An official State of Texas website.
Revision 23-2; Effective Sept. 15, 2023
HHSC grantees must obey state laws governing the reporting of suspected abuse and neglect of children, adults with disabilities, or individuals 65 years or older. The Texas Human Resources Code, Chapter 48, requires that suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of an elderly person, a person with a disability or an individual receiving services from certain home and community-based providers be reported. Grantees must have an agency policy regarding abuse and neglect.
To report abuse or neglect, call the Texas Abuse Hotline at 800-252-5400 or use the secure Texas Abuse Hotline website. For cases that pose an imminent threat or danger to an individual, call 9-1-1 or any local or state law enforcement agency.
3210 Child Abuse Reporting, Compliance and Monitoring
Revision 23-2; Effective Sept. 15, 2023
Grantees are required to develop policies and procedures that comply with the child abuse reporting guidelines and requirements set forth in Chapter 261 of the Texas Family Code.
Grantees must develop an internal policy specific to:
- determining, documenting, reporting, and tracking instances of abuse, sexual or non-sexual, for all individuals age 17 and younger in compliance with Texas Family Code, Chapter 261; and
- annual staff training requirement, including how staff will be trained.
Additional information for abuse reporting is available at Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
3220 Human Trafficking
Revision 23-2; Effective Sept. 15, 2023
HHSC mandates that grantees comply with state laws governing the reporting of abuse and neglect. Additionally, as part of the requirement that grantees comply with all applicable federal laws, grantees must comply with the federal anti-trafficking laws, including the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 USC Section 7101, et seq.).
Grantees must have a written policy on human trafficking which includes the provision of annual staff training.
References for human trafficking policy development:
- Texas Human Trafficking Resource Center website
- Human trafficking into and within the United States: A review of the literature on human trafficking in the U.S.
- Polaris Project website
- Rescue and Restore Campaign
- Human Trafficking Resources – Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation
- Identify and Assist a Trafficking Victim – U.S. Department of State
3230 Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence
Revision 23-2; Effective Sept. 15, 2023
Intimate partner violence (IPV) describes physical, sexual or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse. This type of violence can occur among heterosexual or same-sex couples and does not require sexual intimacy.
Grantees must have a written policy related to assessment and prevention of domestic and intimate partner violence, including the provision of annual staff training.
Additional information on intimate partner violence can be found on the CDC website.