Notification dates at the close of investigations should be unified. The reporter letter, right to review letter, and referrals should be completed within 15 calendar days of certification. The registration closed date should be 30 days after the date of certification. This would reduce confusion and result in a more efficient process.
Currently, investigations must be completed in 45 calendar days of receipt. There has been a significant increase in financial exploitation cases. Many of these require documentation from the bank and other sources. There is currently not enough time allocated to investigate, gather the documents, and make a disposition. This policy was set prior to the addition of the right to review process and was developed to uphold the rights of the adult client. More thorough investigation is required for the purpose of upholding the rights of the alleged perpetrator in right to review cases. It is proposed that financial exploitation cases and joint investigations with law enforcement should be completed within 90 calendar days of receipt.
The purpose of interviewing the client is to determine if protective services are needed. The current right to review process does not align with this policy. The purpose of the investigation, interviews, and the right to review process need to be consistent. The current role of APS is not just to protect the adult but is also to ensure due process for alleged perpetrators and it should be reflected as such. Current policy was written to reflect the needs and safety of the adult and does not put emphasis on the alleged perpetrator, the potential prosecution, or the rights of the alleged perpetrator.
Policy is needed to reflect the circumstances where cases can be closed early (such as the death of a client, permanent removal of risk, etc.) OR policy needs to state that under no circumstances can a case be closed early. There is currently no policy or guidance on this issue.
