§ 492. Vulnerable persons' central register. 1. There shall be\nestablished in the justice center a statewide vulnerable persons'\ncentral register. The register shall: (a) receive reports of allegations\nof reportable incidents involving persons receiving services in\nfacilities or provider agencies subject to the requirements of this\narticle; (b) as warranted, refer reports alleging crimes to appropriate\nlaw enforcement authorities; (c) notify appropriate persons and\nofficials of received and accepted reports; and (d) maintain an\nelectronic database of each report and the finding associated with each\nreport. In accordance with this section, the executive director shall\nestablish standards and procedures for the operation of the vulnerable\npersons' central register.\n 2. (a) The vulnerable persons' central register shall be staffed by\npersons with at least a baccalaureate or equivalent college degree in a\nrelevant field of study or at least two years of experience in the\ndirect provision of services, adult or child protective services, and\nany other qualifications identified by the executive director. Direct\nservice provision shall include the care, investigation, assessment,\ntreatment, or case planning for persons in facilities or programs\ncovered by this article or equivalent facilities or programs. Vulnerable\npersons' central register staff also shall have access to appropriate\nlaw enforcement officers or others with law enforcement experience who\nshall assist in screening reports that appear to allege criminal\noffenses and help refer reports, as warranted, to appropriate law\nenforcement authorities.\n (b) The vulnerable persons' central register shall receive reports of\nallegations of reportable incidents twenty-four hours per day, seven\ndays a week. Mandated reporters shall make such reports in accordance\nwith section four hundred ninety-one of this article; provided, however,\nany person who has reasonable cause to suspect that a person receiving\nservices has been subjected to a reportable incident may make such a\nreport. In no event shall a report by a mandated reporter to the\nvulnerable persons' central register eliminate the obligation of a\nmandated reporter to report incidents in accordance with the applicable\nlaws, regulations and policy of the applicable state oversight agency.\n (c) Reports of allegations of reportable incidents shall be submitted,\nby a statewide, toll-free telephone number (a "hotline") or by\nelectronic transmission, in a manner and on forms prescribed by the\nexecutive director. The information required on the reporting form shall\ninclude but is not limited to: the name and contact information of the\nperson or persons making the report, if available, and, if the report is\nmade by a custodian, any other staff who have the same information; the\nname and address of the facility or provider agency; the date, time,\nspecific location and description of the incident; the name and contact\ninformation of the subject of the reportable incident, if known; the\nname of the vulnerable person alleged to have been subjected to a\nreportable incident; the names of personal representatives for the\nvulnerable person who is alleged to have been subjected to a reportable\nincident, if known; and any other information or documentation that the\nexecutive director believes may be helpful. The inability of a person\nmaking a report to identify a subject shall, in no circumstance,\nconstitute cause to reject such allegation for investigation or to fail\nto refer such allegation for corrective action. The hotline shall accept\nanonymous calls.\n 3. (a) When any allegation that could reasonably constitute a\nreportable incident is received by the register, the register shall\naccept and immediately transmit notice of the report orally or\nelectronically to the appropriate state oversight agency and, as\nappropriate, to the director or operator of that facility or provider\nagency.
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