California Elder Justice Coalition (CEJC)
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​​Protecting the rights, independence, and safety of older people by exploring barriers, sharing​ information and ideas, and ​providing a voice from the field to policy makers​

Who We Are

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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.

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Policy

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​​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. 



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Learn

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​Our educational materials focus on leading edge issues in elder justice with the aim of fostering new ideas and innovations. They include:


  • ​Elder Justice Toolkits
  • Elder Justice Viewpoints Blog
  • Advocates Academy Webinars
  • ​Publications
  • ​News & Updates 
  • Awareness Snapshots​

CEJC News & Updates 

New! CEJC A*TEAM Update
July 2023

CEJC’s A*Team Focus on Systemic Issues: Building understanding; Exploring Solutions
CEJC’s A*Team and its MDT Coordinators advisory group continue their progress to identify and address systemic obstacles to elder abuse case resolution. Issues that impact the work of local multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) include difficulty accessing bank account records when investigating elder financial exploitation, the lack of placement options when an older adult needs to be removed from a dangerous situation, too few professionals to conduct capacity assessments, lack of access to civil attorneys, and uncertainty around reports of abuse in unregulated residential care homes.
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To read the full update, click here. 

​The "A*TEAM" is supported by a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, US Department of Justice.

CEJC Participates in National Restorative Justice Convening

CEJC partnered with Futures Without Violence to plan and carry out  Strategies to Advance Greater Elder Safety (STAGES): Community Centered Solutions, a convening of thought leaders, innovators, advocates, and front-line service providers that explored restorative approaches to confronting ageism, building connections, strengthening relationships, preventing abuse, strengthening institutions, and reducing harm. The event focused on broadening networks of allied organizations and professionals working to end elder abuse through a restorative and prevention-oriented lens. Attendees explored how  restorative justice and economic  justice models can be applied across  disciplines to enhance community-based alternatives to the criminal justice system for older adults. The event took place on June 7-9, 2023 in Washington, D.C. 

CEJC Releases Third
​Elder Justice Blueprint

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Reinforcing California’s Elder Justice Infrastructure: Committing to Equity and Inclusion, the third in a series of blueprints, addresses the impact of COVID-19 for older Californians, responds to calls for reimagining community safety prompted by the national racial reckoning, and describes disparities in access to protective and supportive services. It details CEJC’s progress in achieving goals set in the previous blueprints and highlights new opportunities.  

CEJC Welcomes Jason Sullivan-Halpern to the Steering Committee

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CEJC is pleased to announce that Jason Sullivan-Halpern has joined the CEJC Steering Committee.  Jason is the Director of the CA Long Term Care Ombudsman Association, which represents all 35 local LTC Ombudsman Programs across the state. Jason is a seasoned nonprofit professional, and has worked on a variety of complex social, economic, and environmental issues impacting vulnerable adults. He obtained his JD with an emphasis in advocacy and public interest law from The Pennsylvania State University in 2021 and was the former Editor-in-Chief of the Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs.
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CEJC Leaders on the Road and in the News​

Donna Benton Presents on NCEA WEAAD Webinar
CEJC Chair Donna Benton was a featured presenter for the 2023 National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) WEAAD webinar, titled “Trauma-Informed Practices to Address Abuse and Build Resilience.” Focused on the nexus between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and elder abuse, panelists discussed the influences ACEs can have on both older adults needing care and on their caregivers. Presenting to over 900 virtual attendees in from 49 states and across the globe, Benton, Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at USC’s Davis school of Gerontology and director of the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center, joined NCEA Director Laura Mosqueda, MD, and presenters from USC’s Secure Old Age Lab, the Diverse Elders Coalition, SAGECare, and the National Consumer Voice for Long-Term Care, offering strategies to assure that response to reports of elder abuse are person-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive.
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​CEJC's Blueprint Featured at California Awareness Event 
Policy Director Carol Sewell described local innovations showcased in CEJC’s 3rd Elder Justice Blueprint, Reinforcing California’s Elder Justice Infrastructure: Committing to Equity and Inclusion, at the State of California’s World Elder Abuse Awareness Day event in Sacramento. The presentation highlighted locally-developed elder justice advances that could be replicated by attendees at the June 1 event. Hosted by the Department of Social Services, the event theme was “California’s Response to Homelessness in Older Adults and People with Disabilities,” with a keynote from Margot Kushel, MD, a leading researcher in older adult homelessness. For more on elder homelessness see CEJC's Toolkit Preventing Elder Homelessness.
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Creating an elder justice coordinating council was a top priority for CEJC, and we're delighted to see it come to fruition. It's especially exciting to see it launched as part of the Master Plan ​for Aging and to be part of the process."
Lisa Nerenberg,
​CEJC Executive Director

Other News and Updates

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​New! Settlement Reached in San Francisco's Laguna Honda Abuse Case

The second of three lawsuits over egregious abuse at San Francisco’s Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center has ended with a $2.2 million settlement from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Stemming from a 2019 health department inspection, the suit alleged the city-run facility allowed years of verbal, mental, and physical abuse of 23 disabled residents by staff, along with violations of residents’ privacy. The case brought to light a culture of abuse at the nation’s largest nursing home, with staff taking and sharing photographs of residents in distress and inappropriate states of undress. The first lawsuit was settled in 2021 at a cost of $800,000; the third suit is still pending.

