To better serve those needing to report concerns of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elderly and disabled Missourians, the Department of Health and Senior Services’ Adult Abuse and Neglect Hotline will be revising its hours of operations to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. effective September 1, 2021.
In November of 2019, the Department of Health and Senior Services implemented an online reporting method allowing concerned citizens and mandated reporters to submit reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation in an efficient, secure and confidential way. This online reporting method is available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, and provides an option for concerned citizens to submit reports during and outside of normal business hours. Since implementing this reporting method, approximately one-third of all reports are now submitted this way. While the online reporting portal has helped to ease call volume demands, additional efforts are still needed to ensure that no call goes unanswered.
“The new operational hours for the hotline will allow for increased staffing during times of highest call volume,” said Robert Knodell, Acting Director of DHSS. “This will help reduce wait times and make it easier to reach a call center agent during normal business hours.”
911 should be accessed for emergencies as the Adult Abuse and Neglect Hotline is not intended for emergency response. Additional information including the online reporting portal can be found here.
