Toolkits
The Toolkits section consists of multiple components to assist APS programs across policy and practice on a single topic. Tip sheets, presentation templates, sample policies and more are designed to be resources that investigators and administrators may use to enhance their programs practice and policy.
New APS Administrators Toolkit
Whether you are new to the field or simply new to administering a program, managing a state or local adult protective services (APS) program can feel like a daunting task when faced with the daily challenges of staffing, including training and onboarding new professionals, program capacity, quality assurance, and meeting the health and safety issues of clients and professionals. This toolkit intended to help orient new administrators to the world of APS.
Brief - APS Admin 101: Resources and Information for New Adult Protective Services Administrators - This brief contains information and resources on a variety of topics from the history of APS to federal resources that can support APS programs and will provide a foundation for understanding some of the complexities of APS program administration.
Frequently Used Acronyms in Adult Protective Services - This document lists frequently used acronyms in adult protective services administration.
Voluntary Consensus Guidelines for State APS Systems - These Guidelines, authored by the Administration for Community Living, are designed to provide APS administrators with recommendations from the field about quality practice.
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APS Training Toolkit
It is a very exciting time in the field of APS training and this revised toolkit brings you up to date with the latest information and resources covering all things APS training. The focus is on nationally available, no or low-cost curriculum and training materials, webinars, videos, etc.
This toolkit is appropriate for APS administrators, trainers, supervisors, and frontline staff. It includes briefs, training resource lists, training development and delivery tools, sample training policies and procedures, and a sample training plan. If you have comments, questions or need additional information, please contact us.
Brief - Professional APS Training - This brief outlines what is available to APS programs to use for no or low cost. It includes resources such as a list of core competencies and training videos, as well as information about advanced and supervisor core training.
Training Resources - A list of trainings from a variety of sources.
Training Development and Delivery Tools - A list of resources to guide development and delivery when creating trainings.
Sample Policies and Procedures - A sample policy and procedure document addressing training of staff.
Training Plan Sample - A suggested training plan format for your organization.
Brief - Training Supervisors in Adult Protective Services (2020)
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APS Intake Toolkit
Intake is the "gateway" to the APS system and is an important function of any program. The purpose of this toolkit is to provide a resource to administrators to consider implementing or enhancing current APS practices within the intake unit or pertaining to intake function.
Brief - Intake: The Gateway into APS - This brief examines information gathering, assigning, staffing, training and more.
Guidelines - National Voluntary Consensus Guidelines for State Adult Protective Services Systems - From the Administration for Community Living, these guidelines are designed to provide APS Administrators with recommendations from the field about quality practice and include guidelines on intake and screening.
Webinar Recording - Promising Practices Spotlight Series - Colorado - This webinar highlights promising practices from the State of Colorado, who received an APS Enhancement Grant from the US Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Community Living in 2015. For the grant, Colorado focused resources on at-risk adults by enhancing the APS intake process and assessment tool. This webinar reviews the project and provides information on challenges, collaboration, and lessons learned. Handouts: Slides | Handout 1 | Handout 2
Webinar Recording - Using Standardized Tools in APS Case Management and Supervision - This webinar presented perspectives from three states on how they use a set of structured assessment and planning tools to increase consistency in practice, improve outcomes for vulnerable adults, and assist casework supervisors in their daily work duties. Each state differs in how they use the tools, and shared their experiences related to how the tools inform case-specific supervision, and support intake and screening decisions as well as data and quality assurance activities. Handout: Slides
State Intake Document Examples - This page contains examples of state intake forms, policies/procedures, screening tools, and more.
APS Public Awareness Toolkit
Public awareness campaigns can be an effective way to raise awareness of the maltreatment of older adults/adults with disabilities and adult protective services programs. This toolkit includes a brief that addresses planning and potential activities to include. It also includes links to ensuring your campaign incorporates the correct message and examples of program campaigns.
Brief - APS Public Awareness: Strategies for Success - This brief examines the benefits and risks of raising public awareness, what to consider in planning for your campaign, and what activities to potentially include.
Webinar - How to Reframe Elder Abuse - The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) Reframing Elder Abuse project is an initiative to change the way we talk about elder abuse. During this webinar, participants will review best practices in public communications on elder abuse based on an evidence-based strategy and receive practical tips and resources for application.
