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The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services tries to assist the unassisted, whether it is neglected or abused children, the elderly or older area residents who aren't taking care of themselves.
Family and Protective Services The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services tries to protect the unprotected, whether it is neglected or abused children, the elderly or older area residents who aren't taking care of themselves.
Added funding from the Legislature allowed the agency to cut each caseworker's load by half.
"We've met every standard the Legislature has set, and they keep backing us," Region 1 public information officer Greg Cunningham said. "We're not perfect, but we're so much better than we were. People in Texas should be proud. As a result we do our jobs better than we ever had."
The agency used to be called Child Protective Services until about five years ago, said Greg Cunningham, public information officer for Region 1, which also includes the Lubbock area.
"A committee was formed and made hundreds of recommendations," he said. "The Legislature has provided the money because they are committed to the renewal process."
The added money allowed the agency to add hundreds of positions, which cut each caseworker's load by half.
"We've met every standard the Legislature has set, and they keep backing us," Cunningham said. "We're not perfect, but we're so much better than we were. People in Texas should be proud. As a result, we do our jobs better than we ever had."
But despite the impression that the agency is doing its job better than ever, caseworkers can't be everywhere at once. That's where the agency's dependence on the community comes in.
"Most referrals come from teachers, health care professionals and family," Cunningham said. "It's a legal obligation for everyone, not just teachers, to report suspected abuse.
"We need folks to take an interest in the children in the neighborhood. We need to change the way we look at children - they are our community and the future."
Cunningham encouraged neighbors to report suspected abuse.
"Even if no abuse is found, we can identify families that may need assistance we can provide, like counseling, instruction in cooking nutritious meals, family or drug counseling," he said.
Kimber Thompson, Investigator 3, usually is the first official to have contact with a family in crisis. Before she makes contact, she checks CPS files to see if the family has a history with the agency.
"If they have school-age children, we go to the school to do the interview," she said.
If a child is younger than school age, the interview is done either in the home or at The Bridge Children's Advocacy Center.
"We try to get them to understand that all we want to do is talk, initially," Thompson said. "We prefer they're honest with us, but sometimes we have to confront them about being dishonest."
The investigators try to ascertain if the family needs services and get involved in getting them those services.
"Sometimes it's something as simple as putting food on the table, and we can help accomplish that," Thompson said.
But regardless of what's needed, "our ultimate goal is to keep families together or reunify them," she said.
Adult Protective Services watches out for people 65 and older and those with disabilities, Cunningham said, "So we work hand in hand with (Texas Panhandle Mental Health Mental Retardation).
"APS is the initial responder: Are they in danger? We're dealing with adults. We have to uncover if they 'mental capacity.' APS workers find community and government resources to help them pay utilities or build wheelchair ramps. We work really good at the Department of Veterans Affairs to get them benefits, Medicare or Medicaid. APS serves more as a conduit between clients and services," he said.
Susan Hammett, APS supervisor, said the unit investigates exploitation cases "that have jumped by leaps and bounds."
"A lot of it is self-neglect," she said. "If you allow your grandson to plop down on your couch, you allow them to suck up (your) limited resources."
The APS unit investigates about 100 to 120 Potter and Randall cases a month, with six caseworkers trying to persuade elderly clients to get help, Cunningham said. That number has crept up, Hammett said.
"APS literally goes out and saves lives. If there's no money to pay utilities, they'd freeze to death," he said. "We rely on the public to identify people who need help.
"If you know an elderly or disabled person, you're not getting them in trouble if you call APS."
Drug use in the home of senior citizens has increased, Hammett said.
"Not by the elderly client, but by a loved one," she said. "If you're 70 or 80 years old, you might not ever been exposed to illicit drugs."
Another form of exploitation is members of the family hitting up their elders for money.
"This is alarming to me: the undue influence (of family members). If I'm older and can't get to the grocery, I may give (a family member) $100 to buy groceries. They may return with some groceries but the not the change.
"Or they give a family member their ATM card and give out their PIN number and the account is cleared out," Hammett said.
"We can't get these things prosecuted," she said. "The elderly make the worst witnesses. Their grandchildren testify, 'I was going to get grandpa's money anyway.' "
"You know, adults have the right to make stupid decisions. We're risk assessors: Do we need to take this case forward (through the system)?
"These people needed to be honored and protected," Hammett said.
Potential APS clients often resist assistance because they think they're doing fine, he said.
"The pride issue is a huge problem. Everyone wants to be self-sufficient," Cunningham said. "If they don't want to go (to a shelter or assisted-living facility), we can't force them. If they don't want to go, we find ways to make it so they can stay."
Likewise, Cunningham said, if family, friends or neighbors see child abuse or neglect, they often feel they'll get that family in trouble if they call TDFPS.
"We don't have a motivation to remove kids from the home," he said. "Our motivation is to protect the kids, and our main tool is the interview."
Cunningham said the agency finds only 30 percent to 35 percent of calls involve abuse or neglect and a tiny percentage of that involves removing the children from the home, even for a brief period.
"If you know a family that's struggling, you'll be helping," he said. "CPS, except in emergency situations, doesn't make decisions to remove children from the home. It's always a judge who has to sign off, affirming the order on the next business day if action happens after business hours.
"In a vast majority, we go to a judge first. Parents are always given a chance to get their kids back. That parent has numerous opportunities before a judge. It's a yearlong process to remove a child permanently. All CPS does is present its findings and recommendations."
In addition, Amarillo Court Appointed Special Advocates represents the children in court proceedings and offers input, he said.
"Judges make decisions based on evidence, not gut feelings. We operate in civil court, not criminal. We present the preponderance of evidence, rather than that beyond a reasonable doubt, like in a criminal case," Cunningham said. "Our standard is: Can they return safely? Anything involved with families is very tense. Parents get very passionate."
Each of the 75 caseworkers in the Amarillo office works about 25 to 30 cases at any given time. "We don't make rash decisions," Cunningham said. "We involve a lot of people who have experience protecting children."