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How the SFEAFC started

The leadership that made the Center possible comes from many of the agencies who are on the frontlines caring for victims of elder abuse and neglect:

• Adult Protective Services (APS)
• District Attorney’s Office (DA)
• San Francisco Police Department (SFPD)
• Institute on Aging (IOA)

Between 2006-2007, these agencies participated with other experts in a “virtual forensic center” that met monthly at APS under the leadership of the IOA’s Elder Abuse Prevention program, with funding from the Archstone Foundation. These monthly Multidisciplinary Assessment Meetings (MAT) allowed for consultation and improved communication between the agencies involved.

However, the group realized that assistance on complex cases required consistent dedicated staff and resources. DA Kamala Harris advocated for, and successfully secured, monies from Mayor Gavin Newsom’s General Fund.

Simultaneously, IOA was awarded a three-year grant for the development of a Forensic Center from the Archstone Foundation.

This combined funding has resulted in a public/private partnership that co-locates experts at APS from geriatric medicine, social work, law enforcement, psychology and the DA’s office. The team can now respond more nimbly and effectively to the needs of victims of elder abuse and will be better able to hold perpetrators accountable when appropriate.

The Elder Abuse Forensic Center partners held their first case review process on January 15, 2008 and have already been presented with many cases which received immediate response.