CFS PPM2
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10212 Critical or Significant Incident Notification Procedures

 

  1. Definitions

    1. Critical Incident: Includes any incident such as an adult death as defined below which may draw public, legislative, or media concern.

    2. Significant Incident: Unanticipated event which does not rise to the level of a critical incident, but has the potential risk of a serious adverse outcome. This includes work related injury or death of a Department for Children and Families (DCF) staff or an incident in which staff safety was seriously compromised such as incidents involving threats with a gun or other weapons.

    3. Adult Death: An adult who is the subject of an Adult Protective Services (APS) investigation whose death is related or potentially related to an allegation of abuse, neglect and/or exploitation or an adult who received adult protective services and dies under suspicious circumstances.

    4. Near Death: An adult who is the subject of an APS investigation who is near death or dying related to an allegation of abuse, neglect or and/or exploitation.

    5. DCF Critical Incident Team: Individuals and positions designated by the Secretary of DCF to receive information regarding critical incidents.  DCF.CriticalIncident@ks.gov is the e-mail address.

  2. Reporting an Adult Critical Incident

Information regarding critical Incidents and significant incidents may be received by the Kansas Protection Report Center (KPRC) or by DCF staff. When KPRC or DCF staff become aware of an incident, they shall complete the initial notification verbally or by e-mail immediately and no later than 12 hours of knowledge of the critical or significant incident.

 

    1. Critical or Significant Incident Information Received by the KPRC

      1. Critical Incidents

If a critical incident is reported to the KPRC during DCF business hours, the KPRC shall send the report to the PPS Director, Assistant Regional Director, KPRC Supervisors via PRCSups@ks.gov (PRCSups mailbox), APS Program Administrator, and the Regional APS Assistant Program Administrator (APA).   

 

The Initial Assessment shall be completed on the report per section 10110.

 

Outside of DCF business hours, KPRC may receive reports involving a critical incident.  The report shall be documented per normal procedures.  The report shall be immediately emailed to the PPS Director, Assistant Regional Director, KPRC Supervisors (via PRCSups mailbox), APS Program Administrator, and the Regional APS APA.  

 

      1. Significant Incident

Reports involving a Significant Incident which are not assigned for further assessment are forwarded to the APS Program Administrator.

 

    1. Critical or Significant Incident Information Received by DCF staff

Upon receiving a critical or significant incident, the following shall occur:

 

        1. DCF staff shall notify their immediate supervisor within 12 hours of receiving a critical or significant incident.
        2. The supervisor shall notify the APS APA by e-mail no later than 12 hours after receiving the notification from DCF staff.
        3. The APS APA shall complete a written report using form PPS 10212 on the incident by the close of business on the next working day of their knowledge of the incident.
        4. A copy of the completed PPS 10212 shall be forwarded to the Assistant Regional Director, Regional Attorney, APS APA, APS supervisor, other Regional staff as appropriate, and APS Program Administrator.
        5. For critical incidents, the PPS 10212 shall be sent to the DCF Critical Incident Team using the DCF critical incident e-mail address.

  1. Review of Critical Incident by DCF Critical Incident Team:

If the critical incident involves a death as the result of abuse, neglect or exploitation, the APS Program Administrator shall schedule and coordinate a review of the facts

within 2 working days, or as soon as practical, from the receipt of the Critical Incident Response. The review may occur via teleconference or in person.  Participants invited include: Critical Incident Team, the PPS Director or designee, PPS legal, the Regional Director or designee, APS Program Administrator, APS APA, and if needed the APS Supervisor and/or APS Specialist.  

 

If the critical incident does not involve a death, the PPS Director or Regional Director may request a Critical Incident Review if it is believed the incident warrants review

by the DCF Critical Incident Team.

 

  1. Providing Additional Information and Updates

The DCF critical Incident Team may request additional information or updates to case status.  This information shall be provided as requested through the DCF Critical Incident e-mail address within 2 business days of the request, or within a timeframe designated by the Regional Director or designee.  The subject line of the e-mail shall state, Case name- “Attorney/Client Privileged Information”.

 

  1. Review of a Significant Incident

Upon request of the PPS Director or designee, a review of the significant incident is scheduled and coordinated by the APS Program Administrator within two working

days of receiving the request for a review. The review may be in person or teleconference. The Regional Director, or their designee, APS APA, PPS Director and Deputy

Directors, PPS Legal, and APS Program Administrator shall be invited to participate.