Flyers & Presentations - Department of Justice, Elder Justice Initiative Public Outreach page with downloadable handouts and presentations. Added 8/1/22
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) - NCEA resource page with many resources involving a WEAAD campaign.
Campaign Examples - This page provides examples of public awareness campaigns from across the US.
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The use of forensic accounting has increasingly become a promising practice and resource to support APS programs in recent years. It can be a powerful tool in the investigation of financial exploitation. Adding forensic accountants to your team of experts can bolster your program’s response to the maltreatment of vulnerable adults.This toolkit provides several resources if you're investigating the use of forensic accounting for your program.
Resources
Brief - Forensic Accounting: What APS Needs to Know - This brief defines forensic accounting/accountants, the nature of financial exploitation cases and why these types of cases may lend themselves to professional review utilizing forensic accounting methods, models of how various APS programs have integrated forensic accounting into their APS casework, and the identification of resources and tools.
Podcast - Improving APS Financial Exploitation Investigations Through Innovative Multi-Disciplinary Partnerships - This podcast addresses how Texas APS has used forensic accounting to improve financial exploitation investigations.
Webinar - Forensic Accounting: Tools for Financial Exploitation Investigations (Part 1) - Two forensic accountants define what forensic accounting is and how financial investigative techniques can be leveraged for financial exploitation investigations.
Webinar - Forensic Accounting: APS Program Panel Discussion (Part 2) - Four APS programs discuss their use of forensic accounting.
Webinar - Promising Practices Spotlight: New York - A 2019 webinar highlighting New York promising practices investigating and tracking financial exploitation, including the use of forensic accounting.
Additional Resources
• Senior Abuse Financial Tracking and Accounting Tool (SAFTA) - This tool was developed by law enforcement for investigating suspicious financial patterns and prosecuting financial exploitation cases and may be helpful to APS investigators.
APS Quality Improvement Toolkit
“Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) is a process of progressive incremental improvement of processes, safety, and patient care. The goal of CQI may include improvement of operations, outcomes, systems processes, improved work environment, or regulatory compliance. Process improvement may be 'gradual' or 'breakthrough' in nature. CQI project development commonly includes defining the problem, benchmarking, and setting a goal, then iterative quality improvement projects. Through the iterative process, improvements are made, the effect of the improvements is measured, and then the process is repeated until the desired outcome is achieved.” O’Donnell and Gupta, Continuous Quality Improvement, June 2020.
This toolkit is a resource for adult protective services administrators. The toolkit includes a compilation of CQI examples, methodology resource list, sample APS policies and procedures, briefs, blogs, and webinars on quality assurance and data management. APS programs are encouraged to add program logos, etc., to customize the templates to fit their needs. The APS TARC requests that any adapted materials be credited to us. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact us.
Resources
Added 1/31/22 - Performance Management Cycle for APS Supervisors - This brief addresses the performance management cycle and includes tips for making expectations clear, documenting performance, evaluating home visits, and more.
Continuous Quality Improvement Examples - Examples of processes, program and services, as well as input and output measures.
Sample Policies and Procedures - A sample policy and procedure document addressing quality improvement.
Resource List - Resources for instituting continuous quality improvement.
Quality Assurance in Adult Protective Services - This brief addresses approaches and benefits to quality assurance (QA) as well as considerations in developing a QA program.
APS TARC Blog Posts:
• Texas APS Quality Assurance: Understanding How APS Functions
• Steps of Developing a QA Process
• Quality Assurance Spotlight: Peer Review
APS TARC Webinars
• Developing/Expanding an APS Quality Assurance Program
• Promising Practices Spotlight: Quality Assurance in Hawaii
• Using Data to Improve APS Services
Substance Abuse Educational Toolkit
APS investigations, assessments, and service referral/coordination may present challenges when the client has one or more substance abuse concerns. This toolkit is a resource both to front-line staff and administrators. The toolkit includes the following which will be of interest to staff working directly with clients:
• training on working with people with substance abuse disorders and possible co-occurring mental health challenges,
• federal resources list,
• technology resources and tips,
• training including lived experiences stories of people recovering from substance abuse.
