Who We Are

The National Center for State and Tribal Elder Justice Coalitions launched in 2022 after being awarded a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ). The Center will advance the field of elder justice through the growth and creation of statewide and tribal elder justice coalitions. To help grow elder justice coalitions across the United States, the center will provide:

  • A Request for Proposal (RFP) to create 8 new coalitions or enhance existing elder justice coalitions.

  • Training for elder justice coalition coordinators.

  • Technical assistance to help coalition coordinators navigate the complexity of running a coalition, including development, conferences, strategic planning, sustainability, and more.

  • A resource library to compile materials, innovative models, and strategic approaches to strengthen elder justice coalitions.

  • Opportunities for coalition coordinators and other representatives to dialogue about organizational challenges and issues of common concern through Peer Leadership Group (PLG) meetings.

Mission & Vision

Mission: To elevate respect, safety, and well-being for all older persons by promoting excellence in state and tribal elder justice coalitions.

Vision: We envision an independent, permanent Center that supports the elder justice field in collaboration and growth as a professional community of practice. The Center will provide networking and resources that build members' capacity, grow informed victim service providers and elder justice professionals, and improve services for older victims.

History

The Center builds on several years of work by the National Network of State Elder Justice Coalitions. The network was a group of social workers affiliated with state elder justice coalitions, asked to present at the American Society on Aging conference in 2018. One of the earliest accomplishments was finding only 16 state and tribal coalitions across the country.

Since 2018, the Network has helped statewide elder justice coalitions:

  • Attain common goals

  • Share innovative models and strategic approaches

  • Generate networking opportunities

  • Assist with new multidisciplinary projects to develop coalitions.

The Network’s 16 original coalition members represent 15 states (MAP). Please visit the NNSEJC web page for more information on the Network.

Funding

The Center is funded through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ), and consists of a consortium of five elder justice partners:

  • Lifespan of Greater Rochester (New York State)

  • Jacque Gray, PhD (Tribal Consultant)

  • Minnesota Elder Justice Center

  • Center for Elder Abuse Solutions, part of Weill Cornell Medicine Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine

  • Ohio Coalition for Adult Protective Services

These partners collaborate with OVC, and other federal agencies to assist with building broad-based, multidisciplinary coalitions to identify and address elder justice issues specific to states and tribal communities.  The OVC funding is disseminated through a cooperative agreement between OVC and Lifespan of Greater Rochester.  Lifespan coordinates the Center and utilizes the funding to award a limited number of grants to assist states and/or tribal entities with establishing new coalitions or to enhance the work of an existing coalition. More information about partners can be found here.