Who is mandated to report?
Are all health clinicians mandated to report?
- Yes.
Who else is a mandated reporter?
- Administrative officers of institutions
- Child care providers
- Volunteers who interact with children in a public or private school for more than 4 hours a week
- Members of the multidisciplinary child protection team
For more information, refer to Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect at the Child Welfare Information Gateway.
When is the reporting duty triggered?
What is the standard?
- A report must be made when, in the performance of his or her occupational or appointed duties, a reporter has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has suffered harm as a result of abuse or neglect.
For more information, refer to Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect at the Child Welfare Information Gateway.
What must be reported?
How does state law define child abuse and neglect for reporting purposes?
- "Child abuse or neglect" means the physical injury or neglect, mental injury, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or maltreatment of a child under the age of 18 by a person under circumstances that indicate that the child's health or welfare is harmed or threatened thereby; in this paragraph, "mental injury" means an injury to the emotional well-being, or intellectual or psychological capacity of a child, as evidenced by an observable and substantial impairment in the child's ability to function.
For the most current definitions of abuse and neglect, refer to 2017 Alaska Statutes at Justia US Law.
How to report:
What is the method of reporting?
- Call or email the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. If the nearest office of the department cannot be contacted and an immediate report must be made, the reporter can make a report to a peace officer.
For more information, refer to Making and Screening Reports of Child Abuse and Neglect at the Child Welfare Information Gateway and the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Office of Children’s Services.
What is the timeline in which to report?
- Mandated reporters shall report immediately when they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child has suffered harm as a result of abuse or neglect.
For more information, refer to Making and Screening Reports of Child Abuse and Neglect at the Child Welfare Information Gateway.
To whom are reports made?
- Reports of suspected abuse or neglect must be made to the Department of Health and Social Services. If the reporter cannot reasonably contact the nearest office of the department and immediate action is necessary for the well-being of the child, he or she shall make the report to a peace officer. The peace officer shall immediately take action to protect the child and shall, at the earliest opportunity, notify the nearest office of the department. A person reporting suspected child pornography shall make his or her report immediately to the nearest law enforcement agency.
For more information, refer to Making and Screening Reports of Child Abuse and Neglect at the Child Welfare Information Gateway and Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Office of Children’s Services.
Confidentiality:
State/County Hotline?
- Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Office of Children’s Services
- Call: 1-800-478-4444
- Fax: 907-269-3939
- Email: reportchildabuse@alaska.gov
What federal confidentiality laws apply to health information collected during a Title X visit?
- Title X regulations 42 CFR 59.11
- HIPAA 45 CFR 164.502
Is there an exception in federal confidentiality law that allows a clinician to comply with mandatory child abuse reporting laws?
- Yes.