Forensics Journal - Stevenson University 2015 | Page 55

FORENSICS JOURNAL

a reporting requirement for the following professionals: police, social
workers, public assistance and mental health workers, nursing home
employees, and licensed health care providers. They are required to
report possible incidences to agencies and, as a result, an investigation
commences within a prescribed period of time—normally 48 hours.
If the agency processing the initial report is not a law enforcement
entity, the agency will turn the case over to a law enforcement
agency if it is believed a crime had been perpetrated (2003). There
are reporting agencies within each state; however, there is no “one”
cohesive centralized agency with the ability to immediately assess
the senio ˊéͥ