In honor of National Crime Victims' Rights Week, the Crime Victims Legal Network (CVLN) Team at Empire Justice Center is hosting a webinar on how public benefits can help domestic violence victims and other victims of crime.
Victims of crime, especially victims of domestic violence, may need financial resources and support to recover from crime or to leave an abusive partner. This webinar is a general overview of public benefits available to low-income New Yorkers. It will include a review of: a) the different types of public benefits including cash assistance, SNAP, HEAP, and child care; b) the basic eligibility rules; c) the application process and special rules for victims of crime; and d) issue spotting using case examples and hypotheticals.

Presenters: Susan Antos, Managing Attorney, Empire Justice Center Haley Kulakowski, Supervising Staff Attorney, Empire Justice Center

The Upstate Elder Abuse Center at Lifespan’s NYS E-MDT Initiative Webinar Series

Please join us to get a refresher on what Article 81 guardianship is (and isn't) with a deeper dive into how judges decide whether someone is "incapacitated." Learn about 1) how guardianship can be a tool to address elder abuse; 2) its limitations; and 3) the legal requirement for its use to be the last resort to address risk of harm. Some elder abuse scenarios in the context of guardianship will also be discussed.

Presenter: Deena Schwartz, Esq. Director of NYS Guardianship Initiatives, Project Guardianship

The National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) Monthly Scam Advice Forum

The topic for March is “SIM Swap Attacks”

Cybercriminals are hijacking phone numbers to bypass security, access financial accounts, and steal identities. This presentation will break down how SIM swap attacks happen, the devastating consequences for victims, and the latest law enforcement efforts to combat this growing threat. Featuring a real case study, we’ll dive into an actual investigation to reveal how these crimes unfold—and how you can protect yourself.

This forum will not be recorded.

SPEAKER:

Special Agent Daniel Latham has served with the FBI since 2016, beginning in Los Angeles with complex financial crime investigations before shifting to cybercrime. His work has focused on SIM swaps, malware, and computer intrusions, including leading the FBI’s Qakbot malware takedown in August 2023.

Join NYSCADV (New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence) for the 2025 Annual Membership Meeting on Monday, March 10, at the Embassy Suites in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Designed to provide: (1) a forum for programs from across the state to network and get a state-wide perspective on domestic violence services, (2) professional and organizational development opportunities for domestic violence advocates, and (3) an overview of NYSCADV's 2023 activities and plans for the upcoming year.

AGENDA:

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM Registration & Networking Breakfast

10:00 AM -10:40 AM Welcome & Board Business Meeting

10:40 AM - 12:00 PM NYSCADV Updates

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Networking Lunch (Provided by NYSCADV)

1:00 PM - 1:10 PM Regroup Activity

1:10 PM - 1:55 PM Leadership Experiences in Times of Uncertainty Panel featuring Margarita Guzman, Shayne Morris, Kameeza Nizan-Chattoo, Tiffany Pavone 

1:55 PM - 2:15 PM Resilience in Times of Uncertainty - Mellissa Schulz

2:15 PM - 3:15 PM Facilitated Discussion

3:15 PM - 3:30 PM Closing Remarks

3:30 PM Adjournment

To learn more about each presenter, including their background and the expertise they'll be bringing to the event, please click here to meet the presenters.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB’s) Office for Older Americans is offering new webinars on protecting older adults from financial exploitation.

In government imposter scams, criminals contact consumers pretending to be from government agencies. This webinar will look at how to help older adults spot, avoid, and report these scams. The webinar will feature experts from the Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB’s) Office for Older Americans is offering new webinars on protecting older adults from financial exploitation.

Many people are socially isolated and regularly feel lonely, according to the National Institutes of Health. Older adults are at higher risk for social isolation and loneliness due to changes in health and social connections that can come with growing older, including: hearing, vision, and memory loss; disability; trouble getting around; and the loss of family and friends.

Researchers who study elder abuse are finding that loneliness and dissatisfaction with personal relationships, along with an increase in digital technology usage, has significantly increased vulnerability to scams and other forms of elder financial exploitation.

The webinar will feature emerging research, as well as innovative programs, which shed light on interventions that may protect older adults from financial exploitation.

The National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) Monthly National Scam Advice Forum

The topic for February is “Prize and Sweepstakes Scams”.

