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ELDER JUSTICE INITIATIVE ON ELDERCARING COORDINATION 2018 THREE YEAR PROGRESS REPORT
The ACR Elder Justice Initiative on Eldercaring Coordination (Eldercaring Coordination Initiative) wishes to commemorate the work of the Task Forces on Eldercaring Coordination with this three-year report of the progress made since the Eldercaring Coordination Guidelines were approved and adopted in 2015. The purpose of this document is to remind the organizations who joined together to develop eldercaring coordination of their initial contribution and chart the substantive developments since the Eldercaring Coordination Initiative began.
The ACR Task Force on Eldercaring Coordination was initiated in 2013, composed of twenty US and Canadian organizations (Appendix A). Their groundbreaking effort resulted in Guidelines for Eldercaring Coordination, unanimously approved by all twenty organizations in 2015. Working collaboratively and concurrently with the Florida Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Task Force on Eldercaring Coordination, comprised of 20 statewide entities, the ACR Task Force was able to monitor how its broad framework could be applied to the needs of elders and families in a specific state. The intention of the Task Forces was to develop the tools essential to initiate and sustain Eldercaring Coordination Pilot Sites, defined as a judge, judges or magistrates that would commit to referring at least six cases to eldercaring coordination, or a group of attorneys that would refer at least six cases through Agreed Orders. The Guidelines on Eldercaring Coordination provide Eldercaring Coordinator qualifications, ethical guidelines, grievance procedure, training protocols, and Pilot Site template.
In just two years from the very first Task Force meeting, two Inaugural Eldercaring Coordination Training took place, one hosted by the Ohio Supreme Court and the other by the Florida Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. Thirty-six Eldercaring Coordinators (ECs) were trained, as well as several Pilot Site Administrators and Magistrates. Immediately thereafter, five Pilot Sites were launched: Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Ohio, and Minnesota, and within Florida alone, eight pilot sites were launched. By the end of the year, the Task Forces transitioned into the ACR Elder Justice Initiative on Eldercaring Coordination (Eldercaring Coordination Initiative).
The driving force of the Eldercaring Coordination Initiative has been the strength of conviction of the Pilot Site Judges, Magistrates, Pilot Site Administrators, Eldercaring Coordinators and many others who have continued the dedication of the Task Force organizations to forward eldercaring coordination as a viable conflict resolution process for high conflict families regarding the care and safety of aging persons. Pamela Teaster, Ph.D., Director of the Center of Gerontology, and Megan Dolbin-MacNab, Director of the Doctoral Program of Marriage and Family Therapy, both of Virginia Tech University, have donated countless hours to this project. Both have been studying eldercaring coordination since the Inaugural Training in order to inform its development and promising practices.
ELDERCARING COORDINATION INITIATIVE OUTCOMES
Significantly fewer motions to the court, and when motions were filed they were more focused on legal, rather than nonlegal, issues
Reduction of family conflict, minimizing risks and abuse, neglect and exploitation, to respect and preserve the dignity and quality of life for aging persons
Fewer cases to determine guardianship and in which capacity needed final determination through the court, maintaining the dignity of the elder
Aging person and family can respond to issues quickly and privately through supported decision-making without having to wait for open dockets to address emotional, non-legal issues in court
Awareness and appreciation of elder mediation and the general need for conflict resolution options for elders and families
Recognition that high conflict in families is a health issue for elders
Continuous support of Eldercaring Coordination Pilot Sites and Eldercaring Coordinators provided through Eldercaring Coordination Initiative
Education and trainings provided locally, nationally and in Canada to increase awareness of Eldercaring Coordination
Presentations taking place during conferences of organizations with expressed missions specific to children and families, as well as those organizations regarding elders
Definition of family extended to reflect ONE family representing multiple generations, where the youngest benefit from the modeling of collaboration, understanding, tolerance and support as ageing loved ones reach their last chapters, leaving a legacy of peace to all those that follow
ASSOCIATED GRANTS AND FUNDING
Federal Grant/Elder Justice Innovation Grant/Administration for Community Living Federal Grant. Innovations in Community Living awarded to Spark County Ohio Court,
American Arbitration Association International Center for Dispute Resolution Foundation for Eldercaring Coordination Training Grant
StayWell/Well Care Medicaid/Medicare Health Plan Provider Eldercaring Coordination Scholarship Program
INTERNATIONAL INTERESTS
Churchill Fellowship sought by Dominique Horne, Family Consultant, Mediation and Counseling, Project Co-Ordinator, Victoria, Australia
Funding sought by Richard Dening, Manager Adult Restorative Justice Conferencing, Dispute Resolution Branch, Department of Justice and Attorney-General, Queensland, Australia
RESEARCH
Virginia Tech University: experts Pamela Teaster, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Gerontology and Megan Dolbin-McNab, Ph.D., Director of the Marriage and Family Doctoral Program: ongoing study of eldercaring coordination to inform the development of best practices
University of Toronto initiating research: Michael Saini, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
Sarah Gross, J.D., Pepperdine School of Law, Strauss Institute LL.M. Candidate 2018
ELDERCARING COORDINATORS TRAINING
Hosted by Supreme Court of Ohio, Columbus, Ohio: 2015, 2016
Hosted by Florida Chapter of AFCC, Orlando, Florida: 2015
Next generation of training was improved through the integration of research and feedback of participants both at the training and after professional experience with the process
Eldercaring Coordination Initiative Hosted three Continuing Education for Eldercaring Coordinators WEBINARS between 2017 and 2018
ELDERCARING COORDINATION INITIATIVE OUTCOMES
Significantly fewer motions to the court, and when motions were filed they were more focused on legal, rather than nonlegal, issues
Reduction of risks and decrease in safety issues of elders
Fewer cases to determine guardianship and in which capacity needed final determination through the court
Awareness and appreciation of elder mediation and the general need for conflict resolution options for elders and families
Recognition that high conflict in families is a health issue for elders
Continuous support of Eldercaring Coordination Pilot Sites and Eldercaring Coordinators provided through Eldercaring Coordination Initiative
Education and trainings provided locally, nationally and in Canada to increase awareness of Eldercaring Coordination
Presentations taking place during conferences of organizations with expressed missions specific to children and families, as well as those organizations regarding elders
Definition of family extended to reflect ONE family representing multiple generations, where the youngest benefit from the modeling of collaboration, understanding, tolerance and support as ageing loved ones reach their last chapters, leaving a legacy of peace to all those that follow
Eldercaring Coordinator Maria Schlafke created and launched the Florida website hosting information about eldercaring coordination, included a login portion specifically for Eldercaring Coordinators and Pilot Site Administrators, Judge, and Magistrates.