APS program administrators will be interested in the following:
• policies and procedures template for work on behalf of and for clients with substance abuse disorders
• sample memorandum of understanding/interagency agreement
Trainers are encouraged to modify these resources with state specific information. APS programs are encouraged to add program logos to customize the templates to fit their needs. Please credit the APS TARC as the source material on all adapted materials.
Resources
Substance Abuse and Investigations of Adult Maltreatment (PowerPoint File) - These slides can be used for training others on the intersection of mental health and APS investigations.
Lived Experiences in Substance Abuse - Interviews with three adults in recovery from abusing substances.. This document is intended to assist the reader in gaining insight into working with clients with substance abuse concerns.
Suggested Substance Abuse Resources - A list of government and private resources for a variety of substance abuse disorders and mental health concerns and populations. Includes mobile app resources.
Sample Memorandum of Understanding - This sample MOU can be used to delineate the roles of those investigating maltreatment of adults and those providing treatment for adults with substance abuse disorders.
Sample Policies and Procedures - A sample policy and procedure document addressing substance abuse and mental health challenges.
SAMHSA Virtual Recovery Resources - This tip sheet from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration describes resources that can be used to virtually support recovery from mental/ substance use disorders as well as other resources.
Mental Health Educational Toolkit
APS investigations, assessments, and service referral/coordination may present challenges when the client has one or more mental health concerns.
This toolkit is a resource both to front-line staff and administrators. The toolkit includes the following which will be of interest to staff working directly with clients:
• training on working with people with mental health problems and disorders,
• federal resources list,
• smart technology tips, and
• lived experiences stories of family members caring for parents with mental health challenges.
APS program administrators will be interested in the following:
• policies and procedures template for work on behalf of and for clients with mental health problems, and
• sample memorandum of understanding/interagency agreement
Trainers are encouraged to modify these resources with state specific information. APS programs are encouraged to add program logos to customize the templates to fit their needs. Please credit the APS TARC as the source material on all adapted materials.
Resources
Mental Health and Investigations of Adult Maltreatment Slides (PowerPoint File) - These slides can be used for training others on the intersection of mental health and APS investigations.
Lived Experiences in Mental Health - Interviews with two adult daughters of mothers with mental health issues about their past. This document is intended to assist the reader in gaining insight into working with clients with mental health concerns.
Suggested Mental Health and Substance Abuse Resources - A list of government and private resources for a variety of mental heath concerns and populations.Includes mobile app resources.
Sample Memorandum of Understanding - This sample MOU can be used to delineate the roles of those investigating maltreatment of adults and those providing treatment for adults with mental health challenges.
Sample Policies and Procedures - A sample policy and procedure document addressing mental health challenges.
Safely Responding to Mental Health Crises in Adult Protective Services - This brief addresses de-escalation techniques, multidisciplinary approaches, promising practices, and other issues around working with clients in a mental health crisis.
Adult Protective Services & Mental Health: Practices and Policies - APS Blog post on practices and policies in APS addressing dual diagnosis.
What did you think of our toolkit? Take our five-question satisfaction survey to let us know!
Collaboration and Communication Toolkit: Clients
with Disabilities & their Advocacy Organizations
APS investigations, assessments, and service referral/coordination may present communication challenges when the client has one or more disabilities, including intellectual disabilities. The National Voluntary Consensus Guidelines for
State Adult Protective Services Systems recommend that APS systems establish standardized practices to collect and analyze information when determining whether or not maltreatment has occurred. It is recommended that “…the worker has been trained and is competent to investigate the particular set of circumstances described in the report (e.g., he/she has received training on working with nonverbal clients, with clients with intellectual disabilities, with clients with mental health issues, with residents of institutions, or with minority populations).”
This toolkit is a resource both to administrators and front-line staff. The toolkit includes the following which will be of interest to staff working directly with clients:
• training on communications and coordination of work with organizations serving people with disabilities,
• resources list,
• people first language, and
• smart technology tips.
