Enhancing the Stark County, Ohio, Adult Protective Services Interdisciplinary Team to better serve elder abuse victims through coordinated support, and improved case investigation and prosecution.

The purpose of this award, funded under the OVC FY 2019 Transforming America's Response to Elder Abuse: Coordinated, Enhanced Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs) for Older Victims of Abuse and Financial Exploitation Program, is to support elder abuse multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) as enhanced MDT’s (E-MDTs) at the rural, tribal, local or state levels, including existing and new teams. Through this solicitation, OVC seeks to support organizations which demonstrate innovative strategies to create, expand, or enhance the use of technology initiatives on a national scale or that can be relicated nationally to improve response, services, and access for victims of crime.

Coleman Professional Services has been leading the Adult Protective Services Interdisciplinary Team (APS I-Team) in Stark County, Ohio, since 2014. Under this project, an enhanced team will increase coordination of services and will bring broader professional skills together with the goals of meeting the needs of victims and moving more cases successfully through the judicial system. Stark County's aging population, growing opiate and other substance abuse issue stressing families, and increasing social isolation and resource strain with younger adults moving away to live and work all compound the problem of protecting older adults. The project will support a dedicated E-MDT Coordinator to facilitate the expansion and improvement of the current APS I-Team, more fully engage community partners, and better support the investigation and prosecution of elder financial exploitation and abuse cases. Project activities will include conducting a needs assessment, developing formal processes, training members, and recruiting forensic accountant and neuropsychologist contractors to the team. The goal of the project is to help the County adjudicate cases and increase the number of cases moving through the court system.

CA/NCF