DFPS sets priorities for the delivery of protective services. In establishing priorities, DFPS defines timeframes for conducting initial face-to-face interviews with alleged victims. The priorities are based on severity and immediacy of alleged threat to the life or physical safety of the alleged victim. (40 Texas Administrative Code §705.2101)

The initial face-to-face contact with the alleged victim is conducted according to the following priorities:

Priority 1: Allegations that the victim is in a state of serious harm or is in danger of death from abuse or neglect. APS makes face-to-face contact within 24 hours of SWI’s receipt of Priority I allegations.

Priority 2: Allegations that the victim is abused, neglected, or financially exploited and, as a result, is at risk of serious harm. APS makes face-to-face contact within three calendar days of SWI’s receipt of Priority II allegations.

Priority 3: All other allegations that the victim is in a state of abuse or neglect. APS makes face-to-face contact within seven calendar days of SWI’s receipt of Priority III allegations.

Priority 4: Allegations of financial exploitation when there is no danger of imminent impoverishment or deprivation of basic needs. APS makes face-to-face contact within 14 calendar days of SWI’s receipt of Priority IV allegations.

Inclusion is based on the Intake Closure Date.

ABOUT THIS CHART
Allegation Disposition (Findings) Codes:

Valid. Based on the standard of preponderance of the evidence, it is more likely than not that the maltreatment occurred.

Invalid. Based on the standard of preponderance of the evidence, it is more likely than not that the maltreatment did not occur.

Unable to Determine. A preponderance of the available evidence is insufficient to support a finding of Valid or Invalid.

Other. The allegation disposition Other is used when an investigation of the allegation was not completed for some reason, e.g. clients died or cases were misclassified.

1. Family Violence is indicated when a validated investigation has a relative perpetrator, excluding those where financial exploitation is the only confirmed allegation.

2. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2015, services provided during the investigation are documented in the investigation stage and not in a separate service stage.

3. The "Other" Disposition category refers to those investigations that workers could not complete, e.g. clients died or cases were misclassified.

4. The population totals do not match prior DFPS Data Books, printed or online. Past population estimates are adjusted based on the U.S. Census data as it becomes available. This is important to keep the data in line with current best practices, but will cause some past counts, such as Abuse/Neglect Victims per 1,000 Texas Children, to be recalculated.

Population Data Source - Population Estimates and Projections Program, Texas State Data Center, Office of the State Demographer and the Institute for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Current population estimates and projections for all years from 2014 to 2023 as of December 2023.

Visit dfps.state.tx.us for information on all DFPS programs.

Human Resources Code 48.152 requires that APS investigations include an interview with the person age 65 or older or adult with disabilities, if appropriate, and with persons thought to have knowledge of the circumstances.

APS interviews all appropriate parties, including reporters, alleged victims, alleged perpetrators, witnesses, medical staff, and others who have knowledge of allegations and alleged victims' situations.

DFPS staff must not disclose the reporter’s name to the victim, the victim’s family, or the public. The reporter’s name may be released verbally or in writing to the courts, the district or county attorney, law enforcement agencies, and DFPS staff.

APS case-related information is confidential. APS only provides the reporter with pertinent case information necessary to:
• confirm whether allegations will be accepted for investigation;
• collect evidence and gather relevant information related to allegations and the alleged victim’s overall situation and risk; and
• arrange for protective services to reduce risk of harm or alleviate abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation.

1. A report of abuse/neglect/financial exploitation may come from multiple sources making the source total higher than the total number of intakes.

2. Inclusion based on intake closure date.

APS may provide or arrange for emergency services to alleviate or prevent further abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation. APS works in partnership with other social service agencies to provide resources to vulnerable adults. These services may be provided through collaboration with other state agencies or community organizations. DFPS may use Purchased Client Services funds and may enter into contracts to provide services to clients. All other available resources must be used where feasible before purchased client services are initiated.

After the victim's immediate safety is assured and investigation is completed, APS may remain involved for a short period to stabilize a low-risk situation. In other cases, victims with more complex problems or deemed at moderate or high risk of further maltreatment or self-neglect may receive more intensive services or assistance for a longer period of time.

Visit dfps.state.tx.us for information on all DFPS programs.

Types of Abuse, Neglect and Financial Exploitation

A single APS case can have more than one allegation.

Neglect is the failure to provide the protection, food, shelter, or care necessary to avoid emotional harm or physical injury. The alleged perpetrator of the neglect may be the victim or the victim's caregiver. There are three types of neglect allegations: Physical Neglect, Medical Neglect, and Mental Health Neglect.

Other allegation types include: Financial Exploitation, Physical Abuse, Emotional or Verbal Abuse, or Sexual Abuse.

The population totals do not match prior DFPS Data Books, printed or ontline. Past population estimates are adjusted based on the U.S. Census data as it becomes available. This is important to keep the data in line with current best practices, but will cause some past counts, such as Abuse/Neglect Victims per 1,000 Texas Children, to be recalculated.

Population Data Source - Population Estimates and Projections Program, Texas State Data Center, Office of the State Demographer and the Institute for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Current population estimates and projections for all years from 2014 to 2023 as of December 2023.

