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SAMPSON COUNTY RESPONSE PROTOCOL FOR CHILDREN
FOUND IN CLANDESTINE DRUG LAB SITUATIONS
Amended by the Sampson County “Meth” Task
Force Leadership Committee
April 20, 2005
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In the event that a Clandestine Lab is about to be raided and
there is a possibility of children in the residence, law-enforcement
will contact the Sampson County Department Social Services to
begin preparations for responding to the scene if children are
found.
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Sampson County DSS will place two social workers on standby
prepared to respond to the scene if a lab is found and children
are present.
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After law-enforcement verifies a lab is found
in a residence or on the property in close proximity to the
residence and children are present, they will then contact Sampson
County DSS to respond to the scene. Sampson County DSS will respond
immediately. Law enforcement will contact one of the two child
welfare supervisors at the contact numbers maintained at the
911 communications desk.
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Sampson County Fire Marshal’s
Office will assist Sampson County DSS in assessing for the
need of on-site decontamination of the children by using the “Decontamination
Field Assessment”.
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If decontamination is needed on the
scene for the children, the Sampson County Fire Marshal will
coordinate the needed procedures.
- Sampson County DSS will provide a change of clothes for all
children that are found on the scene prior to transport of these
children from the location.
- If a child has been found on the scene and after decontamination
has been assessed and completed, EMS will assess the child
for any medical treatment and handle accordingly. Should
immediate medical treatment not be required on scene, the
child will then be transported to Sampson Regional Medical
Center or to any other hospital as deemed appropriate for
further examination. In the event that Sampson County DSS
transports the child to the hospital, SCDSS will contact
SRMC or any other hospital as deemed appropriate when enroute
regarding the situation in order for the identified hospital
to have ample time to prepare for the child’s
arrival and entering the hospital. Transportation of the
child will be provided either by a parent, a relative, the
Sampson County DSS, or by EMS in the event of a medical concern.
The transportation concern will be assessed on a case-by-case
basis.
- If the child has not been in the home where the Meth lab was
located at the residence or on the property in close proximity
to the residence within the past 72 hours, the child can be taken
to their pediatrician for evaluation. This would involve cases
where the child was not found at the scene but was known to be
living there, where the child has been out of the home for the
last 72 hours, or where the child was found to be in the home
with the lab but was unknown at the time the meth lab was found
and 72 hours is passed.
- Sampson County DSS will make every effort to ensure that
the proper legal custodian is present and able to consent
to medical treatment at the emergency room or at the medical
provider’s
office. In the event that the parent or legal custodian
cannot be present to consent for any medical treatment/evaluations,
Sampson County DSS will assess need for temporary custody
to ensure such medical treatment is obtained.
- Sampson County DSS will provide the physician at the Sampson
Regional Medical Center or any other medical provider being used,
with a copy of the Medical Protocol developed by the Drug Endangered
Child Program. Social workers will need to make sure they get
a copy of the Medical Protocol back after evaluations have been
completed. With each test that has been completed, document the
form. This is done so that social workers can provide information
at the follow-up evaluations as to what testing was done for
comparison data. A medical assessment and blood work will be
completed on each child that is found to be in a home where a
meth lab is located or in close proximity to the residence.
- Placement of children in the home where a lab was found, or
in close proximity to the home, cannot occur under any circumstance
until the home is cleaned, tested, or in close proximity to the
residence, and decontaminated using State prepared guidelines.
Sampson County DSS will coordinate such home assessment with
the Sampson County Environmental Health as determined by State
guidelines.
- The child will not be allowed to have contact with any item
that was in the home where a meth lab was found due to contamination
concerns.
- Sampson County DSS will make a determination of whether a child
needs to be placed into protective custody or if a placement
with a safety plan in place can be used.
A. If DSS utilizes a safety plan, DSS will complete all paperwork
that is required
regarding the Kinship Care Assessment before the child is allowed
to stay in that
home.
B. DSS will explain to the kinship care provider and/or foster
care provider all of the
details as to what the child has been through. Social Workers
will also explain all the
items that will be taking place in the future.
- Sampson County DSS accepts all cases where children are alleged
to be in homes with Meth labs as Abuse. As soon as possible,
Sampson County DSS will submit written notification to the District
Attorney a report of Abuse as well as to the appropriate Law
Enforcement Agency or contact person.
- Other steps that will be taken are:
- All the child’s belongings will be replaced
to protect from repeated contamination.
- The child will be referred for counseling services. Determination
of what other services are needed will be made on a case-by-case
basis.
- The parents will be required, whether they are incarcerated
or not, to complete Substance Abuse Evaluation and follow
all recommendations.
- Upon completion of the parents Substance Abuse
Evaluation, the parents involved in meth lab production
with their children present will take part in a Meth
Lab Hazard Training that may be available and coordinated
through either the Sampson County Fire Marshal or
through the Sampson County Sheriff’s
Office, if available.
- Parents will have to take part in drug screens at the request
of DSS or at the request of the substance abuse treatment
provider at approved locations.
- Children age 3 and under will be referred for a Developmental
Evaluation.
- The child will need a follow-up medical evaluation at or
around 30 days from the initial evaluation that was completed,
or as directed by the physician at the end of the initial
evaluation.
Protocol for Field Assessment to Determine
Need for
On-Scene Decontamination Prior to Transport
- This protocol is a tool to evaluate potential personal contamination
that would require field decontamination prior to patient/subject
transport to another facility.
- All sections of the protocol should be completed. A “yes” answer
to any question indicates that there is a high possibility
of a need for field decontamination prior to transport.
- The decision to perform field decontamination must always be
made with considerations of health status of the patient/subject
and the risk of injury/contamination to health care or other
service providers, facilities, or patient transport vehicles,
especially ambulances. Additional consultation with other medical
authority is appropriate.
- Persons removed from contaminated environments such as chemical
spills, fires or explosions should be presumed to be contaminated
and should be decontaminated unless explosions should be presumed
to be contaminated and should be decontaminated unless medical
need prevents it or unless the individual can otherwise be made
safe to transport.
Yes |
No |
1. Visible Residue
or Stains, Powders, Liquids or Solids |
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On skin, especially face, arms
and hands or hair |
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On clothes |
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On shoes |
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2. Detectable Unusual
Odors |
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Ammonia, urine-like |
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Garlic-like |
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Solvent-like, ether, white gas,
lacquer thinner, camp stove fuel, etc. |
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Sulfur-like, skunk-like |
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Other unusual odors |
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3. Visible Derma
Injury |
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Redness / Rashes |
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1 st, 2 nd, or 3 rd degree burns |
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Blisters |
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White patches on skin |
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4. Possession of
chemical, solvents or products on person. |
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5. Other indications
of contamination |
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6. Evaluation |
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A “Yes” answer indicates
a potential need for field decontamination. If all answers
are “No”, then field decontamination is not required. |
Medical Checklist for Children Found in
Homes with Clandestine Lab
Situation within 72 Hours of Exposure
Suggested immediate care (within 12-24 hours) for children that
have been found and removed from a Methamphetamine dwelling involves
the requested items as a part of the medical assessment:
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- Perform medical examination with particular attention
to respiratory and
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Cutaneous systems
and nutritional status |
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- Request clinical studies:
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Blood } CBC |
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Comp Metabolic Panel |
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Urine } Drug Screen |
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Pulse Oximetry |
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- Request DSS arrange follow-up examination with pediatrician
or Health
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Department physician
within 30-days or as clinically warranted. |
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NOTE: Referral to mental health
provider for counseling if appropriate. |
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