MEMORANDUM

TO: Barbara McDaniel

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES

CPS Investigation Supervisor Abilene

FROM: Geneva Schroeder

CPS Program Administrator

Abilene SUBJECT: Level 2 Reminder

DATE:

October 8, 2012

This is to notify you that in accordance with Human Resources Manual, Chapter 10, Positive Performance (Second-Level Reminder), you are being issued a Second Level Reminder (the second level of formal corrective action), which is based the fact that you did not closely track Claudia Gonzalezs work on the investigation. Your lack of follow-up and supervision resulted in Ms. Gonzalez not having regular contact with the family and ensuring the childrens safety. One of your most important roles as a Supervisor is to ensure childrens safety. The HHSC work rule violations are as follows: Chapter 4, Employee Conduct, Section B., Work Rules HHS employees must: 1. be familiar with and follow all HHS policies and procedures relating to job performance and work rules; 2. perform their job duties, meet HHS standards for job performance, and follow job-related instructions from HHS Supervisors. On September 5, 2012 Program Director, Gretchen Denny, and I conducted a conference with you concerning the case. This conference was held since there was a recent child death in thb famiEy, which occurred only 6 days after Claudia Gonzalez, (a CPS Investigator under your supervision), closed an investigation on this family. Claudias investigation on the : family had been open for 11 months. We discussed that on September 29, 2011 an intake was received on the family. Claudia was assigned to investigate the allegations of physical and medical neglect. At the beginning of the case Claudia staffed the case with

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reporter, children, and parents has been made to ensure safety of the children. You will then staff with the workers after collateral contacts have been made, and when they are ready to decide upon the disposition and discuss if risk factors are controlled, if family-based safety services or needed, or if a removal is warranted. Numerous staff ings are needed throughout every investigation. You will need to constantly remind your workers the importance of seeing children timely at the beginning of each investigation and frequently Throughout the life of the case to ensure their safety. Although you need to focus on all children, you must pay extra close attention to the children on your staffs workloads that are under the age of five years old, since we feel that these are the most vulnerable children. If at any time you have concerning situations arise on the cases in your unit where you do not feel that children are safe, you need to discuss this with your Program Director or with me. (3) In order to keep track of all case activities you will use a tracking log. This log will help you to track the date of the intake, the case name, the type of abuse/neglect alleged, when the initial, safety, risk, and dispositional staftings are held, when the initial contact is made on each case, when on going contact with children is made, and the date the case is closed. You will enter all staffings on cases in IMPACT the same day that the staffing occurs to ensure accuracy. At each staffing you will list tasks assigned to your workers that are needed to complete their investigations. You will give timeframes for all tasks assigned. When you have the next staffing you will review the prior staffing to ensure that all action items have been completed. You will hold your staff accountable when they do not follow your direction. As you are aware, each employee is expected to maintain an acceptable level of performance and follow the Agencys policies, procedures, and Standards of Conduct. If you are able to provide adequate supervision to ,iour staff, know the status of their cases, and ensure child safety at all times, and no other problems arise, this Level 2 Reminder will become inactive at the end of six months, on April 8, 2013. However, if you fail to correct the problem or are unable to maintain acceptable performance during the next six months, you may face more serious corrective or disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. During this six month period you will not be eligible f&h Educational leave, Leave form the sick leave pool, a A merit salary increase, A one-time merit payment, Extended sick leave, Administrative leave for performance awards,

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