​State funding sought for California’s Public Guardian and Public Conservator systems

The essential roles of the Public Conservator and Public Guardian (PGPC) are established in California law, yet no state or federal dollars support these critical services, which operate solely with county discretionary dollars and can easily be bypassed when budgets are tight or other priorities loom. Increasing requirements on the Public Guardian and rising caseloads have stretched these systems beyond reason, with average Public Guardian caseloads running 65% higher than recognized standards. Despite this, policy makers continue to add to the numbers eligible for conservatorship in an effort to address chronic homelessness and severe mental  illness.

Conservatorship is a last resort when adults are unable to protect themselves against serious threats and danger as the result of dementias or mental illnesses. Due to limited funding, some counties are unable to provide conservatorship for the most vulnerable individuals if there are not resources to manage that can cover county costs. This leaves the poorest and most needy completely unprotected and at risk of abuse and exploitation. A stronger Public Guardian could address many of the problems created when professional conservators handle cases as a means of making money, a situation that has raised national attention through news coverage of egregious cases of exploitation.

As a co-sponsor of the California Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians, and Public Conservators’ budget request for $200 million in ongoing state General Fund dollars, CEJC urges others to send their support before the May 4 Senate Budget Hearing. Letters can be sent via email to:
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The Honorable Chairperson Caroline Menjivar and Members
Senate Budget Subcommittee #3
Via email:  SBUD.Committee@senate.ca.gov

EDJCC Update

The Elder and Disability Justice Coordinating Council (EDJCC) held its second meeting of the year on June 20, 2023.  Highlights of the event included presentations of three case studies that illustrated systemic barriers or challenges that frontline service providers encounter in handling elder abuse cases.  
Chairs of the EDJCC's three workgroups also provided updates of their work.  They are:
  • - Adult Protective Services Workgroup Chair: Jim Treggiari, Program Administrator of Adult Protective Services, California Department of Social Services (CDSS)
  • - Conservatorship Workgroup Chair: Bertha Hayden, Director Attorney, Bet Tzedek
  • - Legal Services Workgroup Chair: Vivianne Mbaku, Equity Director, Justice in Aging
​​CEJC Executive Director Lisa Nerenberg described CEJC's recently released blueprint Reinforcing California’s Elder Justice Infrastructure: Committing to Equity and Inclusion. She focused on opportunities for state agencies to implement recommendations contained in the Blueprint and noted that the creation of the EDJCC  was a recommendation contained in CEJC’s second Blueprint, which was produced in 2016.
Video | Transcript | Presentation
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New! Opportunity to Comment on Proposed Update to Older Americans Act Regulations

The federal Administration for Community Living (ACL) has announced the first comprehensive update to the Older Americans Act regulations since 1988. The proposed updates include new definitions, guidance on enhanced coordination, and deletions of obsolete language and provisions. As described in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR), the “changes advance the policy goals of the Older Americans Act as articulated by Congress, including equity in service delivery, accountability for funds expended, and clarity of administration for the  ACL and its grantees,” with the goal of  improving services and benefits for older Americans, with special emphasis on those with the highest economic and social needs. For CEJC’s recommendations for elder justice actions at the federal level, see our Elder Justice Blueprint. Written comments on the proposed changes will be accepted through August 15, 2023 and can be made following the instructions at http://www.regulations.gov or sent by U.S. mail to:
Administration on Aging, Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: ACL–AA17–P, 330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20201.

New! Residents' Rights Upheld by Supreme Court

The rights of nursing home residents were affirmed in the Supreme Court’s June decision that residents in Medicaid-funded facilities have the right to sue when their rights under the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 (FNHRA) are violated. As reported by The National Consumer Voice for Long-Term Care, the decision stemmed from a complaint that an Indiana nursing home resident was illegally sedated and then wrongfully discharged. A lower court ruled that the resident could not sue because FNHRA did not grant residents a private right of action. That decision was overturned upon appeal by the Seventh Circuit Court and later upheld by the Supreme Court.​

Show Your Support for the Elder Justice Reauthorization and Modernization Act (EJA) of 2023

Advocacy is needed now to build support for the recently released  EJA. Citing the prevalence of elder and disability abuse and exploitation in the U.S., leaders in Congress from both houses joined in support of the reauthorization bill. Co-sponsors include House Ways & Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Bob Casey (D-PA), and Co-Chair of the House Elder Justice Caucus Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR).
 
Along with reauthorizing the EJA, the legislation commits significant new funding for Adult Protective Services ($1.9 billion) and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman ($232.5 million). It also funds three new programs: $500 million to connect victims with legal services and create medical-legal partnerships, $250 million to address social isolation and loneliness, and $1.6 billion to recruit and retain care providers in post-acute and long-term care settings. A summary and text of the bill can be found on the Ways and Means Committee  website. Reach out to ask your Representatives to sign-on by clicking this link.
   

