Mandated Reporter - How Do I Make a Call?
Making a Report to the NYS Central Register as a Mandated Reporter
Chapter 513 of the Laws of 2007 amends Section 413 of the SSL effective October 14, 2007, to
require that "social services workers" make a report whenever they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been abused or maltreated where any person comes before them in their professional or official capacity and states from personal knowledge facts, conditions or circumstances which, if correct, would mean that a child has been abused or maltreated.

When you are in a position to make a report to the NYS Central Register:
1. Whenever possible, be sure you have the names of family members living in the household, their address, and their phone number. In the course of doing business, it would be acceptable for you to use systems available to you (WMS) to verify this information. If it is not possible to provide complete information (in the case of witnessing something of concern within the course of the workday, but being uncertain as to who the individuals are) it is acceptable to provide the
information you have that can be used to identify the individuals (i.e. a license plate number).

2. Prepare a DSS 2221-A form – complete as much of it as you are able. This will help guide you through the phone call to make the report. Forms are available in all Divisions as well as in the Director of Administrative Services’ office.

3. Notify your Unit Senior / Supervisor of your concerns and of your intention to contact the State
Central Register.

4. As a courtesy, contact the Services CPS Unit Supervisor or Senior to notify them of your intention to call in a report. This will give them a heads up that a report may be coming and will give them time to determine whether or not they are already working with this family and how best to proceed.

5. Call the Mandated Reporter Hotline # 1-800-635-1522 and follow the prescribed instructions.
Provide the information that you have – the SCR attendant will determine whether or not it meets the criteria for them to accept a report. If they do not accept the report and you feel strongly that they should, you can ask to speak to a Supervisor.

6. If the report is accepted:
a. Note the Report ID number and other information provided to you in the top right
section of the form. The attendant speaking to you will also offer you his/her name to
be noted. If they do not, please feel free to ask for it.
b. Forward the entire completed 2221A triplicate form to the in-house CPS unit. If the
report is assigned to another county, please forward the entire triplicate form by mail to
that county’s CPS Unit. The envelope should be marked Confidential. The form is a
triplicate carbon form - do not remove any copies for your files.
c. Forward a copy (not one of the triplicate carbon pages) of the completed 2221A form to
the office of the Director of Administrative Services where it will be filed.
7. If the report is denied:
a. Make a note on the form including the date/time that you attempted to file the report.
Again, it would be recommended to note the name of the attendant taking your call.
b. Forward the entire 2221A triplicate form to the office of the Director of Administrative
Services where it will be filed.
9. Whether the report is accepted or denied, it is important for you to document your call to the SCR and the outcome of that call (accepted or denied) in your case notes. Because the report can be unfounded, which means it essentially never existed, you should not file any copy of the DSS 2221A form in your files. Again, simply make a brief note in your record.
10. If the report is accepted, it is customary for the receiving county’s CPS Unit to contact you as the source of the report. Please be sure you leave a phone number where you can be reached, especially if it is late in the day as they may need to contact you at an after-hours number.
11. As a Mandated Reporter, you can “check” a box on the form that indicates you will want to know the outcome of the report. Doing so will entitle you to know whether the report was “Unfounded” or “Indicated” – it does not permit you to know any details of the case.

Show All Answers

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2. Mandated Reporter - How Do I Make a Call?
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