Visit dfps.state.tx.us for information on all DFPS programs.

Allegation Disposition (Findings):

Valid. Based on the standard of preponderance of the evidence, it is more likely than not that the maltreatment occurred.

Invalid. Based on the standard of preponderance of the evidence, it is more likely than not that the maltreatment did not occur.

Unable to Determine. A preponderance of the available evidence is insufficient to support a finding of Valid or Invalid.

Other. The allegation disposition Other is used when an investigation of the allegation was not completed for some reason, e.g. clients died or cases were misclassified.

1. Family Violence is indicated when a validated investigation has a relative perpetrator, excluding those where financial exploitation is the only confirmed allegation.

2. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2015, services provided during the investigation are documented in the investigation stage and not in a separate service stage.

3. The "Other" Disposition category refers to those investigations that workers could not complete, e.g. clients died or cases were misclassified.

4. The population totals do not match prior DFPS Data Books, printed or online. Past population estimates are adjusted based on the U.S. Census data as it becomes available. This is important to keep the data in line with current best practices, but will cause some past counts, such as Abuse/Neglect Victims per 1,000 Texas Children, to be recalculated.

Population Data Source - Population Estimates and Projections Program, Texas State Data Center, Office of the State Demographer and the Institute for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Current population estimates and projections for all years from 2014 to 2023 as of December 2020.

Visit dfps.state.tx.us for information on all DFPS programs.

The county and region of the workers are determined by the office to which they are assigned.

Adult Protective Services (APS):
APS Investigations employees protect people age 65 and older and adults with disabilities from abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation by investigating and providing or arranging for services necessary to alleviate or prevent further maltreatment.

Child Protective Investigations (CPI/CCI):
Counts the number of active CPI and CPS staff on the last day of the fiscal year by staff type and demographics.
Child Care Investigations (CCI), which is a part of CPI and include Day Care Investigations (DCI) and Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) are only available from 2018 onward. This is due to the split of those job functions from Child Care Licensing, which was a part of DFPS until 2017, when it was transferred to the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).

Statewide Intake (SWI):
Statewide Intake (SWI) serves as the “front door to the front line” for all DFPS programs. As the central point of contact for reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable Texans. SWI staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. Prior to FY2018, all SWI staff were located in the Austin area.

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

Services provided to clients by DFPS may include social casework, case management, and arranging for psychiatric and health evaluation, home care, day care, social services, health care, respite services, and other services.

The APS specialist works with the client to develop a service plan to address identified problems. Safely maintaining clients in the least restrictive environment is a primary goal of APS intervention.

Protective services may be necessary to alleviate or prevent the client from returning to a state of abuse, neglect or financial exploitation. In this case, DFPS may also provide services to a family member or caretaker. (Texas Human Resources Code §48.002(a)(5) and §48.204) Protective services may be delivered in every stage of an investigation

The APS specialist makes all reasonable efforts to resolve problems, including root causes, and stabilizes the client’s condition. Full resolution of a client’s problems is always the goal of APS casework, but it is not always achievable. When full resolution is not a practical goal because of inadequate resources, client resistance, or some other impediment, the APS specialist closes the case when a client’s situation is as close to stable as possible.

The phrase "reasonable effort" implicitly recognizes that:
• personal choice on the part of the client may limit the effectiveness of APS intervention;
• resources available to APS for helping clients are limited; and
• APS cannot remedy all situations.

1. Counts for FY 2015 and subsequent years cannot be compared to those from prior Data Books, due to changes in the APS casework practice model. Cases with services provided during the investigation may not have a separate service stage.

2. Clients in validated cases may receive more than one service.

Visit dfps.state.tx.us for information on all DFPS programs.

Tenure with DFPS represents tenure with the agency and not in a specific position.

Child Care Investigations (CCI), which is a part of CPI and include Day Care Investigations (DCI) and Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) are only available from 2018 onward. This is due to the split of those job functions from Child Care Licensing, which was a part of DFPS until 2017, when it was transferred to the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).

Types of Abuse, Neglect and Financial Exploitation -

A single APS case can have more than one allegation.

Neglect is the failure to provide the protection, food, shelter, or care necessary to avoid emotional harm or physical injury. The alleged perpetrator of the neglect may be the victim or the victim's caregiver. There are three types of neglect allegations: Physical Neglect, Medical Neglect, and Mental Health Neglect.

Other allegation types include: Financial Exploitation, Physical Abuse, Emotional or Verbal Abuse, or Sexual Abuse.

The population totals do not match prior DFPS Data Books, printed or ontline. Past population estimates are adjusted based on the U.S. Census data as it becomes available. This is important to keep the data in line with current best practices, but will cause some past counts, such as Abuse/Neglect Victims per 1,000 Texas Children, to be recalculated.

Population Data Source - Population Estimates and Projections Program, Texas State Data Center, Office of the State Demographer and the Institute for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Current population estimates and projections for all years from 2014 to 2023 as of December 2023.

Visit dfps.state.tx.us for information on all DFPS programs.