DC FAQs
By WSCA Staff
o Has a developmental disability; or o Is admitted to any facility licensed or required to be licensed by DSHS; or
Am I a mandatory reporter?
Yes, you are, as is any healthcare provider who is subject to RCW 18.130. If you suspect child abuse/neglect or the abuse/ neglect of vulnerable adults, you are required to report that to the Department of Social and Health Services. You can do so by calling 1-877-734-6277.
“Child” is easy to define—that’s anyone under 18 years of age. But what is a “vulnerable adult?” That’s a little more complicated. A vulnerable adult is:
• Anyone 60 years of age or older who has the functional, mental, or physical inability to care for themselves; or
• An adult who: o Is subject to a guardianship or conservatorship; or
o Receives services from home health, hospice, or a home care agency; or
o Receives services from an individual provider; or o Self-directs his/her own care, but receives services from a personal aide under RCW 74.39.
This is the information you will need to make your report:
• Identity of the suspected victim; • Nature and extent of the suspected abuse, neglect, or abandonment;
• Evidence of previous abuse, neglect, or abandonment (if any);
• Identity of the suspected perpetrator; • Your name and contact information.
Your contact information is necessary because that serves as the state’s proof that you fulfilled your reporting obligation. Your identity will remain confidential unless there is a judicial proceeding, or you consent to disclosing your identity, or if there is another law that requires DSHS to disclose your identity such as in making a report to law enforcement.
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