Kicking off in St. Joseph County
In 2014, the U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded the Indiana Supreme Court a highly competitive $339,000 grant.
The Indiana Project on Abuse in Later Life (INPALL) in St. Joseph County targets through training and the development of a coordinated community response the growing problem of elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, including domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
INPALL funds a number of agencies providing services to older adults, including the Supreme Court’s Adult Guardianship Office; Family Violence Resource Office, St. Joseph Prosecutor’s Office, Family Justice Center of St. Joseph County, REAL Services, Inc., St. Joseph Probate and Superior Courts, and the South Bend, Mishawaka, and St. Joseph County Police Departments.
On October 14, 2015, there was a kickoff at the YWCA of North Central Indiana to raise awareness of the grant, the issue of elder abuse, and the importance of developing an effective coordinated community response.
Representatives from the judiciary, law enforcement, victim services, adult protective services, prosecutors, aging services, health care providers, and community-based advocates attended this event.
Indiana Appellate Court Judge Michael P. Barnes was the keynote speaker at the kickoff. Prior to being appointed to the Court of Appeals, Judge Barnes had been the St. Joseph County Prosecutor for over 20 years, creating the first domestic and family violence unit in the office. Judge Barnes noted that their accomplishments in combating elder abuse was a contributing factor in the selection for the INPALL grant.
“St. Joseph County presented a unified effort and awareness of the problem that, hopefully, had some of its origins in the extensive work we did in the in the domestic violence area during my tenure as Prosecutor,” stated Judge Barnes.
“We certainly have learned more since that time about this insidious crime, and the combined resources that St. Joseph County has dedicated to this problem makes me very proud.”
Additionally, the DOJ’s decision to award funding for the INPALL grant is likely related to the fact that incidents of elder abuse are only expected to increase as the population ages. St. Joseph County is representative of this trend. In 2013, 14.1% of its residents were aged 65 or older and by 2023, that figure is expected to grow to 18.3%.
“As our baby boomer population ages (me included!), more of our senior citizens will be subject to the strains and stresses of that station of life. Unfortunately, that also means that the elderly population will be the objects of the neglect and abuse that is now so commonplace in our society,” noted Judge Barnes.
Last year alone, Indiana had more than 38,500 reports of elder abuse. The INPALL grant seeks to develop and enhance the delivery of services to these victims. At the conclusion of this 3-year grant (in 2017), the Court will have a working model for responding to elder abuse that can be replicated in other areas of the state.
“I hope the efforts of St. Joseph County, with the assistance of the additional INPALL resources, will serve as a model for others to observe and replicate. I think it is both our moral and legal obligation to do that for our seniors who have given so much to us all,” adds Judge Barnes.
For additional information on this article or on the INPALL grant, please contact the author at 317-234-5562 or [email protected].