File a report:

What is a mandated reporter?

Mandated reporters are designed under the law as professionals are who specially equipped by virtue of their profession or training to identify indicators of possible child maltreatment or abuse.

The Social Services Law (SSL) governs SCR and CPS. The Statewide Central Register (SCR) is the single contact for reporting child abuse or maltreatment. SCR receives calls, creates reports, and forwards them to the Local Child Protective Services (CPS) office. The local CPS office is established in each department of social services to investigate these claims further.

What is trauma and what is an “ACE”?

Trauma is an intense event that threatens a person’s life of safety in a way that is too much for the mind to handle and leaves them powerless. Examples include family violence, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and violence in the community. A child being removed from the home or a child dealing with the welfare system are also examples of traumatic events.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are negative experiences that occur during childhood. They have lasting impacts on physical, emotional, and mental health. They are common in all socioeconomic groups with up to 67% of children experiencing at least one. Poverty, racism, generational trauma, child maltreatment, and abuse are all examples of ACEs.

What are the keys to establishing a trauma-informed practice?

1. Creating a physically and emotionally safe environment

2. Building trust and rapport

3. Being inclusive of and respectful of culture

4. Approaching families from a collaborative solution-finding perspective

5. Intentionally including family voice and choice in the process

6. Understanding the role trauma plays in our lives. For example, some behaviors may be survival techniques, adaptations, or reactions to a previous trauma.

What are the mitigating effects of the 5 protecting factors?

1. Parental resilience

2. Child’s social connections

3. Family having concrete support in times of need

4. Parent’s knowledge of parenting and child development

5. Social and emotional competence of the child

Identifying what protective factors a family has can make a huge difference in a clinician’s decision about intervening (call to SCR) or a referral for more support.

When do we have a legal obligation to call the SCR?

You are required by law to call the SCR when:

1. In your professional role

2. You develop a reasonable cause to suspect that

3. A child under 18 is being maltreated or abused

4. by a parent or PLR (i.e., person legally responsible)

Mandated reporters who fail to call may be subjected to criminal and civil liability. They may also be held liable for any harm suffered by a child due to their failure to call the SCR. Learn more at https://nysmandatedreporter.org.

No employer or organization is permitted to require that you seek or obtain approval prior to calling the SCR. The obligation is personal to you and your employer may not impede you from calling the SCR. Employers are also prohibited from retaliating against clinicians from filing reports.

What happens if two clinicians observe suspected child abuse?

You and your colleague can agree on which one of you will call to file the report with the SCR. However, the LDSS-2221A should reflect both names and contact information and both individuals should receive a copy of the form for their records.

What information—other than the reasonable cause—is required for the report?

The information you’ll need for the SCR call and the LDSS 2221A form:

1. Full name of the Parent or PLR

2. Parents or other adults date of birth

3. Full name of the child or children you suspect are being maltreated or abused

4. Child or children’s date of birth’s

5. Specific information which lead to reasonable suspicion or maltreatment or abuse

6. Addresses or locating information for the relevant adults and children

If any of the above information is missing, the SCR report and the Form LDS-2221A cannot be submitted.