Our speaker will discuss frauds that claim the victim is the winner of a prize or sweepstakes. Newer data shows that these disproportionately affect older consumers. In addition, these are often ongoing frauds with continuing requests for more money. The scammers are often operating from Jamaica, and frequently impersonate PCH. This forum will be recorded. 

SPEAKER:

Chris Irving is the Vice President of Consumer and Legal Affairs for Publishers Clearing House (PCH), headquartered in Jericho, New York. In this role, he spearheads the company's anti-scam initiatives, focusing on educating consumers and collaborating with law enforcement to address lottery and sweepstakes imposter scams that misuse the PCH name, as well as the names of other entities. His responsibilities include providing testimony and documentation to support criminal cases where the PCH name has been exploited to defraud individuals.   

In Our Own Voices is hosting this special virtual training for Black History Month.

Join “Healing at the Crossroads”, where you will get the knowledge and tools to effectively support Black LGBTQ+ individuals and survivors of racial violence. The purpose of this free, virtual training is to equip service providers with the knowledge, tools, and strategies to better support Black LGBTQ+ individuals and survivors of racial violence, emphasizing cultural humility, historical trauma, and the mental health impacts of systemic racism.

For questions contact John Roberts (he/him/his), M.S., ED.M at jroberts@inourownvoices.org

Join SAGE for an informative webinar on February 20th where a panel of experts will break down the impact of the federal directives and what LGBTQ+ older adults need to know.

National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) is hosting an open forum on Friday, February 14th, from 1-2pm ET.  We will provide an update on the current state of APS funding from a federal perspective and what you can do to support national efforts. This forum will also let you ask questions and hear from other NAPSA members about the current landscape.

 The threat to APS and Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) funding is real and we want to provide as much information and support as possible. 

 We also want to hear from you and the impact of funding on APS!

Also, feel free to contact NAPSA’s policy team with any further questions or interest – Bill Benson (bill.benson@napsa-now.org) and Kendra Kuehn (kendra.kuehn@napsa-now.org).

An Elder Justice Initiative (EJI) Webinar

Join this webinar with a panel of Tribal and non-Tribal law enforcement representatives for an in-depth discussion on recognizing and responding to elder abuse in Tribal communities. This webinar will enhance collaboration among law enforcement, adult protective services, and other agencies to improve relationships and develop a coordinated response. Key topics include building strong community partnerships, forming multidisciplinary teams, and establishing Tribal Elder Protection Teams. Participants will also explore strategies for working with jurisdictional challenges and fostering a united effort to address elders across Tribal and non-Tribal boundaries.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB’s) Office for Older Americans is offering new webinars on protecting older adults from financial exploitation.

Mild cognitive impairment, which often goes undiagnosed in older adults, can adversely affect financial decision-making leaving  vulnerable adults at risk for financial exploitation. Financial exploitation is the most common form of elder abuse and the research suggests a change in financial management and skills may be an early indicator of cognitive decline. Although a person may be able to perform simple tasks such as writing checks or paying bills, they may have difficulty with more complex tasks such as balancing a checkbook or managing investments. 

Advances in the neuroscience of cognition and aging can help family members and professionals recognize the signs of poor monetary management and take steps to respond to and prevent the financial risks associated with early cognitive decline. Those research findings can be used to inform the work of law enforcement, adult protective services, financial institutions, clinicians, and other service providers. They are also relevant to older adults, themselves, who can be empowered to take steps to protect their financial well-being.

The webinar will feature presentations by experts in the field of aging and cognition.

National Adult Protective Services Association’s (NAPSA’s) Research to Practice (R2P) series

In this webinar, Drs. Lynn Langton (RTI International) and Marti DeLiema (University of Minnesota) will describe partnering with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) to launch a randomized controlled trial of a national mail fraud prevention campaign. The goal of the field experiment was to educate and protect older adults who recently lost money in mail scams. Langton and DeLiema will present two variations of a mailed scam prevention campaign designed to warn, educate, and empower victim households about mail scams. The USPIS tracked these households’ rates of revictimization in a naturalistic observation of the mail over a four-month period following delivery of the intervention materials. Compared to households in the control condition (no intervention), households that received the "Be a Fraud Fighter" counter-marketing materials experienced a 22% reduction in their risk of revictimization. This research offers empirical evidence that a simple, scalable, and cost-effective counter-marketing fraud prevention campaign can reduce revictimization among diverse older adults. Findings can be used by mail service organizations to launch larger scale campaigns to reduce losses from mail scams, and be modified for other delivery channels and scam types.

