Decisions Intake Process Response Time Community Collaboration Special Practice Issues Intake is the first stage of the CPS process. It is the point at which reports of suspected child abuse and neglect are received. To make effective intake decisions, caseworkers must have competent interviewing skills, be aware of the information needed, know how to organize and analyze the acquired information to arrive at accurate conclusions, and be able to support reporters. The components listed in the State child abuse and neglect reporting statute guide this decision. Most agencies must accept any report that meets the statutory and agency guidelines.
Some agencies provide caseworkers with guidelines for screening particular types of reports.
An essential step in the intake process is determining the consistency of information being reported. This analysis provides the caseworker with valuable information to determine the credibility of the report. This is a risk assessment function. Many States have developed risk assessment models that guide the caseworkers' decision regarding the response time. These models include checklists, matrices, and scales.