Arizona Abuse in Later Life Grant - Direct Services Training

Initially, this no cost training will be for up to 50 participants who are MOU and CCRT partners of the Arizona Abuse in Later Life Grant.

Training will be from 8:00 am-5:00 pm with breaks and 60 minutes for lunch in Ironwood Room (second floor) at Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG). MAG will provide coffee and water. Snacks will be provided by A New Leaf. Bring your lunch or pay for your order from a local restaurant (to be selected as time nears).

Bring any materials you would like to share from your organization.

MAG is located at 302 N. 1st Ave. Parking is available in the garage under the building. There is a light rail station nearby.

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More About the Training

The Responding to Abuse in Later Life: Promoting Respect and Safety for Older Victims training curriculum was developed for OVW grantees implementing the Training and Services to Address Abuse in Later Life grant.

The curriculum provides information, strategies, and intervention techniques to enhance direct service providers' ability to effectively serve older victims and collaborate with community partners.

As a result of this training, participants will be better equipped to work collaboratively to deliver services that prioritize victim safety and improve the quality of life for all older survivors of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Guiding Principles:

· Increase access to welcoming and receptive services and resources for older victims who have been harmed by abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

· Explain how an older survivor’s background and life experiences influence their response to abuse and their approach to seeking help.

· Ensure that services are easy to access for older adults, especially those who are most at risk and come from communities with fewer available resources.

· Ensure autonomy, dignity, and respect for older adults who are survivors of abuse in later life.

Training Goals:

As a result of this training participants will be able to:

· Identify how the population of older adults is varied and continuing to grow, bringing a wide range of life experiences, backgrounds, and needs.

· Describe why respecting the full range of factors shaping an older adult’s experience is vital to ensuring they feel heard and supported.

· Define elder abuse and describe key dynamics of intimate partner violence, sexual abuse, and stalking in later life.

· Describe community resources and civil remedies to promote an accessible, strength-based response to victims.

· Practice effective strategies to address complex issues, such as trauma, limited cognitive capacity, and mandatory reporting, when serving victims.

Target Audience:

The Office on Violence Against Women’s Training and Services to End Abuse in Later Life Program (OVW ALL Program) provides grants to communities to address elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, against victims who are 50 years of age and older. Grant funds can be used for developing services, creating a community coordinated response team, and for providing training for professionals. This training is designed for direct service staff.

The target audience for this training is 15-40 direct service providers who work with victims of abuse and older adults, such as adult protective services (APS) and/or elder abuse workers, community-based domestic violence advocates, community-based sexual assault advocates, dual community-based advocates, systems-based advocates, aging services network professionals, community-based organization staff, and others. For this training, these terms are defined below.

· Adult protective services (APS) and/or elder abuse workers respond to suspected elder abuse situations, conduct investigations, and offer various interventions and services to consenting adults. Eligibility definitions for APS investigations differ by state. Some states use an age threshold, such as 60 or 65 years or older. Other states define vulnerable or at-risk adults. These workers may be called adult protective services workers, lead elder abuse staff or other titles. In this training, they are designated “APS” whatever their title in their home state.

· Community-based domestic violence (DV) advocates work in local nonprofit, nongovernmental domestic violence programs assisting victims of domestic violence and their children. Some programs operate an emergency shelter and provide additional services; others may only provide non-shelter services. Programs generally include legal advocacy, crisis intervention, safety planning, counseling, 24-hour crisis line, support groups, information, and referrals.

· Community-based sexual assault (SA) advocates work in local nonprofit, nongovernmental sexual assault programs assisting victims of sexual assault. They typically accompany and support victims through forensic medical procedures and any criminal justice system interviews, and if the victim is interested in services, they will continue to support victims with post-assault recovery.

· Dual community-based advocates - In many communities, domestic violence and sexual abuse services may be provided by a single agency that offers dual services (DV and SA).

· Systems-based advocates are typically employed by criminal justice agencies such as law enforcement, prosecutor's offices, and probation departments. These advocates help victims and witnesses of all types of crime by providing comprehensive assistance, including crisis intervention, resource and referral, counseling, orientation to the criminal justice system, court escort, and assistance applying to the Victims of Crime program and/or Victim Compensation Program. They may also be housed in health care settings and may help victims navigate the health care system.

· Aging services network professionals work in state units on aging, area agencies on aging, tribal and native service organizations, adult care centers, and other organizations focused on the needs of older adults. Aging services network professionals and volunteers organize, coordinate, and provide community-based services and opportunities for older Americans (age 60+) and their families.

· Community-based organization staff refers to a “nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that primarily serves members of a specific underserved population and has demonstrated experience and expertise providing targeted services to members of that specific underserved population.” (VAWA 2013)

· Others such as health care providers, justice professionals, faith leaders, or other professionals could attend if in their professional capacity they provide direct services to older adults, abuse victims, or they may have significant contact with an older victim of abuse.

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Host or Publisher Arizona Department of Economic Security