APS program administrators will be interested in the following:
• policies and procedures template for work on behalf of and with other entities for people with disabilities including confidentiality,
• sample memorandum of understanding/interagency agreement,
• federal/state disabilities resources list, and
• shared resources on these topics from other states.
Trainers are encouraged to modify these resources with state specific information. APS programs are encouraged to add program logos to customize the templates to fit their needs. The APS TARC requests that any adapted materials be credited to us. Please include the following disclaimer on all materials - "The National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System (NAMRS) and the Adult Protective Services Technical Resource Center (APS TARC) are a project of the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Administration on Aging, Department of Health and Human Services, administered by the WRMA, Inc. Contractor’s findings, conclusions, and points of view do not necessarily represent U.S. Administration for Community Living, Administration on Aging, Department of Health and Human Services official policy."
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact us.
APS TARC Resources
Communications with Clients with Disabilities Slides - These slides can be used for training others in the communication of clients with disabilities.
Sample Policies and Procedures - A sample policy and procedure document addressing collaboration on behalf of clients with disabilities that can be tailored to your organization's needs.
Sample Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) - This sample MOU can be used to delineate the roles of those investigating maltreatment of adults with disabilities.
Communication Assistance Mobile Apps - A list of iPhone and Android apps suggested for communicating with people with disabilities.
Overview of ACLs Protection and Advocacy Systems (recorded webinar and slides) - In this webinar, ACL's Jennifer Johnson and Ophelia McLain provided an overview of the P&As designed to advocate for persons with disabilities.
Additional Resources
Building Partnerships for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities Initiative (BPI) - Replication Guide
Adult Advocacy Centers - Prosecutor’s Guide for Crimes Involving Victims with Disabilities
Massachusetts (MA) Disabled Persons Protection Commission (DPPC) - three resource examples for this toolkit.
- The memorandum of agreement between the DDPC and Triangle, Inc. (IMPACT Ability program of Triangle, Inc.) with support of the MA Department of Public Health. The agreement address their work, the Healthy Relationship education programs, in two Boston schools. Roles and responsibilities, and decision making and communication are a part of the agreement.
- The memorandum of agreement in support of the implementation of a grant project by the DPPC to enhance access to services for adults with disabilities who are survivors of sexual assault. Participating agencies were DPPC, MA Rape Crisis Centers, and Victim Rights Law Center.
- The memorandum for the reporting and investigatory responsibilities of law enforcement personnel and persons and agencies providing services to a person with a disability. The partner agencies are DPPC, Office of the Hampden District Attorney, Massachusetts State Police, Department of Developmental Services, Department of Mental Health, and Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission.
To obtain copies of these examples with names redacted,
contact the APS TARC.
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APS casework can create personal safety risk for staff conducting investigations, assessments, and home visits. The safety of personnel can have a noticeable impact on the ability of APS programs to provide services to the adults who need them most. Commitment to worker safety includes maintaining a safe work environment with a focus on prevention, mental health training, and emergency preparedness planning.
The purpose of this toolkit is to provide a resource to administrators and front-line staff to increase the safety of APS staff. It includes helpful information such as a presentation slide template for basic training, smart technology tips, and policies and procedures. APS programs are encouraged to add program logos, emergency contact numbers, etc., to customize the templates to fit their needs. The APS TARC requests that any adapted materials be credited to us.
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact us.
APS TARC Resources
Personal Safety Webinar - APS TARC webinar that provides strategies for staff to reduce risk when they encounter potentially threatening situations that involve upset, emotionally charged, or angry clients or others. Handouts for this webinar are also available. Handouts: Slides | Handout 1 | Handout 2 | Handout 3 | Handout 4
Safety Training Presentation Slides - These slides can be used for training staff on personal safety.
Sample Policies and Procedures - A sample policy and procedure document that can be tailored to your organization's needs.
Self Defense on the Job Is Like Defensive Driving - APS Blog post on personal safety for APS workers.
Innovative Efforts: Texas Worker Safety Support Unit - APS Blog post on the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services safety unit.
Personal Safety Mobile Apps - A list of iPhone and Android personal safety apps.
Additional Resources
Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services - Adult Protective Services Field Safety Guide
Idaho Commision on Aging - Adult Protective Services Foundational Training, Safety Overview Training
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