Protective
Services
Child Protective Services
Child Protective Services is a wide range
of social services coordinated and delivered on behalf of a child who
is
at risk of abuse or neglect. Reports alleging abuse or neglect
are
received by Children Services 24 hours per day every day of the
year.
Social workers respond to these reports by interviewing and assessing
the
child and his/her family to determine what, if any, risk and safety
factors are
present.
If the level of risk is low, the family is referred to agencies within
the community to help them resolve identified problems. If the
child
is considered to be more significantly at risk, the family is often
transferred
for services within Children Services. Social workers from the
Family
Services units provide more intensive services to the children and
their
families in an effort to reduce the level of risk to the
child.
Social workers from the Family Development unit offer therapeutic home
based services, homemaker assistance and parenting classes to families
who have been identified as high risk for abuse and neglect. When
a child is determined to be at critical risk, and without intervention
could be in danger of serious harm, Children Services can request the
Licking
County Juvenile Court to issue an order to place the child out of
his/her
home on a temporary basis. Social workers from the Family
Services
units and/or the Family Development unit then work with the family to
reduce
the risks in the home and reunify the family as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, sometimes it's not
always
possible to safely return the child to their home. Children Services
then
may request a permanent order of custody to enable the child to have a
lasting placement with relatives or an adoptive family.
Who is protected?
Children who are under eighteen years
of age or mentally or physically handicapped and under twenty-one years
of age.
Individuals who are mandated to
report:
Any person who has reasonable belief that
a child may be abused or neglected should report their concerns to
Children
Services. Persons who are considered mandated reporters by the
Ohio
Revised Code, Section 2151.421 (b) are: attorney, physician,
including
a hospital intern or resident, dentist, podiatrist, practitioner of a
limited
branch of medicine as specified in section 4731.15 of the Revised Code,
registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, visiting nurse, other
health
care professional, licensed psychologist, licensed school
psychologist,
independent marriage and family therapist; speech pathologist or
audiologist, coroner, administrator or employee
of
a child day care center, administrator or employee of a residential
camp
or child day care camp, administrator or employee of a certified child
care agency or other public or private children services agency, school
teacher, school employee, school authority, person engaged in social
work
or the practice of professional counseling, agent of county humane
society; or a person rendering
spiritual
treatment through prayer in accordance with the tenets of a well
recognized
religion; superintendent, board member, or employee of a county board
of mental retardation; investigative agent contracted with by a county
board of mental retardation; or employee of the department of mental
retardation and developmental disabilities. Any person making
a report in good faith is immune
from
any criminal or civil liability.
How to report:
All reports of suspected child abuse or
neglect should be made to the Licking County Department of Job &
Family
Services, Children Services Division. Reports can be made by
phone
at (740)670-8888, by mail or in person at 74 South Second
Street,
PO Box 5030, Newark, OH 43058-5030, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5
p.m.
After hours, weekends & holiday emergency reports should be made to
the Licking County Sheriff's Office at (740)670-5500.
Adult
Protective Services
Adult Protective Services (APS)is a system
of social services for older adults (60+) who may be victims of abuse,
neglect, or financial exploitation. In 1981, Ohio established an
Adult Protective Services Law (ORC 5101.6-5101.71). Through this
law, Licking County Department of Job & Family Services employs a
social
worker to investigate reports of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation
and to try and correct those situations.
Some of the principles on which the law
is built include:
- The client has the right to
determine
how
he or she lives.
- It is best to use the 'least
restrictive alternative'
when developing solutions.
- If appropriate, family members
will be
involved
in problem solving.
- Community based services will be
provided,
if possible, rather than institutionalization.
- Placing blame is not the point.
- Intervention is tailored to the
needs
of the
victim and family. Inadequate or inappropriate intervention may
be
worse than none at all.
Who is protected?
The law applies to persons age 60 years
and
older who are handicapped by the infirmities of age or are mentally or
physically impaired so that they are unable to provide for their own
care
or protection. Those persons must live in the community--for
example,
a private home, trailer, or rooming house. Persons living in a
nursing
home or other facility licensed by the State of Ohio are protected
under
a different law.
Individuals who
must make
reports
The law requires that most
professional
and paraprofessional social service and health care workers report
known
or suspected abuse, neglect (including self-neglect), or
exploitation.
Those designated as mandatory reporters under this law include:
- Attorneys, Law Enforcement Officers
- Physicians, Psychologists,
Podiatrists, Nurses,
Osteopaths, Dentists, Chiropractors, Coroners
- Clergy, Social Workers, Senior
Service
Providers,
Counselors, employees of hospitals, home health agencies, ambulatory
health
facilities, and community health facilities.
Any person who makes a report or testifies
in any administrative or judicial proceeding is immune from civic or
criminal
liability due to such a report or testimony, unless the person has
acted
in bad faith or with malicious purpose. In such an instance, s/he
is liable for perjury.
How to report
All Adult Protective Service Referrals for
people living in Licking County should be made to the Licking County
Department
of Job & Family Services. Reports can be made by phone, mail,
or in person. The unit responsible for investigating complaints
is
called Adult Protective Services (APS) and they can be reached by
calling
(740) 670-8800.
What Adult Protective
Services
does after being contacted
APS must investigate 'emergency' reports
within
24 hours and all other reports within three (3) working days. An
emergency report is one in which there is substantial risk of immediate
physical harm to an individual or others. The investigator must
meet
face to face with the adult and consult with the referrant, when
feasible.
Written notice of the intent of the investigation must be given to the
adult, and a written report which either confirms or denies the need
for
protective services must be made.
Return to
Main
Page