Presenters include:

Marti DeLiema, PhD, is a gerontologist and Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota. She is the Associate Director of Education for the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation (CHAI) at the University of Minnesota, and the faculty advisor for the student-led Aging Studies Interdisciplinary Group. She also holds the 2023-2024 Fesler Lampert Chair in Aging Studies. Dr. DeLiema studies financial victimization using focus groups, in-depth interviews, surveys, and panel data. She regularly collaborates with financial institutions, AARP, the FINRA Foundation, and federal protection agencies to analyze victimization risk factors and to test efforts to inoculate consumers from fraud and abuse through enhanced consumer education and advance care planning interventions. Her research is funded by the National Institute of Justice, the National Institute on Aging, the Social Security Administration, the Administration for Community Living, AARP, and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.

Lynn Langton, PhD, is a Criminologist and Program Director for the Victimization and Response Program at RTI International, a not-for-profit research institute based in North Carolina. Dr. Langton’s research focuses broadly on the areas of victimization, victim services, financial fraud, and white-collar crime. In her prior role as Chief of the Victimization Statistics Unit at the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, Dr. Langton formulated, directed, and oversaw numerous large-scale national projects including the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and the NCVS Supplemental Fraud Survey and served as a member of the Federal Interagency Identity Theft and Fraud Working Group. She has substantial experience designing studies, developing survey instruments, collecting data from and about victim populations and victim service providers, developing outcome measures, evaluating program effectiveness, analyzing data, and disseminating findings to broad audiences.

Geriatric Medicine Community-Wide Grand Rounds meet weekly on Wednesdays from September – June and features multidisciplinary geriatric topics by an expert speaker. These presentations are sponsored by the Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center, the Division of Geriatrics & Aging in the Department of Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and the University of Rochester Aging Institute.  All are invited to attend - registration is not necessary.

 SPEAKER

Elizabeth J. Santos, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology & Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry

 OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of this session, the learner should be able to:

1. Recognize common presentations of mental health concerns for older adults.

2. Contrast different approaches to treatment of common mental health symptoms for older adults.

3. Choose pharmacologic treatments and referrals at URMC for management of common mental health concerns for older adults.

EVALUATION

Must be completed for continuing education credit (CME, SW, LMFT, Psychology)

• https://redcap.urmc.rochester.edu/redcap/surveys/?s=RPLXRR7R84WJXHWP

• Link active Wednesday 8:30am ET through Friday 5:00pm ET

LINK

https://urmc.zoom.us/j/99338744548?pwd=n3i4q6jxBRJrqGpVpxDNM7rlZhkQaQ.1

 Meeting ID: 993 3874 4548

Passcode: 204258 

The Upstate Elder Abuse Center at Lifespan’s NYS E-MDT Initiative Webinar Series

Discover the latest trends in scams targeting older adults and how to safeguard your clients and community. Tailored to professionals, this 101 webinar provides an essential overview of common fraud schemes, warning signs, and prevention strategies. You'll also learn about the newly launched Peer-to-Peer Program, a resource for survivors of fraud and scams.

Presenter: Sheila Brewer-Montero, Fraud/Scam Prevention Coordinator; Upstate Elder Abuse Center at Lifespan

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) are partnering during Identity Theft Awareness Week to present a free webinar about how to spot, avoid, and report identity theft. Learn more about:

• What is identity theft and how it happens

• How to protect yourself against identity theft 

• How to spot and avoid identity theft

• What to do if your identity is stolen

• Free tools to help you recover from identity theft 

  To join the webinar on Thursday January 30, 2025, at 12:00 pm ET:

  • URL: https://ftc.zoomgov.com/j/1616610224?pwd=7ryUbPEcFNdKkarWHkkGtyArgZBqfb.1

  • Webinar ID: 161 001 6975

  • Passcode: 237151

  • By phone:

  +1 646 828 7666 US (New York)

  +1 669 216 1590 US (San Jose)

  +1 551 285 1373 US

  833 568 8864 US Toll-free

The Upstate Elder Abuse Center (UpEAC) at Lifespan is offering a FREE webinar featuring Dr. David Silbersweig from Harvard; How Music Resonates in the Brain. Back in 2020, UpEAC’s Scams & Fraud Program began offering a Name that Scam! educational program. Our colleagues at Wise & Healthy Aging in California (Miles McNeely – thank you!) did research and developed the program. For more about Wise & Healthy Aging, here is their site: https://www.wiseandhealthyaging.org/. Based off of that program, our team at UpEAC created several different playlists, including seasonal offerings, linking common scams to popular tunes. This fun and interactive game is not only entertaining – but also is based in research.