DEPARTMENT OF ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES
The Florida Department of Children and Families developed forms and protocols for the identification of families for eldercaring coordination and links to court orders.
COLLABORATIONS
American Arbitration Association Foundation
Dispute Resolution Center, Supreme Court of Ohio
Florida Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers
Florida Department of Adult Protective Services
Florida Legal Aid
Florida Office of Public and Private Guardians, Department of Elder Affairs
Florida Office of the Attorney General
National Adult Protective Services Association
National Clearinghouse for Abuse in Later Life
Ontario Bar Association, Elder Section
Pepperdine School of Law, Strauss Institute
Shepard Broad College of Law, Nova University
StayWell/Well Care Health Plan Provider
Stetson University College of Law
Virginia Tech University, Center for Gerontology and Doctoral Program on Marriage and Family Therapy
CONFERENCES, PRESENTATIONS AND EVENTS
International Event:
United Nations: Presented Eldercaring Coordination at World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, New York, June 14, 2018
International Conferences:
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Conferences, yearly from 2015-2018,
Association for Conflict Resolution 2014-15; 2017-18
Avant Touts, Les Enfant/Children Now 9th International Symposium. Montreal, Canada, Montreal, 2018
International Federation on Ageing Global Conference, Toronto, August 2018 (Symposium/Workshop)
United States Presentations and events:
American Bar Association Elder Law and Aging Annual Conference, Plenary Session, 2018
National Association for Social Workers Southern District Conference 2018
American Society on Aging Annual Conference 2017
International Association of Collaborative Professionals 2017
National Adult Protective Services Association, 2017
National College of Probate Judges 2017
American Bar Association Senior Lawyers Section 2017
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys 2016
American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section Miami 2016
Webinars:
American Society on Aging 2017
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts 2017
Statewide Conferences and Trainings:
Ohio Dispute Resolution Conference 2018
Ohio Judges Training 2018
Idaho Guardianship Court Coordinators Training 2018
Florida Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, yearly from 2015-2018
Florida State Guardianship Conferences 2015, 2017, 2018
Florida Circuit Judges Conference 2014-15, 2017
Florida Dispute Resolution Conference 2014, 2016
Wisconsin Attorney General's Task Force on Elder Abuse, 2018
Local Programs: Presentations have occurred locally in Pilot Site states including judges and court staff training, local Bar Associations, Public and Professional Guardianship Organizations, government committees, nursing homes and independent living facilities, faith-based institutions.
SPREADING THE WORD!
Articles Appearing in National Publications:
Family Court Review, 2015
Conflict Resolution Quarterly 2015
BiFocal, Journal of the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging 2015
Experience, American Bar Association, 2015, 2017
NASW News, National Association for Social Work, 2015
Aging Today, American Society on Aging, 2016
Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers 2016
National College of Probate Judges, 2017
National Association of Elder Law Attorneys, 2018
Friendly Passages News Letter for the Rupert J. Smith Law Library
Statewide News:
Florida Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Task Force Newsletter 2017, 2018
Office of the State Court Administrator Final Friday Communique 2018
Florida Central Region Adult Protective Services Newsletter 2017
The Neutral, Florida Dispute Resolution Center 2016, 2017
CantonRep.com, Connecting Stark County 2016
Florida Bar News 2016
Florida Psychological Association 2016
Court News Ohio 2015
Florida Daily Business Review 2015
Herald Tribune Sarasota 2015
NOTEWORTHY LINKS
United Nations Presentation, June 14, 2018, in commemoration of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (Initiative Co-Chairs: Linda Fieldstone, Sue Bronson, Judge Michelle Morley)
Hardcopy of UN Presentation can be found on The NGO Committee on Ageing, United Nations, New York website: http://www.ngocoa-ny.org/
The Ohio Chief Justice welcomed over 500 attendees to their 2018 Dispute Resolution Conference, with eldercaring coordination included an example of innovation in Ohio
ELDERCARING COORDINATION INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUPPORT
Pilot Site and Eldercaring Coordinator meetings have each taken place monthly to provide support, consultation, improvements and meet the challenges intrinsic to initiating change to existing systems, even when needed
Trainings to increase awareness of eldercaring coordination
Webinars to provide ongoing training for eldercaring coordinators
Judges, Magistrates and Pilot Site Administrator trainings
Ongoing reassessment of forms and procedures to enhance the eldercaring coordination process and Pilot Site administration
For more information check out the Eldercaring Initiative Page or contact the Elder Justice Initiative on Eldercaring Coordination Co-Chairs:
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