Successful Aging after Financial Exploitation (SAFE): Financial coaching services for urban and rural older adults

This program will implement projects that enhance services for older victims of abuse and financial exploitation. This program is intended to improve outcomes, minimize additional trauma, and restore safety and security to older adult victims of abuse and financial exploitation. This award, made to Wayne State University, funded under OVC FY 2020 Enhancing Services for Older Victims of Abuse and Financial Exploitation program, is designed to support communities in providing services to older victims of abuse and exploitation. Wayne State University, and with its partner Hillsdale County Senior Services, intends to close service gaps in three areas by (1) enhancing the service delivery program titled 'Successful Aging after Financial Exploitation' (SAFE), using the financial decision-making conceptual framework and assessment - helping older victims learn how to recover their financial footing and meet their broad financial, emotional, and cognitive health needs while protecting their safety and confidentiality. One goal is to enable SAFE to become a maturing program at Wayne State University, and thereby meet the needs of urban African American older adults in high-poverty areas; (2) In partnership with Hillsdale County Senior Services, Wayne State University will create a model of virtual financial coaching services. A second goal is to partner with a social service agency in a rural part of the state to bring SAFE services to their clients; and (3) Using implementation science theory and methods, Wayne State University will create an organizational readiness guide so that the collaborative efforts conducted with Hillsdale County Senior Services can be generalized to other social service agencies. Across the 3 year grant Wayne State University aims to assist 425 unique older adults in both a high poverty urban area and a rural one.
CA/NCF