Our brains are quite amazing, and one thing that resonates across time & culture is music. Music has the power to evoke emotions, to provide us with a cathartic release, create the right mood for a movie, TV show, or the theater. Music connects us in super cool ways.

I’m thrilled to offer this webinar to you all, and would love for you to join Dr. Silbersweig and the folks here at UpEAC for this event. More information about the topic is here: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/12/harvard-scientist-on-why-that-song-is-stuck-in-your-head/.

CEUs are offered to LMSW and LCSWs in NYS.

Lifespan of Greater Rochester Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers - #SW-0089

For more information contact Tracey Siebert-Konopko, LMSW tsiebert@lifespan-roch.org

Upstate Elder Abuse Center at Lifespan’s NYS E-MDT Initiative Webinar Series

Please join us as we conclude our in-depth look at the intersection of firearm safety and dementia. Part 1 focused on destigmatizing crucial conversations with individuals living with dementia and their caregivers regarding firearm safety. Part 2 will cover laws related to firearms, safe storage of firearms and legacy planning of these firearms.

Presenters:

Corey Nichols-Hadeed, JD, Co-Director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Program, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC)

Jennifer West, PhD, Co-Director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Program, URMC

Eric Perkins, Deputy, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Firearms Investigation Coordinator

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB’s) Office for Older Americans is offering new webinars on protecting older adults from financial exploitation. The 2025 series includes:

Check fraud is a big problem nationwide, with more than $688 million in reported suspicious activity in a recent six-month period. Check fraud is an especially significant threat to older adults, three quarters of whom report using checks.

The webinar will feature presentations by experts from the Federal Trade Commission, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that will provide professionals with information to protect older adults from check fraud.

Register today for the series. You will receive electronic invitations to all events within two business days of completing the form.

A CDC report found that approximately 2 in 5 adults age 65 or older are living with a disability, but they remain largely invisible to society at large, and victim response systems in particular. Older adults with disabilities face a greater risk of serious violent crime and other forms of abuse than their counterparts. Despite growing public awareness of the prevalence of abuse, the victimization of older adults with disabilities is often ignored. These older adults face formidable barriers to getting the services and support they need to heal and seek justice.

To work to bridge this gap and address this important need, Activating Change and the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL) are partnering to provide a webinar and “ask the expert” session on Risk Factors and Safety Strategies for Abuse in Later Life at the Intersection of Aging and Disabilities.

Speakers include: Leslie Myers (Senior Program Associate and Access Coordinator, Activating Change) and Victoria Ferguson-Young (Victim Services Coordinator, National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life)

Family violence and abuse in later life is a pervasive and challenging issue affecting millions of older adults throughout the country each year. Because such abuse often goes unreported, it is important for legal service providers and other professionals working with older survivors of abuse to understand and recognize the types of abuse and common tactics used by those who cause harm to assert power and control over older adults.

This training will explore ways that legal assistance, elder rights, and aging services professionals can work with older survivors or abuse in later life, which includes using a person-centered approach, implementing trauma-informed practices, and strategies for preventing further harm from occurring. Presenters will also provide information and resources for working with older survivors of abuse, which includes the benefits of collaborating with local service providers and community organizations.

Presenters include Candace Heisler (Retired Assistant District Attorney, San Francisco, Heisler & Associates), Ann E. Laatsch (Justice System Coordinator, National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life [NCALL]), & Erica Costello (Senior Attorney, ABA Commission on Law & Aging)

NAPSA’s Monthly National Scam Advice Forum:

Dr. Stacy Wood will share her insights on working with victims of frauds, specifically the psychological effects and tactics used by fraud criminals from both an academic/researcher and practitioner in the field of financial exploitation and fraud against older adults, using a case example.

Dr. Stacey Wood, Ph.D., ABPP is the Molly Mason Jones Professor of Psychology at Scripps College in Claremont, CA and is board certified in Geropsychology. Her research has examined factors that increase susceptibility in fraud victims, tactics that are commonly employed by scammers, and the psychological effect of these crimes on the victims with an emphasis on elderly victims.

