the new report contains any new information regarding the alleged victim child, a different alleged victim child, current maltreater or different maltreater that indicates a present danger situation or an impending danger safety threat. This may include information that is related to the original maltreatment alleged in the intake report, but indicates the situation has escalated in severity such that a present danger situation or impending danger safety threat now exists; 

   c. If the new intake report contains information that does indicate that allegations of maltreatment exists with a present danger situation or impending danger safety threat, assign the new Intake Assessment to the ISA track and immediately notify the assigned County Department; 

   d. When a new intake report contains a different allegation of maltreatment than originally reported, but still does not indicate a present danger situation or impending danger safety threat, assign the Intake Assessment to the ISA. Immediately notify the County Department of the new report; 

   e. If the new Intake report contains duplicate information of the original report assigned as FSS, recommend the case for a screen-out; and 

   f. If the screen-out is approved after a second level review as a duplicate report, notify the County Department of the screened out intake report (see policy 3.26 Second Level Screen-Out Review and Approval Process). 

3. Investigation case: 

   a. Complete the Intake Assessment process as outlined in policy 3.1 Intake: Receiving Intake Reports when the intake report is received from a reporter source other than the assigned DFCS staff person and assess the information reported to screen-in or screenout; 

   b. If the new Intake Assessment is screened in, recommend the case be assigned to ISA, regardless of the determination of a present danger situation or impending danger safety threat, and notify the County Department immediately of the disposition of the report; NOTE: The County Department will be required to respond to the new intake report immediately to within 24 hours regardless of the identification of a present danger situation or impending danger safety threat to assess child safety. 

   c. When during an investigation, the assigned DFCS staff person identifies additional maltreatment regarding the alleged victim child, or alleged maltreater other than what was originally reported in the investigation add the additional allegation information to the Allegations Detail page in Georgia SHINES in the Investigations stage; and 

   d. When a new intake report is received during an active investigation that is independent of what was originally reported, enter a new Intake report in Georgia SHINES and assess to screen-in or screen-out. 

4. Family Preservation Services case: 

   a. Complete the Intake Assessment process as outlined in policy 3.1 Intake: Receiving Intake Reports and assess the information reported to screen in or screen out; and 

   b. If the new Intake Assessment is screened in, recommend the case be assigned to ISA regardless of the determination of a present danger situation or impending danger safety threat, and notify the County Department immediately of the disposition of the report. NOTE: The County Department will be required to respond to the new intake report immediately to within 24 hours regardless of the identification of a present danger situation or impending danger safety threat to assess child safety.