Abuse Reporting and Prevention: RC Zero Tolerance

THIS COURSE IS NOT APPROVED FOR RCFE
APPROVED FOR ARF ONLY

This course is not approved for GH or STRTP.

Quizzes
Following each lesson, there is a quiz. You must achieve a score of 70% to move on to the next lesson. The use of quizzes satisfies the CCL regulation that online courses be interactive.

Forced Timer
The CCL ACS section requires all lessons to be on a forced timer. A forced timer means that the user cannot move forward and click complete until the timer has completed. For example, a lesson may be on a forced timer for 5 minutes. You must wait until 5 minutes have passed before marking the lesson complete. If you mark complete prior to the time allotted the timer will begin again.

Abuse Reporting and Prevention: RC Zero Tolerance
Failure to report elder or dependent adult abuse in long-term health care facilities is a crime. California law Welfare and Institution Code Section 1502, requires all community care facility to provide training to all staff in recognizing and reporting abuse. “Your Legal Duty to Report Abuse curriculum was created in 1999 by Department of Social Service, DHS, and Department of Justice to implement this training mandate. The current online courses supplement the original curriculum by addressing key gaps in the content.

Developmental Disability
The original curriculum focuses largely on elderly aspects of abuse. There is little mention of adult dependent abuse and sexual abuse of developmentally disabled individuals. The current course includes both video and text specific to the abuse of developmentally disabled individuals.

2013 Changes
Since 1999 there has been one change in the law in 2013. Known as the Elder and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act (W&I 15600). The law added “serious bodily injury to the definition of Elder and Dependent Abuse. The law requires providers to contact law enforcement within two hours of observing, obtaining knowledge or suspecting physical abuse.

In 2013 DDS Required All Regional Centers to Implement a Zero Tolerance Policy for Abuse Reporting. In the Regional Center Contract, Language DDS requires that all vendors be notified annually of the Zero Tolerance for Abuse Policy. The contract is specific in requiring that all vendors are mandated reporters and follow the Welfare and Institution Code 15630 – 15632 reporting requirements. The current online course incorporates this additional reporting requirement for Regional Center vendors.

The objectives of the course are:
Learn who is a mandated reporter.
Learn what are your legal responsibilities as a mandated reporter.
Learn what are the reporting exemptions.
Learn to identify the different types of abuse:
Physical
Financial
Isolation
Psychological
Learn how reports of abuse are investigated.
Learn how to report and 2013 guidelines for physical abuse.
Learn the penalties for not reporting and protections for reporters.

Learn how a stressful work environment can be a causal factor in abuse.

Learn what are characteristics of abusive caretakers.
Become familiar with reporting tools including smart application.

Become familiar with the 2013 Regional Center Zero Tolerance Policy

Understand abuse of developmentally disabled (including sexual abuse).

Learn how to reduce the risk of abuse in both the elderly and developmentally disabled.

Source Material
“Article 3. Mandatory and Nonmandatory Reports of Abuse [15630 – 15632].” California Legislative Information, 1 Jan. 1995,
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=WIC&division=9.&title=&part=3.&chapter=11.&article=3.

“Your Legal Duty: Reporting Elder and Adult Dependent Abuse.” California Attorney General’s Crime Office  and State of California Department of Justice-Office of the Attorney General,
oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/bmfea/yld_text.pdf.