Adult Protective Services

Referrals received by APS alleging abuse, neglect or self-neglect which meet the criteria are assigned to a Social Worker.  Only referrals within APS’ jurisdiction get assigned; any referrals pertaining to other counties, or to assisted living facilities are referred to their prospective jurisdictions.

If a referral comes in for a client who has had an open case within the previous 90 day period, the referral may not be assigned.  In rare cases a client may pass away after the referral is sent, but before a case could be assigned; in these instances the referral will not be assigned to a Social Worker.

When a referral has been assigned to a Social Worker, a case is created.  The case will remain open while the social worker coordinates with the client and services are being provided.  APS is a voluntary program, so the client may choose whether or not to receive services, and may choose at any time not to continue forward with APS;  when this happens the case is closed.

Once either an outcome is achieved or the client opts to stop receiving support, the case is closed.  The typical timeframe for case closure is approximately 30-90 days, but may take longer depending on circumstances.

As allegations are investigated, the case gets categorized according to what type of abuse and/or neglect or self-neglect has occurred.  This categorization helps HSA determine the type of intervention needed.

In 2019, state reporting requirements changed so that self-neglect is now being categorized a bit differently.  The current categories of self-neglect include Physical Care, Financial, and Residence.  Hoarding is considered a sub-category of Residential Self Neglect and is reflected in the visual accordingly.