Society of Certified Senior Advisors Explores A New Strategy in the War Against Elder Abuse
Elder abuse experts convene in Denver to arm service providers who work with seniors with the tools to prevent crimes of fraud, abuse and neglect
National and local experts in the fields associated with elder abuse, exploitation, neglect and identity theft came together in Denver, Colorado on October 23 and 24 to participate in a think tank and a DACUM (develop a curriculum) at the Denver headquarters of the Society of Certified Senior Advisors (SCSA). The goal is to determine the core competencies necessary to develop a new course called Champions – fighting exploitation, abuse and neglect targeted against seniors.
Elder abuse experts such as:
- William Benson who works with the National Adult Protective Services Association, and has had a long and successful career in Washington, DC as a leading policy advisor in areas of aging
- Lisa Nerenberg, the author of Elder Abuse Prevention
- Hazel Heckers, Victim Assistance Coordinator with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the 2014 recipient of the National Crime Victim Service Award will be part of the panel
- Bonnie Brandl, Director of NCALL and author of Elder Abuse Detection and Intervention
- Sean Bell, Elder Law Attorney
- Jennifer Schaufele, Executive Director of DRCOG
- Evie Hudak, former Colorado State Senator
- Carolyn Smith, Team Leader for the Stop Elder Abuse Support Branch of No Longer a Victim
- Scott Storey, Chief Deputy Prosecutor and former DA for Jefferson County, CO.
The Champions program will make Certified Senior Advisors (CSA) and other professionals, who take the course and pass the test, the eyes and ears on the ground protecting seniors, armed with the knowledge of what to look for, how to handle various situations, does the situation need to be reported, how to report, who to report to and the ramifications of reporting. When a professional working with the elderly knows what to look for, seniors will be protected and in some cases, an attempt to commit a crime will be stopped before an actual crime is committed.
Participants in the Champions program will be armed with the information necessary to protect our aging Americans. Included in the course, each student will be generally informed about mandatory reporting, but directed to refer to their state law since the Champions program will be national and CSAs are located all over the U.S. Judy Rough, CSA and Sr. Director of Business Development for SCSA stated, “We are interested in arming as many professionals as possible with this information and motivating them to speak up whether they are listed as mandatory reporters or not in their respective states.”
About SCSA
Individuals who earn and maintain the Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) ¨ credential are entitled to become members of the Society of Certified Senior Advisors (SCSA), an organization dedicated to helping professionals understand the key health, social and financial issues that are important to older adults. Founded in 1997, SCSA offers a vast array of resources and education specifically related to issues affecting seniors.
