---  C.A.R.E. PROGRAM REGULATIONS  

These are the written regulations for the C.A.R.E. Program.

---  MDT FORMATION POWERPOINT 

This PowerPoint provides information and resources for the formation of a multidisciplinary elder abuse team.

---  C.A.R.E. PROGRAM'S ORGANIZATION CHART 

Shows current reporting structure of the C.A.R.E. Program.

• Advocacy:  Victims of fraud need trained consumer fraud advocates to assist them with technically complex and time-consuming consumer fraud issues, such as identity theft and investment fraud.  Correcting consumer fraud problems is a time consuming, frustrating, and sometimes overwhelmingly complex task.  This is especially true for those victims experiencing ill health, decreased mental acuity, memory problems, decreased access to transportation, or difficulties with hearing and/or vision.  The C.A.R.E. Program staff is specially trained to assist clients in these matters.

The C.A.R.E. Program has assisted over 6,965 consumer fraud victims, and has uncovered and reported over 1,500 cases of elder abuse to APS.
(Figures are as of March 2012.)

• Education:  The Consumer Fraud Education Advocacy component followed by the C.A.R.E. Program incorporates the results of an AARP study which found that elders need guidelines on recognizing deceptive practices, recognition that fraud is a crime, and an awareness of the pervasiveness and seriousness of these crimes. 

The C.A.R.E. Program provides Anti-Fraud Training:  Victims of abuse need the public to be aware of abuse and how to report it.  Since its inception in 1997, the C.A.R.E. Program has provided anti-fraud education to 83,067 people in Riverside County, including senior citizens, community groups, organizations, and agencies interested in the prevention and recognition of consumer fraud.  (Figures are as of March 2012.) 
Gatekeeper Training:  The C.A.R.E. Program provides gatekeeper and mandated reporter training to any agency in Riverside County that has regular contact with elders and dependent adults.  See the list of reporters with this link:  C.A.R.E. Team Agencies List).  The C.A.R.E. Program has provided gatekeeper and mandated reporter training to 21,076 people in Riverside County (as of March 2012).

• Multidisciplinary Teams:  To adequately provide for victims’ needs, it is imperative that agencies collaborate in the ongoing coordination of services.  Elder abuse cases often involve medical, legal, financial, interpersonal, home environment, and emotional issues.  Each of these issues is addressed separately by government agencies that all too often do not share case plans.  For this reason, the C.A.R.E. Teams in Riverside County were formed and facilitated by the C.A.R.E. Program to improve coordination of services, reduce duplication of services, increase staff expertise, and increase effectiveness of service delivery as cases are discussed at the monthly meetings.  (See the link to the C.A.R.E. Teams.) 

The C.A.R.E. Program and MDT agencies combined have recovered (returned) over $92 mil to victims since the Program’s inception in 1997.  (Figures are as of March 2012.)

The C.A.R.E. Program provides direct advocacy to elder (65+) and dependent adult (18-64) victims of consumer fraud.

All citizens of Riverside County benefit as reports of abuse and consumer fraud rise and the number of trained reporters and responders increases.  Although perpetrators often target elders, there are non-elderly victims who also benefit from the identification and prosecution of the perpetrators.  Early intervention and/or recovery of funds saves taxpayer dollars as elders are able to stay in their own homes and off various public assistance programs.

The C.A.R.E. Program has located staff in Sheriff stations throughout Riverside County where they are immediately available to provide Law Enforcement with resources and links to appropriate MDT partners.

The C.A.R.E. Program facilitates three regional MDT teams (C.A.R.E. Teams) where member agencies benefit from collaboration during case discussion at the monthly meetings.

Listed below are a few honorary mentions that the C.A.R.E. Program received in the past.

• The C.A.R.E. Program received the “2007 Gatekeeper Award” from San Francisco’s Elder Financial Protection Network.

• The C.A.R.E. Program received awards of recognition honoring the C.A.R.E. Teams from the Riverside County Board of Supervisors in 2000, 2003, and 2007.

• The C.A.R.E. Program was a 2004 finalist (top 15) in the National Innovations in American Government Awards from the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

• Published on the National Center on Elder Abuse website as a “Best Practices Program” (2004).

• The C.A.R.E. Program/Team referred and assisted the District Attorney on specific elder abuse cases that resulted in combined sentences of over 972 years and five life sentences for the perpetrators, and $242.8 mil in restitution (as of March 2012).

•  Published on the California Attorney General’s SafeState website as an “Elder Abuse Model Program.”
  

For further information or clarification, please send an e-mail to jewelty@riversidedpss.org.