ACL is pleased to announce an approximately $3 million investment to continue efforts to develop tools and infrastructure to support states in building the Adult Protective Services (APS) of tomorrow. Over the next three years, ACL will undertake the following tasks:
- Update the National Voluntary Consensus Guidelines for State Adult Protective Services Systems on the 2-year schedule established at launch, create a dissemination plan for the guidelines, and produce a research agenda to build a stronger evidence-base of best practices in APS.
- Design and implement an APS client outcomes study evaluating how various micro-, mezzo-, and macro- system components impact APS client outcomes.
- Create an inventory of screening and assessment tools used by APS and others to screen for elder abuse, and assess each tool’s level of validity.
The investment is the result of a partnership between ACL’s Office of Elder Justice and Adult Protective Services and ACL’s Office of Performance and Evaluation. This work will be carried out by New Editions Consulting, Inc. (a woman-owned small business), and is part of ACL’s ongoing commitment to support the development and evolution of APS systems, and to strengthen APS’ capacity to address the abuse, neglect, and exploitation too often faced by older adults and adults with disabilities. These projects further ACL’s vision for older Americans and people with disabilities to be able to live where they choose, with the people they choose, and fully participate in their communities without threat of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
Visit the Protecting Rights and Preventing Abuse section of the ACL website to learn more about these efforts.