Enhancing the Los Angeles County Elder Abuse Forensic Center: Building Capacity for Person-Centered Case Review

Enhancing the Los Angeles County Elder Abuse Forensic Center: 

Building Capacity for Person-Centered Case Review

The purpose of this project is to enhance the LACEAFC through the addition of tools to improve the investigative capability for addressing complex cases of financial exploitation and the bolstering person-centered culture and processes. To do this, we will hire a forensic accountant (FA), and integrate forensic accounting services such as fraud investigation, witness interviews, completing investigative reports, identifying deceptive behavior, and suspect motivations. The voice and choice of victims will be included into case action planning by bolstering person-centered care (PCC) and processes, facilitated with the support of an Ethicist consultant and PCC training. Building on what we learn from these combined efforts, we will conduct outreach to MDTs nationwide to scan for interest in ongoing discussion on person-centered practices and for those who are interested, we will host a virtual convening to develop a strategy for knowledge generation. Additionally, we plan to make our team more accessible to case presenters with revised intake and offering case presentation format and guidelines. This will have the dual benefit of revising intake data requirements according to forensic accounting and person-centered information needs. Finally, we will conduct outreach to referral source organizations (APS and law enforcement) to educate on LACEAFC enhancements and elicit referrals from units that have not presented cases. Deliverables will include policies, procedures, and guidelines for forensic accounting services and PCC, training curricula on forensic accounting and PCC, quality assurance outputs regarding PCC approaches, list of participating MDTs in discussions on PCC, virtual convening agenda and minutes, consensus action plan for practice and research on PCC in EAN MDTs, generation of metrics required for OVC’s Performance Measurement Tool, and an action plan for sustaining the FA into the LACEAFC. Beneficiaries will be EAN victims with improved safety of person and assets, reclaimed funds, and choices supported, greater satisfaction with EAN investigation and supportive services, and sustained solutions. The LACEAFC will benefit through greater awareness of victim preferences and strategies for incorporation into case plans. Local systems will experience improved access to tools promoting justice for older victims, greater ease in utilizing the LACEAFC, and improved trust in criminal justice organizations. Nationwide, there will be better awareness of victim preferences among MDT leaders, and other elder justice professions. Longer term, this project will seed implementation of programs that address victim priorities.