On Thursday, June 13, Inspector II Jessica Peterson, along with two Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) staff, presented “Exploring Abuse Hotline Reporting” to the Seventh Annual Clerks’ Statewide Investigation Alliance Virtual Training Symposium. The presenters discussed:
- When guardianship auditors and investigators should generate an abuse report to DCF,
- the information required for such a report, and
- the functionality of the DCF’s online reporting portal.
Attendees were also informed of the relevant Florida statutes governing the reporting requirements and correspondence format, as well as the statutes which govern the communication between Clerk staff, the Court and DCF.
The Clerk’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) has developed an effective practice of cross-functional collaboration on guardianship investigations with DCF, to ensure that the most pertinent issues are considered for wards, resulting in comprehensive investigations on reported matters. The Deputy Inspector General of Palm Beach County has worked with the Collier OIG staff on some statewide investigations, and he was impressed by how we coordinated our investigations with DCF. He invited Jessica, who formerly worked with DCF, to present our methodology to other Clerk’s OIG offices.
Should you have concerns for a ward in a Collier County Guardianship case, you can call our Confidential Hotline, 24/7 in English & Spanish, at 1-844-253-7544 or 844-ClerkIG. During regular business hours, you may also call the local OIG number directly at 239-252-8412. You may also report online at the “Report Fraud” button on CollierClerk.com.