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Mandatory Reporting Requirements for ODHS Employees

ODHS employees are mandatory reporters

As an employee of the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) you are a mandatory reporter.

You are required by law to report alleged abuse of:

  • Children
  • Adults age 65 and over
  • Adults with developmental disabilities
  • Adults with mental illness, and
  • Residents in nursing facilities

When and how to reportFailure to reportResources


When and how to report

What constitutes a mandatory report and when and how to make the report varies depending on who is the subject of the report. If you aren't sure how to make a report, ask your manager. 

Child definition: A child is a person under the age of 18 or a person under 21 that is living in or receiving services from a child-caring agency.

What constitutes a mandatory report of child abuse: Having reasonable cause to believe that any child you come in contact has suffered abuse or that any person with whom you come in contact has abused a child.

When you must report: You must report child abuse and neglect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The report must be made immediately. This requirement applies whether you observe the abuse or neglect during your work activities or on your personal time.

To whom you report: Report either to your local Child Welfare office or to your local law enforcement agency.

The law that applies: ​ORS 419B.005 to 419B.045

See the video and guide: Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse

When you must report: You are a 24/7 mandatory reporter.

To whom you report: Report to your local APD office or Area Agency on Aging, or to local law enforcement.

The law that applies: ​ORS 124.050 to 124.095

When you must report: You are a 24/7 mandatory reporter.

To whom you report: Report​ to your c​ounty Developmental Disability Program, ODHS Office of Investigations, or to local law enforcement.

The law that applies:ORS 430.735 to 430.765

When you must report: You are a 24/7 mandatory reporter.

To whom you report: Report to your county mental hea​lt​h program, ODHS Office of Inv​estigations, or to local law enforcement.

The law that applies: ​ORS 430.735 to 430.765

When you must report: You are a 24/7 mandatory reporter.

To whom you report: Report to your lo​cal ​ APD office or Area Agency on Aging, or to local law enforcement.

The law that applies​: ​ORS441.630 to 441.680


Failure to report

There could be criminal and civil penalties for failure to report (ORS 419B.010). For more information about possible penalties, visit the Oregon Revised Statute website.


Resources

Questions about "official capacity"

For more information on the definition of "official capacity," contact the Oregon Department of Human Services, Office of Human Resources at 503-884-8797.

Training 

More extensive training on mandatory reporting is available through your local office at ODHS. To find other mandatory reporting training, log into Workday, go to "Learning" and choose "Browse learning content."

Definitions

Child definition

Oregon law recognizes several different types of abuse. For specific definitions of abuse for each client population, see the Oregon Revised Statutes.

Reporting matrix

Mandatory reporting matrix for ODHS employees