Who We Are
CEJC is a multidisciplinary membership organization providing a voice from the field in elder justice policy and practice. We promote the rights of older adults, including protection against age-based discrimination and elder abuse, and equitable access to resources, health care, and the legal system by those in greatest need. |
Policy
Ageism Violates Human and Civil Rights CEJC advocates for policy reform, raises awareness about elder justice developments, creates opportunities for exchange among advocates and policy makers, and provides consultation, training, and technical assistance. Our work reflects our Principles of Elder Justice. |
Learn
Our educational materials focus on leading edge issues in elder justice with the aim of fostering new ideas and innovations. They include:
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CEJC A*TEAM UpdateResponding to the obstacles APS investigators face in accessing bank customer records in elder financial exploitation investigations, CEJC’s A*Team has released Collaborating with Financial Institutions to Prevent Elder Financial Exploitation and Abuse: A Guide for APS Investigators in California. This California-specific document guides APS financial abuse investigators on procedures to follow in working with banks, provides customizable forms to use in requesting victim account records, and includes authorizing statutes to clarify APS’ authority and financial institutions’ responsibilities under the law. The materials are downloadable and ready to be customized for agency use. Created to study solutions to systemic obstacles identified by local elder abuse MDTs, the A*Team focused on banks’ refusal to comply with investigators’ requests as one of the most common problems cited by MDTs. For more detail on the A*Team process and progress, see the latest update on the CEJC A*Team page: "CEJC’s A*Team Tackles MDT/Bank Interactions During Investigations (January 2023)." The "A*TEAM" is supported by a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, US Department of Justice. |
CEJC Releases Third
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A*TEAM SWITCHES INTO FAST-TRACK MODE TO STOP FRAUD, REVEALING SYSTEM SHORTFALLS AND OPPORTUNITIESIn this post, CEJC A*Team Coordinator Carol Sewell describes how the A*Team was recently able to quickly take action to stop fraud. Read more here. REACTING TO THE SUPREME COURT'S DECISION ON REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTSIn this post, CEJC Executive Director Lisa Nerenberg reacts to the Supreme Court decision on reproductive rights and the threats to privacy and autonomy it poses to all Americans. She offers 5 actions that elder justice advocates can take to counter those threats. 
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Lisa Nerenberg,
CEJC Executive Director |
EDJCC UpdateIn case you missed the last meeting of the Elder and Disability Justice Coordinating Council (EDJCC) on February 14, 2023, you can get caught up with a recording, transcript and presenters' slides (see below). Highlights of the event included the introduction of new California Department of Aging staff members Regina Wright, who is the new state public guardian liaison for CDA, and Ranjana Maharaj who is CDAs' new elder abuse subject matter expert. CDA Director Susan DeMarois also reported on the launch of the Office of the Patient Representative, which was created to support unrepresented residents in skilled nursing facilities. The new program, which is headed up by Susan Rodrigues, has received 90 referrals during its first month of operation and performed six interdisciplinary team assessments. Representatives from the EDJCC's three workgroups on Conservatorship, Adult Protective Services, and Legal Assistance gave reports on their progress. Leigh Bills of the California Office of Emergency Services alerted Council members to the upcoming release of a grant solicitation for programs to serve older victims. The Elder Abuse (XE) Program is expected to be released in June 2023 for a January 1, 2024 program startup.
Video | Transcript | Presentation During the meeting, CDA Director DeMarois also announced the release of a Request for Applications (RFA) for its Local Aging & Disability Action Planning (LADAP) Grant Program. The program supports the development of cross-sector, age-and disability-friendly action plans that address the current, emerging, and future needs of California’s older adults, people with disabilities, caregivers, and families. Applicants can request between $75,000 and $200,000. Requests for applications, which are due on March 24, are available at LADAP Grant Program webpage. "No." Is a Complete Sentence: Elder Abuse Road ShowIt may seem like Elder Abuse Awareness Month is coming early to California with this live theater event presented by the McGeorge School of Law, Elder & Health Clinic in collaboration with Capital Stage. The event features professional actors performing scenes of common financial exploitation to explore how financial elder abuse occurs and demonstrate how and why to say “NO” to family, friends and solicitors. The production, which is supported by grants from The Kelly Foundation & Sandy Foundation, takes place Tuesday March 28 at the ACC Senior Services, 7334 Park City Drive, Sacramento. For more, see NO! Vertical Divider
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House Passes Further Protections for Investors: CEJC Hopes for Similar Advances in Federal Banking LawThe Elder Justice Coalition applauded the House’s recent passage of HR 500, which would give investors additional protections if fraud or exploitation is suspected. If approved by the Senate, the change will allow investment firms to delay redemption of certain securities for as long as 25 days if the company has reason to believe that exploitation of an older or disabled adult is involved. CEJC’s A*Team is working with policy makers, bank representatives and regulators to explore whether this type of federal protection should also be available to older and disabled bank account-holders at large multi-state banks. California law already allows state-regulated banks to delay suspicious transactions, but multi-state banks fall under federal jurisdiction.
MoneyGram Fraud Victims to be Fully CompensatedNearly 39,000 victims of fraud schemes handled through MoneyGram International will be fully compensated for their losses according to an announcement from the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). $115.8 million will be disbursed to the predominantly older adult victims. The funds are the result of a “deferred prosecution agreement” between the Department of Justice and MoneyGram, through which the firm forfeited the amount equal to the fraud transactions processed over the period in which its anti-money laundering program was inoperative. To learn more about the USPIS process for restoring stolen funds, visit http://moneygramremission.com/.
Attention Elder Justice ResearchersThe National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is seeking proposals for research and evaluation projects in four areas related to elder justice: 1) evaluation of programs that seek to prevent, intervene in, or respond to the abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of older adults (age 60 years or above); 2) research on individuals who abuse older adults; 3) research on polyvictimization in older adults; and 4) research on fraud and financial exploitation of older adults. Proposals that address the four topic areas are due April 27, 2023. For more, see Research on the Abuse, Neglect, and Financial Exploitation of Older Adults
Disappointing Outcome for EJ funding in 2023Advocates for elder justice funding were disappointed with the federal Omnibus FY 23 spending bill signed in December. As outlined by Bob Blancato of the Elder Justice Coalition, the final bill’s appropriation of $15 million for APS formula grants falls far short of the President’s requested $58 million and the $80 million proposed by the House. Likewise, the $21.6 million for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman represents only $2 million over previous years’ funding levels at a time when the program needs to rebuild after pandemic losses of volunteers and LTC residents in crisis. Continuing that trend, the federal spending bill retained the 2014 cap on Social Service Block Grant funding at $1.7 billion and did not include reauthorization of the Elder Justice Act. Blancato noted the one positive outcome is that the $15 million is the APS program’s first ever Congressional appropriation. |
