A Family Team Meeting (FTM) is a family-centered rapid response meeting CPI uses to try and prevent a removal by engaging caregivers, parents and extended family and friends to address child safety concerns. An FTM is not limited to an investigation and can occur at any point or stage in which CPI or CPS is involved with a family.

More information at www.dfps.texas.gov

Number of Child Protective Investigations referred to Family Preservation Services organized by final risk assigned to each family through safety and risk assessments.

Data begins in 2018 due to changing Risk Assessments over time in the IMPACT application.

This dashboard addresses the Texas Human Resources Code Sec. 40.0516 (a)(2).

Priority 1 investigations must have initial contact within 24 hours and Priority 2 within 72 hours.

Completed investigations only include those cases conducted as a traditional investigation that were not administratively closed or merged into another stage. An investigation can only be administratively closed if all allegations have a disposition of administrative closure. A completed investigation can include more than one alleged victim. Completed investigations do not include any Alternative Response cases.

A description of Alternative Response and how it differs from a traditional investigation and priority response times are in the CPS glossary.

Visit dfps.texas.gov for information on all DFPS programs

Child Protective Investigations (CPI) conducts either a traditional investigation or Alternative Response (AR). Both require CPI to assess safety and take needed actions to protect a child and assess the risk of future abuse or neglect in the foreseeable future. AR, however, allows for a more flexible, family engaging approach on lower priority cases involving alleged victims who are age 6 or older. AR differs from traditional investigations in that there is no substantiation of allegations, no entry of perpetrators into the Central Registry (a repository for reports of child abuse and neglect), and there a heightened focus on guiding the family to plan for safety in a way that works for them and therefore sustains the safety.

Completed investigations only include those cases conducted as a traditional investigation that were not administratively closed or merged into another stage. An investigation can only be administratively closed if all allegations have a disposition of administrative closure. A completed investigation can include more than one alleged victim. Completed investigations do not include any Alternative Response cases. A description of Alternative Response and how it differs from a traditional investigation is in the CPS glossary.

At the end of a completed investigation, CPI assesses child safety, the risk of abuse or neglect in the foreseeable future, the ability of the family to reduce the risk without CPI intervention, the ability of CPI to provide needed services and other circumstances in the case to decide whether to provide ongoing services.

The Case Action Substitute Care includes investigations that resulted in at least one child (not necessarily all children in the home) being removed. Does not equal number of children removed.

Visit dfps.texas.gov for information on CPS Abuse/Neglect Investigations and all DFPS programs.

ABOUT THIS CHART
Child Protective Investigations (CPI) conducts either a traditional investigation or Alternative Response (AR). Traditional investigations and Alternative Response require caseworkers to assess safety and take needed actions to protect a child while assessing any risk of abuse or neglect in the foreseeable future. AR cases present a less adversarial more collaborative approach to working with families by allowing for family engagement along with other community supports to ensure child safety. AR differs from traditional investigations in that AR cases are Priority 2 cases involving victims who are age 6 or older, there is no substantiation of allegations, no entry of perpetrators into the Central Registry (a repository for reports of child abuse and neglect), and there is a heightened focus on guiding the family to plan for safety in a way that works for them and therefore sustains safety.

Alterative Response has been fully implemented in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6B, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. AR in Region 6A is in the implementation stage. Full state implementation is anticipated in March 2021. Region 6A is Harris County and Region 6B is Region 6 excluding Harris County.

The persons in these counts are limited to principals in Alternative Response stages. Clients in stages that were administratively closed or closed to merge were excluded from the counts.

This dashboard addresses Texas Family Code Section 264.017 (b) (3).

This chart includes statewide intake staff, investigation staff, Alternative Response staff with caseworker job classifications along with CPI Screeners and CPI Special Investigators.

SWI Intake Workers are located in Austin (Travis County), El Paso and Texarkana (Bowie County).

This dashboard addressed a prior reporting requirement from the Texas Family Code.

Visit dfps.texas.gov for information on CPS Abuse/Neglect Investigations and all DFPS programs.

The principal governing legislation for CPI investigations is Chapter 261 of the Texas Family Code (TFC).

1. Victims have been unduplicated by investigation stage.

2. Abuse/neglect investigations can contain multiple allegations, each with their own disposition.

More information at www.dfps.texas.gov