The program will address the role of the National Guardianship Association’s (NGA) Standards of Practices and supported decision-making and other options. It will cover options to consider as an alternative to guardianship, less restrictive options to consider, assessing capacity and how one can combine options.

Speakers are Erica Costello (Senior Attorney, ABA Commission on Law & Aging) and Elizabeth Russo (Senior Attorney, ABA Commission on Law & Aging)

This session will discuss some of the initial steps a service provider or advocate may want to take when encountering older fraud victims: reporting to law enforcement and trying to recover funds.  We all know reporting fraud to law enforcement is critical but it can be daunting for older people who experienced fraud. This session will discuss the how and why of reporting. Presenters will discuss reasons why someone may be reluctant to report, how to help someone report, and the kind of information that can helpful to include in a report.  It will also provide insight into why reports matters and how they are used at a macro and micro level to assist law enforcement and public education efforts. The presentation will also discuss what service providers and advocates should know about how to attempt to help victims recover funds stolen by fraudsters, including specific tips based on unique payment types like wires, credit cards, gift cards, etc.

Presenters include: Jacqueline Blaesi-Freed (Assistant Director, Consumer Protection Branch, U.S. Dept. of Justice), Dani Kaiserman (Elder Justice Staff Attorney, Bet Tzedek Legal Services), Erin Kee (Aging Program Specialist, Office of Elder Justice and APS, Administration on Aging Administration for Community Living, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services), Kate Kramer (Older Americans Policy Analyst, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office for Older Americans), and Rachel Yurkovich (Management & Program Analyst, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Internet Crime Complaint Center)

Offered by the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health

Preventing and addressing elder abuse and building resilience in older adults requires a person-centered and trauma-informed approach. Older adults are exposed to multiple types of traumas over the lifetime as well as older adult-specific traumas, including the loss of spouse/partner, social isolation, chronic illness or disability, change in living environment, and elder abuse. Trauma affects individuals in different ways. This panel webinar will discuss the cumulative and complex trauma histories of diverse older adults, how trauma relates to elder abuse, and strategies to provide culturally responsive and trauma-informed support.

Speakers include: Laura Mosqueda (National Center on Elder Abuse at the Keck School of Medicine of USC), Sherrill Wayland (SAGE), Donna Benton (Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center), Lauren Pongan (Diverse Elders Coalition), Elizabeth Avent (USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology), and Lori Smetanka (National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care)

June 15th, 2023 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). In this episode of LIVE with Greg, NYSOFA observes WEAAD in a conversation with NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen and experts from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Lifespan, and the New York City Elder Abuse Center. They’ll discuss ways to recognize signs of abuse, its prevalence, and resources for getting help.

Guests include: Shelly Aubertine-Fiebich (Director, Bureau of Adult Services, NYS Office of Children and Family Services), Ann Marie Cook (President and CEO, Lifespan of Greater Rochester, Inc.), and Tina Janssen-Spinosa (Manager, E-MDT, New York City Elder Abuse Center at Weill Cornell Medicine)

In honor of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15th, Lifespan is hosting an in-person conference in Rochester, NY. This conference is all about educating professionals on how better to assess and engage older adults in conversations about their sexual health and wellbeing. Sexual assault is the least commonly reported form of elder abuse, largely because of the stigmas and shame surrounding it, but also because many folks simply don’t have the tools to talk about it. This conference will help shift our focus to provide more thorough care to those who have taken care of us.

A free lunch buffet will be available, as well as coffee throughout the day. Lunch will be a salad bar with separated fixings and sides to accommodate vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free needs.

Questions? Contact Emily Rozek (erozek@lifespan-roch.org) or Tracey Siebert-Konopko (tsiebert@lifespan-roch.org).

Licensed social workers are eligible for 4.5 CEUs for attending the event.

Elder abuse, which can be physical or emotional abuse, neglect, or exploitation, is often a silent problem that affects 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 60. It is often committed by a caretaker or family member where there is an expectation of trust. Approximately 60% of elder abuse and neglect incidents are perpetrated by a family member. This abuse robs older adults of their safety, dignity, and security, especially their financial security.

This webinar will cover:

• Issues with powers of attorney and joint bank accounts

• Legal recourse to financial exploitation

• Basics of ownership interests in property

• Strategies for removing an abuser

Presenters include Jeffrey P. Nieznanski, Esq., Supervising Attorney at Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. and Sarah Duval, Esq., Supervising Attorney at Center for Elder Law & Justice