Reporting MUIs in a timely manner is key to ensuring long-term health and safety. However, there are some situations that call for law enforcement intervention to ensure immediate safety. Providers are required to immediately report any MUI allegation that may have a criminal component to Law Enforcement. (OAC 5123-17-02(E)(1)) This notification needs to be within the first 4 hours a provider is aware of a suspected allegation.
This is critical to the welfare of those we support. Do you and your staff know who to call if you encounter a suspected MUI with a criminal component?
When to call 911 or local law enforcement
As you may be aware, Summit DD has a contract with the Summit County Sheriff’s Department for assistance with criminal MUI investigations. However, the Deputy assigned to Summit DD is not meant to be a substitute for real-time emergencies. There are specific instances we advise providers to call their local law enforcement first or call 911, due to the nature of the suspected crimes. Safety is a priority, and our contracted detective may not be available to respond to a situation in real-time, based on the nature of the work he does with our MUI Department.
Below is a list of suspected MUIs that should always be called into 911 or your local jurisdiction upon discovery of an incident:
- Any allegation of Sexual Abuse
- Any allegation of Abuse with a staff PPI
- Any allegation of Abuse where the individual served will have continued contact with the PPI
- Any allegations that will have lingering risk until law enforcement responds
- Any active emergency situation
We’ve put together a list of contact numbers for Summit County law enforcement. We recommend printing out a copy of this list to keep handy for any potential situations. Click to download and print this list.
When to call Summit DD’s Detective
For suspected MUIs different than those outlined above that may have a criminal component, you can call Summit DD’s contracted Sheriff Detective at 330-634-8825 to make your report.
Aren’t Sure Which Number to Call?
If you’re unsure which scenario the allegation you’re looking to report fits into, please contact your local jurisdiction directly out of an abundance of caution. Click to download and print this list.
Questions about this Guidance?
If you have any questions about this guidance, please contact MUI Senior Manager Wayne Hershey.
