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California Elder and Disability Justice Coordinating Council

About the California Elder and Disability Justice Coordinating Council

The goal of this coordinating council is to increase coordination and develop recommendations to prevent and address the abuse, neglect, exploitation, and fraud perpetrated against older adults and adults with disabilities. The Department of Aging, in partnership with the Department of Justice, will convene this coordinating council comprised of leaders from governmental, advocacy, and community organizations across the state.

Learn more about the structure of the Coordinating Council.

Membership

Members of the Elder and Disability Justice Coordinating Council were appointed by the Director of the CA Department of Aging on November 30th, 2021. The membership of the Council reflects a broad array of State agencies and stakeholder organizations with resources and expertise related to elder justice initiatives. See the list of current stakeholder members and their biographies.

Given the intersection between elder and disability justice to other areas of state government, the Secretaries of the following state agencies have each been asked to designate a representative to serve on the Council:

  • California Department of Aging
  • California Department of Consumer Affairs
  • California Department of Developmental Services
  • California Department of Health Care Services
  • California Department of Insurance
  • California Department of Justice
  • California Department of Public Health
  • California Department of Social Services
  • California Department of State Hospitals
  • California Office of Emergency Services
  • California Victims Compensation Board

Federal membership will include:

  • Administration for Community Living (ACL), Region IX 

EDJCC Meetings and Materials

 
EDJCC Meeting Information
Past EDJCC Meetings Materials

The Elder & Disability Justice Coordinating Council (EDJCC) meetings are held virtually and open to the public. Time is set aside to allow for public comment. American Sign Language (ASL) and Closed Captioning are available. Meeting agendas are posted here in advance of each meeting. Meeting slide presentations, transcripts, video recordings, and any other meeting materials are posted under the Past EDJCC Meeting Materials tab following each meeting.

The 2024 EDJCC meeting dates are as follows:

  1. February 8, 2024 10:00AM to 1:00PM
  2. May 16, 2024 10:00AM to 1:00PM
  3. August 8, 2024 10:00AM to 1:00PM

The Elder & Disability Justice Coordinating Council and the Master Plan for Aging

On January 6th, 2021 Governor Gavin Newsom released the state’s Master Plan for Aging (MPA), which outlines over 100 action ready initiatives for implementation in 2021-2022. Elder justice is a core priority within the MPA and five of these initiatives directly address the protection of older adults from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Initiative #93 of the MPA specifically calls for the creation of a coordinating council to increase coordination and develop recommendations to prevent and address elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, and fraud, including consideration of COVID-19 risks. California Health & Human Services Agency. In partnership with the Department of Justice, intends to convene this Coordinating Council, comprised of leaders from governmental and advocacy agencies and organizations across the state.

In addition to the establishment of the Coordinating Council, the following four MPA initiatives directly address elder justice:

  • Initiative #94: Review roles of Licensing, Long Term Care Ombudsmen, and Adult Protective Services and the experiences in other states to prevent and address abuse and neglect in long-term care facilities.
  • Initiative #95: Assess Adult Protective Services’ capacity, age of people served, and services provided, especially for complex cases, given growing and changing needs.
  • Initiative #96: Assess needs and capacities of local Public Guardians, Public Conservators and Public Advocates, given growing and changing needs.
  • Initiative #97: Assess needs and capacities of Legal Services for Older Adults, given growing and changing needs.

Contact

Please send questions and comments for the Elder & Disability Justice Coordinating Council to Engage@aging.ca.gov.