Stanislaus County Adult Protective Services Elder Justice Innovation Grant Program - County of Stanislaus, Community Services Agency, Adult Protective Services in partnership with Grimsich Consulting, Casa de Modesto, AgeSpan, and Senior Advocacy Network (SAN) will develop and implement an evidence-based intervention to address the shortage of appropriate, acceptable, and effective emergency and transitional housing and supportive services for older adults, including those with disabilities, who are experiencing abuse, neglect and/or exploitation funded by FY 2024 Elder Justice Innovation Grants— Option 1. The proposal is supported by a recent study shows that board and care homes (residential care facilities for elders) can be used as an effective tool to combat older adult homelessness and are underutilized by communities. The goals are 1) Create a safe and appropriate elder and disabled adult emergency and transitional shelter in Stanislaus County for adults unable to access the traditional homeless shelters due to disability; 2) Provide an evidence-based, person-centered, depression treatment program addressing barriers to mental health care for older adults to improve their emotional well-being and their odds of successfully transitioning back into independent housing; and 3) Transition participants back into the community by securing permanent housing and social service programs as supports. The main objectives include 1) Conduct a Needs Assessment of the entire housing continuum for older adults; 2) House participants at a licensed residential care facility providing the appropriate level of care 3) Work with SAN through the HomeSafe program to secure and transition clients to permanent housing, and 4) Screen and enrolled eligible clients in AgeSpan’s evidence-based, non-clinical, depression treatment program, Healthy IDEAS. Outcomes include 1) Develop and demonstrate an effective, acceptable, and replicable elder shelter model that will benefit the field at large; 2) Demonstrate that the support services model implemented, including the evidence-based Healthy IDEAS program, will produce better outcomes for older adults, 3) Increase knowledge of evidenced-based, person centered, depression management (Healthy IDEAS); and 4) Increased collaboration & integration strategies by transitional housing shelter partners that meet short and long- term needs of APS clients. Expected products are a Needs Assessment, training in evidence-based program implementation, program outcome dissemination materials (brochures, powerpoint, reports), and outreach materials.