Resources and Reports

​New! Elder Financial Abuse Costs Victims $28.3 billion Annually

The Scope of Elder Financial Exploitation: What It Costs Victims, a new report from the AARP BANKSAFE INITIATIVE, provides new estimates of financial losses associated with elder financial exploitation. The report is based on a study using a new methodology developed by AARP and NORC at the University of Chicago, which calculated the direct annual cost of exploitation to people over age 60 at approximates $28.3 billion annually. The researchers used data from the Consumer Sentinel Network, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Elder Financial Exploitation Suspicious Activities Reports. See: https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/money/scams-and-fraud/2023/true-cost-elder-financial-exploitation.doi.10.26419-2Fppi.00194.001.pdf

​Everything is Fake: How Global Gangs are Using UK Shell Companies in Multi-Million Pound Crypto Scams

This article, which appeared in The Guardian, offers a chilling account of how crime syndicates groom victims for cryptocurrency crimes. Describing the practice as “pig butchering,” which comes from a Chinese word that refers to the process of slowly fattening a pig for slaughter, the article describes the process for how scam victims are groomed over long periods to gain their trust. The crime became widely reported in China around 2019 but has since spread around the world. In 2021, the FBI received complaints relating to crypto romance scams in the US that resulted in $429m in losses. For more, see Everything is Fake.

​New Resources on Guardianship

With an estimated half of people over the age of 85 experiencing some level of cognitive decline, the heightened attention to guardianship (called “conservatorship” in California) isn't surprising. Newly released guardianship resources include:
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  • "Introducing the New Bill of Rights for Adults with a Guardian" Sally Balch Hurme, a leading figure in guardianship reform, describes the development of a model Bill of Rights for people under guardianships. It is one of several resources produced by the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA). Other NCEA resources on guardianship/ conservatorship can be found here. 
  • Reviewing Guardianship and Conservatorship Reports - A Guide for Courts This new webinar produced by the National center for State Courts (NCSC) describes protocols that have been designed to help judicial officers and staff members in courts or clerks' offices conduct meaningful reviews of guardianship.  Their goal is to protect individuals with guardianships and identify guardians who are struggling.  

​New Guidance on Restitution 

These new resources, created by the National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI) in partnership with the Council of State Governments and others, provide guidance for attorneys and advocates on accessing restitution for clients. They cover processes and laws governing restitution, what's required for a restitution order to be issued, the relationship between restitution and civil damages, and more. Available in the NCVLI's Victim Law Library, the resources include Restitution Law & Practice Guide for Legal Practitioners, Restitution Law & Practice:  An Overview, and a Restitution Law Assessment Tool, to help practitioners identify ways to improve their own state restitution laws.  For more on restitution, see CEJC's Financial Crime Toolkit and Victim Services Toolkit.

​Why We Need Victim Comp

A new report from AARP spells out the health toll financial crimes take on older victims and points to the need for victim supports, such as access to mental health counseling, emotional support groups, and Victim Compensation. The report, Many Victims Struggle With Mental Health in Scams’ Aftermath, details the mounting number of older victims scammed each year and the resulting shame and self-blame that lead victims into crisis, including suicide, and the value of supports for victim recovery. CEJC has long advocated for California's Victim Compensation Board (CVCB) to cover mental health costs and other supports for victims of elder financial crimes in hopes of improving outcomes. The CVCB continues to cover victims and family members of victims of violent crimes only, despite CEJC's ongoing advocacy for older financial crime victims. 

National Network of State Elder Justice
​Coalitions (NNSEJC)

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Upcoming Meetings
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The next NNSEJC Membership meeting will be on Thurday, September 21, at 3:30 EST.


NNSEJC at ASA
On March 28th, 2023 NNSEJC Steering Commmittee members Anna Thomas (Georgia), Iris Freeman (Minnesota), Paul Caccamise (New York), and Carol Sewell (CEJC) led the open discussion "Elder Justice Collaboration," which focused on state and tribal elder justice coalitions' origins,  goals, structures, challenges, and accomplishments.  

Visit National Network of State Elder Justice Coalitions (NNSEJC) for more. 
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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Our Core Values
    • Our Supporters
    • Key Accomplishments 2022
    • Contact Us
  • Policy
    • 2022 Elder Justice Legislative Update
    • Advocacy
    • Policy Development
    • A*TEAM
  • Learn
    • Toolkits >
      • Restorative Approaches to Elder Abuse
      • Adult Protective Services
      • Abuse in Long Term Care Facilities
      • Undue Influence
      • Financial Crimes and Exploitation
      • Victims' Rights and Services
      • Resources for MDTs
      • International
      • Elder Homelessness
      • Opioid Crisis
    • Webinars and Events
    • CEJC Publications >
      • 2023 Blueprint
    • Awareness Snapshots
    • Blog: Elder Justice Viewpoints
  • Join Us
    • Renew
    • Donate
  • NNSEJC
    • Who We Are
    • Joining NNSEJC
    • More On State/Tribal Coalitions