Presenters Lori Delagrammatikas, Mary Twomey, Krista Brown, Kris K. Brown, and Mary Counihan discuss how researchers and APS practitioners worked together to develop a protocol to improve the consistency of APS investigation findings in California. After researchers identified great variability in APS decision-making across California, APS practitioners developed a protocol which clearly delineated the essential defining elements of each type of abuse/neglect, provided direction and focus for gathering information, and supplied workers with a structure for evaluating the relative strength and integrity of that information. The protocol has been implemented throughout the state and researchers are in the process of studying its efficacy by evaluating the current level of consistency in findings. The webinar describes the research, protocol and training development, evaluation efforts, and the collaborations needed to affect change statewide. (Materials: slide presentation, supplemental materials)
