Multidisciplinary teams are mandated by California Senate Bill 2199, and their composition and rules of confidentiality are set by the California Welfare and Institutions Code.  The purpose of such teams is to improve coordination and cooperation among service providers and public safety organizations in combating elder and dependent adult abuse.  In Riverside County, the multidisciplinary teams are called C.A.R.E. Teams and are coordinated by C.A.R.E. Program staff.

There are three regional Teams, made up of 41 agencies, which meet monthly in Moreno Valley, Palm Desert, and Hemet.  Each Team has about 50 members with 25-35 in attendance at every meeting.  A training component is introduced during the first 30 minutes of each meeting.  Elder abuse cases are then presented by members of the Team, and are discussed round-table style.  Legislative updates and agency reports are provided at the end of each meeting.  Members sign agency commitment contracts, confidentiality statements, and mandated reporting agreements.

Members include representatives from all Law Enforcement Jurisdictions, District Attorney, FBI, APS, Mental Health, Public Health, Public Guardian, Social Security, Office on Aging, Community Care Licensing, Ombudsman, Probate Investigations, and other agencies involved in the treatment and prevention of elder abuse in Riverside County.  Team members share best practices to combat elder abuse and work together toward protection of the client and prosecution of the offender under Penal Code 368, California’s elder abuse law.

Benefits of Team membership include an improved understanding of each agency’s mandates and limitations, less duplication of services, a broader range of strategies and solutions to resolve cases, and improved cooperation among agencies.  While recovery of assets can be measured in dollars, there is no real way to measure the overall benefit that the Teams have brought to the quality of life for our elderly clients in Riverside County.

C.A.R.E. TEAM MEMBERSHIP PACKET
Contents include these downloadable documents:

---  Statement of Confidentiality

---  Elder Abuse Reporting Agreement

---  Agreement for Agency Commitment

---  Agency Outline

---  Case Report Form

---  C.A.R.E. Team Mission Statement

---  Benefits of C.A.R.E. Team Membership

---  C.A.R.E. Team Policies

---  Sample C.A.R.E. Team Meeting Agenda

---  C.A.R.E. Team Agencies List

Contains a list of all those agencies which are currently members of the C.A.R.E. Team.

 WELFARE AND INSTITUTION CODES  (3)

Contains those California Welfare and Institution codes that govern Adult Abuse Multidisciplinary Teams, definition, establishment, and confidentiality.

---  Establishment of Teams

---  Definition of Teams

---  Confidentiality