CEASe’s Enhanced Multidisciplinary Teams (EMDTs): Overview
Financial exploitation. Physical abuse. Psychological Abuse. Abandonment. Neglect. All are aspects of elder abuse, increasingly common nationwide, with over 120,000 older adults victimized in their own homes each year in NYC alone – and with 96% of these cases going unreported. The cases are heartbreaking and complex, requiring innovative solutions. Evidence exists that a collaborative response improves the effectiveness of agency responses and efficiently utilizes scarce resources.
Consequently, the Center for Elder Abuse Solutions (CEASe) has focused on developing and implementing enhanced multidisciplinary teams (EMDTs) throughout NYC. (The “E” in EMDT/Manhattan is for “enhanced”—enhanced with geropsychiatrists, geriatricians, forensic accountant and a civil attorney.) EMDTs represent a highly collaborative endeavor: they regularly bring together professionals from diverse fields (e.g., social work, medicine, law, nursing and psychiatry) and systems (e.g., criminal justice, health care, mental health, adult protective services, aging network). The teams review, discuss and coordinate cases of elder abuse and neglect and identify systemic and resource problems that can be brought to the attention of others for strategizing and intervention. Additionally, the EMDTs serve as an important informational resource for professionals working in the health, mental health, public safety, justice/legal, victim assistance and social service systems.
CEASe now coordinates and facilitates EMDTs in every borough. All of the EMDTs offer a central response point for the agencies and people working on elder abuse cases in the community. Professionals in each borough have an opportunity to present complex elder abuse cases to the EMDTs to receive recommendations on assessment and interventions from the teams. To facilitate the flow of cases to the teams, CEASe staff and team members conduct orientations on the EMDTs – their goals, structure and intake processes – so that professionals will understand how to access the teams’ services and how best to present cases to the teams. All cases are triaged through CEASe's Triage Unit.
The teams have representatives from the following organizations in attendance:
- Community-based, DFTA-funded, elder abuse prevention program
- District Attorney’s Office, Elder Abuse Unit
- FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority)
- Forensic Accountant, Mary Karen Webber, CPA, PLLC
- Legal Aid Society or NY Legal Assistance Group
- Safe Horizon
- NYC Department for the Aging
- NYC Elder Abuse Center
- NYC Human Resources Administration
- Adult Protective Services (APS)
- JASA APS
- TSI/NY APS
- Village Care APS
- Office of Legal Affairs
- Adult Protective Services (APS)
- New York Police Department (NYPD)
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Division of Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine and Department of Psychiatry
- Womankind (Brooklyn only)
- Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention
The teams in Brooklyn/Queens, Bronx/Manhattan and Staten Island meet once a month.
All of the EMDTs offer a central response point for the agencies and people working on elder abuse cases in the community. In addition, they utilize a case consultation model to improve the health and quality of life for older adults. This is accomplished through reviewing, discussing and coordinating cases of elder abuse and neglect; identifying systemic and resource problems that can be brought to the attention of others for strategizing and intervention; and identifying research needs.
Eligibility
All elder abuse situations brought to an EMDT’s attention originate as a case consultation. At times, CEASe’s case consultation staff will recommend that the case be brought to an EMDT for review and coordination of services.
The following is the eligibility criteria for a case to be brought to one of CEASe’s EMDTs.
- The older adult being harmed fits CEASe’s definition of elder abuse AND resides in one of the 5 boroughs.
Note: All cases are brought to an EMDT at the discretion of CEASe’s case consultation staff.
For more information, please see EMDT FAQs.
Technical Assistance
Support for EMDT Facilitators
CEASe provides technical assistance to professionals interested in developing a multidisciplinary in their community or strengthening an established team. Technical assistance is provided on a range of topics, including: case identification; how to present cases at team meetings; team policies and procedures development; team membership development; tracking cases; and more.
CEASe currently coordinates the EMDT Peer Leadership Group, a monthly phone meeting with professionals facilitating and coordinating teams. The meetings are designed to help strengthen established teams and support nascent ones. Group members are mostly from New York State, although if there is space available, we will accept members from other states.
In-Service Training on Accessing the EMDTs
CEASe’s staff and team members conduct orientations on the EMDTs – their goals, structure and intake processes – so that professionals will understand how to access the teams’ services and how best to present cases to the teams. Click here for more information about these training opportunities.
Resources and Publications
The Role of Civil Attorneys on Elder Abuse Multidisciplinary Teams, 2018
The Role of Local Prosecutors on Elder Abuse Multidisciplinary Teams, 2018
OVS/VOCA Elder Abuse Interventions and Enhanced Multidisciplinary Team (E-MDT) Initiative – E-MDT Policies Manual, October 2019
The Role of Forensic Accountants in the Elder Abuse Interventions and Enhanced Multidisciplinary Team (E-MDT) Initiative, October 2020
THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED IN PART BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICE OF VICTIMS OF CRIME, NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF VICTIM SERVICES AND LIFESPAN OF GREATER ROCHESTER. ANY OPINIONS, RESULTS, FINDINGS, AND /OR INTERPRETATIONS OF DATA CONTAINED HEREIN ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF JOAN AND SANFORD I. WEILL MEDICAL COLLEGE OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE OPINIONS, INTERPRETATIONS, OR POLICY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICE OF VICTIMS OF CRIME, OR LIFESPAN OF GREATER ROCHESTER.