APS Technical Assistance
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Technical assistance is available to state and local adult protective services programs on policy, practice and administrative issues. The APS TARC assists local programs by working with their state APS program.
Some examples of requests we’ve received from state APS programs:
- Which states utilize Emergency Protective Service orders and what is the law/statute for each of those states?
- What are the state policies and laws around criteria for substantiating cases?
- What assessment tools are available to assist us in screening our reports/intakes?
- What states accept intakes/reports online and what are the different methods they use to accomplish this?
- What models exist to better serve clients with mental illness?
We encourage APS professionals to reach out to us for assistance by completing the Request for Technical Assistance form on our contact page. Please provide as much specific information as you can about your re-quest and we will follow-up with you.
The APS TARC Team
The APS TARC team is available to assist state APS programs with a variety of technical assistance needs. Our team reflects an array of experience in working with APS programs, other social service programs, and beyond.
If you are a state APS program in need of technical assistance, please contact us.
 | Andrew Capehart is Director of the APS TARC. Andrew has over 25 years of experience in the vulnerable adult abuse field at the local, state and national levels. He has held investigatory, supervisory and administrative positions in Columbus, Ohio and Washington, DC and was a staff member at the National Center on Elder Abuse and the National Adult Protective Services Association, where he served as Assistant Director for over six years. He has had numerous appointments to aging related boards and commissions and has chaired both state and national elder abuse conferences. Andrew has worked and consulted with a wide variety of adult protective services programs across the United States. |
 | André Feijóo, MPA, CSPO, is a Senior Research Associate/Subject Matter Expert at the APS TARC and a member of the team since the Center’s inception. Mr. Feijóo is the NAMRS liaison of 12 states including the 5 major U.S. territories and provides technical assistance, training, and guidance of their NAMRS data submission. Mr. Feijóo brings more than thirteen years of progressively responsible experience with programs and services for the protection of vulnerable populations working within the federal and community-based organization sectors. |
 | Gila R. Shusterman, PhD is a social scientist with 25 years of experience in evaluation and applied research in the areas of child welfare, disabilities, education, and adult protective services. Her background includes evaluation design and implementation in small nonprofit organizations as well as large national initiatives. With her background in management and analysis of large databases for use in program evaluation and policymaking, she serves as lead analyst and methodologist for the multi-component National APS Evaluation. Dr. Shusterman has expertise in research design, performance measurement, data collection, statistical analysis, reporting, and data visualization. Dr. Shusterman received her Ph.D. in psychology from Brandeis University. |
 | Jennifer Kirchen is a Senior Research Associate/Subject Matter Expert at the APS TARC. As a member of the APS TARC team, she provides technical assistance support to state APS programs and federal grant recipients. Jennifer is an knowledgeable program director with over 20 years of APS experience at the county, state and national levels. She began her career as an APS investigator which gives her tremendous insight into the needs of APS field investigators. She has a unique perspective having directed APS programs in both Minnesota and Arizona. Her national experience comes by way of the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) both as a member and previous Western Regional Representative. |
 | Leslie McGee is Senior Research Associate/Subject Matter Expert with the APS TARC. She is a member of the APS TARC team, providing support and technical assistance to state APS programs and federal grant recipients. Leslie has more than 32 years of service in the protective services field, working in both child protective services (CPS) and APS. Her background includes direct service casework and supervision at the county level, as well as program administration at the state level. Leslie retired from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services after serving for almost 20 years as the state program administrator for child and adult protective services. In that capacity, Leslie was responsible for the development and advancement of practice, policy and programming for both the CPS and APS systems. |
 | Jennifer Spoeri has 18 years of Adult Protective Services (APS) experience in Philadelphia, most recently as the Director of APS. In Philadelphia she managed a staff of 70 and an annual operating budget of over $5 million. Jennifer’s program in Philadelphia was awarded one of the first VOCA grants designated for APS. Jennifer holds degrees from the University of Kentucky (BA in Psychology) and the Notre Dame of Maryland University (MA in Gerontology with a concentration in Health Care Administration.) |
 | Karl Urban is a Senior Research Manager with the APS TARC, and is the Team Lead for the National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System, and leads or supports the Adult Protective Services Technical Assistance Resource Center technical assistance and evaluation projects. Before joining WRMA, Mr. Urban had a 25-year career in Texas state government, culminating in serving as a Director and Assistant Commissioner in the Adult Protective Services program. Prior to APS, Mr. Urban worked on aging and disability issues, including serving as Manager of Policy Analysis and Support at the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services, Deputy Director at the Texas Department on Aging and as a member of the Texas Council on Developmental Disabilities, Statewide Health Coordinating Council, and Governor's Advisory Council on Physical Fitness. He has BA degree in Government from Abilene Christian University and a MA in Public Affairs from the LBJ School at The University of Texas at Austin. |
Last Modified: 02/02/2024