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Swamped By Calls, DCF Wants Better Screening
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Published: July 14, 2008
Updated: 07/14/2008 12:11 am
TAMPA - The state is trying to handle a growing number of calls to an abuse hot line with fewer people, potentially leaving some of the most vulnerable children in Florida at risk.
To fix the problem, the Department of Children & Families is studying ways to better screen the calls before assigning investigators.
DCF officials say not all calls to the hot line merit a formal investigation and that better training for hot line workers and callers could cut the number - and cost - of investigations without jeopardizing safety.
"When you get a call from the hot line, you've got to investigate," said Nick Cox, DCF's regional director in Tampa. "Sometimes, it could be something handled with a quick phone call. An incredible amount of time is being used on those."
The push to reduce the number of investigations was instigated by DCF Secretary Bob Butterworth, who said the change is necessary to keep from overwhelming child welfare workers already dealing with heavy caseloads.
In charge of the effort is DCF safety director George Sheldon, who last month created a 30-member committee of DCF officials and representatives from sheriff's offices and community-based agencies across the state to look at the Florida Abuse Hotline.
The hot line takes reports about children and vulnerable adults, but the work group focused on those involving children because they make up the majority of calls.
A draft report released to The Tampa Tribune last week offers some early findings and 10 recommendations. A final report is expected this week.
Among the group's initial findings:
•Calls to the hot line increased an average of almost 1,600 calls per month from October to May 2008. The main reason: More calls from groups such as doctors, teachers, court personnel and law enforcement officers, all of whom are required to report suspected abuse.
•During that same time period, the number of calls referred to investigators grew from 72.7 percent to 81.4 percent. But more of those investigations are uncovering fewer verified findings of abuse and neglect, which means workers aren't able to spend their time on the cases where children are at risk.
•County sheriff's offices that investigate child abuse reports for DCF saw a budget decrease of $2.9 million during the recent legislative session.
Sheldon's group found the struggling economy and the stresses it puts on families probably accounts for some of the increase, but also blamed part of the spike on calls from groups required to report suspected abuse.
Since September 2006, reports from school personnel have increased by 132 percent, social workers by 51 percent and law enforcement and legal personnel by 50 percent.
The draft report recommends educating these "high-volume" groups, noting that, "When the reporters are more knowledgeable, it is more likely that the Department will receive more calls indicating real risk to children and fewer calls that do not require investigation."
Sheldon pointed to recent research that showed about 23 percent of hot line calls referred to child protection investigators didn't meet state criteria for an investigation.
That's a problem with training, he said. With limited resources and staff, "We've got to make sure we're focusing on the right cases," Sheldon said.
Richard Wexler of the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform said DCF is taking the right steps.
"However scary it may sound, decreasing the number of investigations is, in fact, a way to make children safer," said Wexler, who frequently analyzes DCF data for an annual child welfare report. "It actually should have been done a long time ago."
The hot line received 377,538 calls of suspected abuse and neglect of children and vulnerable adults in fiscal year 2007-08, involving children. That's an increase of about 20,000 calls from the year before.
About 80 percent of the calls result in a report that prompts a visit from an investigator. In Hillsborough County, there were 16,804 calls concerning children in the 2006-07 fiscal year. The number grew by more than 500 last year, according to DCF records.
"We've been slammed," said Hillsborough Sheriff's Maj. Craig Latimer of the Child Protection Investigations Division.
His office typically receives about 40 calls a day, but lately it has topped 60.
Krista Abbott, operations manager for the abuse hot line in Tallahassee, said people are struggling financially. And when that happens, she said, "It always increases the likelihood that somebody's snapping."
The hot line has 140 counselors and 17 supervisors. An additional 77 conduct background searches for the system that has a $15.5 million operating budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year.
Workers spend on average about 8 to 10 minutes with each caller documenting concerns and gathering information such as the child's location before ranking the call against state statutes and administrative codes that determine if a report is warranted.
The concerns must rise to the level of what is clearly defined as abuse and neglect, and DCF must have jurisdiction, Abbott said.
Cutting the number of investigations by better screening calls shouldn't put children and others in danger, DCF officials insist.
"The most severe calls are going to get our attention," Abbott said. "We're talking about streamlining how we handle those next services."
Not everyone is so sure that can be accomplished, though, without putting people at risk.
"If you only have so many resources, you have to do triage," said Luanne Pancek, executive director of the Children's Board of Hillsborough County. "It's always the people who need the services the most ... who get hit the hardest."
Reporter Sherri Ackerman can be reached at (813) 259-7144 or sackerman@tampatrib.com.
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