Mandated reporter situation + caregiver accused me of causing an injury. Did I handle this right?
I’m an RBT and recently had a situation that’s been weighing on me. I want to make sure I handled everything ethically and professionally.
A few days ago, my client (6M) told me that someone at home hits him in the head sometimes. I immediately told my BCBA the same day, because that’s what we’re supposed to do. She agreed it was concerning.
There are other ongoing issues too:
He was referred to PT at age 3 but never taken.
He’s significantly behind academically (pre‑pre‑K level at age 6).
He often comes to school dirty, smelling like urine, with ripped shoes and clothes.
I’ve witnessed physical discipline in the home.
He appears slightly cross‑eyed and I’m not sure if he’s ever been evaluated for it.
Two days after I told my BCBA about the disclosure, the aunt suddenly reached out and accused me of causing an injury to his head — something I never saw happen and have no memory of. My BCBA told me I’m not in trouble and that she trusts me, and she said she might need to file an incident report on her end too.
I filed a DCS report in good faith with all the concerns I’ve observed. I didn’t accuse anyone of anything — I just reported what I’ve seen and what the child told me. The report ended up being screened out, which was frustrating because the concerns feel serious.
I’m not looking to blame anyone. I just want to make sure I did the right thing and handled this ethically. Has anyone else been in a similar situation where a caregiver made an accusation right after a mandated report? How did you navigate it?