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Extracted from Consolidated Report

This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.

Orange County Grand Jury • 2014-2015

Child Abuse Hotline: Unanswered Cries for Help

20 pages

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⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.

⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.

Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F3, F6

Findings 4 findings

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Significant improvement in dropped call rates is a reasonable expectation REPORT because during the last three years, there have been months when the Child 7 Abuse Registry achieved dropped call rates in the range of 5%-7%. REPORT F.3. The new requirement to document all Information-Only calls from mandated 8 reporters contributed to increased waiting time on Child Abuse Registry calls because most social workers do not answer waiting calls while doing the additional documentation. REPORT 9

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The volume of child abuse calls coming into the Child Abuse Registry has significantly increased, which necessitates changing management strategies for REPORT dealing with the increased amount and complexity of the activity. 10

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The Adult Protective Services hotline was absorbed into the Child Abuse Registry. Most social workers interviewed reported that they felt competent and REPORT enjoyed taking the calls for the agency from which they came (child or adult), but 11 still felt unsure, slower, and less confident taking calls for the other agency. REPORT F.6. Hotline social workers are required to input the same repeated data on multiple 12 forms for the same call. Manual data entry is duplicated, which requires additional time away from being available to take waiting calls. REPORT

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CAR management does not appear to have specific policies or strategies for 13 dealing with peak periods when there are long wait times and high dropped call rates. REPORT 14 RECOMMENDATIONS In accordance with California Penal Code sections 933 and 933.05, the 2014- REPORT 2015 Grand Jury requires responses from each agency affected by the 15 recommendations presented in this section. The responses are to be submitted to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court. REPORT 16 2014-2015 Orange County Grand Jury REPORT Child Abuse Hotline: Unanswered Cries for Help 1 Based on its investigation titled “Child Abuse Hotline – Unanswered Cries for REPORT Help,” the 2014-2015 Orange County Grand Jury makes the following four 2 recommendations: REPORT

Recommendations 4

R1
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The Child Abuse Registry should examine the feasibility of utilizing an 3 abbreviated report for mandated Information-Only calls to expedite completion of these reports, thus freeing up the hotline worker to take waiting calls. (F.3.) REPORT
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Additional training of all Child Abuse Registry social workers should continue until 4 all workers feel equally competent taking both adult and child calls. While training is disruptive and time consuming, the formal training should continue as a REPORT priority. (F.5.) 5
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All documentation completed by hotline social workers should be examined with REPORT the goal of eliminating redundancies in order to allow quicker completion of the 6 paperwork, thus freeing up social workers for waiting calls. (F.6.)
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The Social Services Agency and the Child Abuse Registry should become more REPORT proactive in addressing the excessive number of dropped calls and establish 7 strategies and policies to reduce the dropped-call rate with an initial goal of returning to less than 5%. A partial list of strategies that could be considered for REPORT dealing with spike volume periods include: 8 a) training and requiring staff to multitask (taking a waiting call prior to completing the post-call work on the previous call); REPORT b) designating supervisors to answer waiting calls; and 9 c) specifying staff members to triage calls to determine the level of urgency and potentially taking a message for call-back. REPORT 10 (F.1., F.2., F.4., F.7) REQUIRED RESPONSES REPORT 11 The California Penal Code section 933 requires the governing body of any public agency which the Grand Jury has reviewed, and about which it has issued a final report, REPORT to comment to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court on the findings and 12 recommendations pertaining to matters under the control of the governing body. Such comment shall be made no later than 90 days after the Grand Jury publishes its report (filed with the Clerk of the Court). Additionally, in the case of a report containing findings REPORT and recommendations pertaining to a department or agency headed by an elected 13 County official (e.g. District Attorney, Sheriff, etc.), such elected official shall comment on the findings and recommendations pertaining to the matters under that elected REPORT official’s control to the Presiding Judge with an information copy sent to 14 the Board of Supervisors. Furthermore, California Penal Code section 933.05, subdivisions (a), (b), and (c), REPORT provides as follows, the manner in which such comment(s) are to be made: 15 REPORT 16 2014-2015 Orange County Grand Jury REPORT 1 Child Abuse Hotline: Unanswered Cries for Help REPORT (a) As to each Grand Jury finding, the responding person or entity shall indicate one of 2 the following: (1) The respondent agrees with the finding REPORT 3 (2) The respondent disagrees wholly or partially with the finding, in which case the response shall specify the portion of the finding that is disputed and shall include an REPORT explanation of the reasons therefore. 4 (b) As to each Grand Jury recommendation, the responding person or entity shall report one of the following actions: REPORT 5 (1) The recommendation has been implemented, with a summary regarding the implemented action. REPORT 6 (2) The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future, with a time frame for implementation. REPORT (3) The recommendation requires further analysis, with an explanation and the 7 scope and parameters of an analysis or study, and a time frame for the matter to be prepared for discussion by the officer or head of the agency or department being REPORT investigated or reviewed, including the governing body of the public agency when 8 applicable. This time frame shall not exceed six months from the date of publication of the Grand Jury report. REPORT (4) The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted or 9 is not reasonable, with an explanation therefore. REPORT (c) If a finding or recommendation of the Grand Jury addresses budgetary or personnel 10 matters of a county agency or department headed by an elected officer, both the agency or department head and the Board of Supervisors shall respond if requested by the Grand Jury, but the response of the Board of Supervisors shall address only those REPORT budgetary /or personnel matters over which it has some decision making authority. The 11 response of the elected agency or department head shall address all aspects of the findings or recommendations affecting his or her agency or department. REPORT 12 Comments to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court in compliance with Penal Code section 933.05 are required from: REPORT Responses Required 13 Orange County Board of Supervisors: F.1., F.2., F.3., F.4., F.5., F.6., F.7., R.1., REPORT R.2., R.3., R.4. Responses Requested: REPORT Social Services Agency: F.1., F.2., F.3., F.4., F.5., F.6., F.7., R.1., R.2., R.3., R.4. REPORT 16 2014-2015 Orange County Grand Jury REPORT Child Abuse Hotline: Unanswered Cries for Help 1 REPORT COMMENDATION 2 The Grand Jury wishes to commend all of the CAR managers and social workers who were interviewed during the course of this investigation. Their responsiveness to REPORT requests for information and coordination of interviews facilitated the work of the Grand 3 Jury. The commitment to their work in addressing the difficult task of preventing child abuse was most notable. REPORT 4 REPORT 5 REPORT 6 REPORT 7 REPORT 8 REPORT 9 REPORT 10 REPORT 11 REPORT 12 REPORT 13 REPORT 14 REPORT 15 REPORT 16 2014-2015 Orange County Grand Jury REPORT 1 Child Abuse Hotline: Unanswered Cries for Help REPORT