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Directory of Participating Agencies:
- UCI College of Medicine, Geriatrics
- Adult Protective Services
- Office of the District Attorney
- Sheriff's Department
- Public Administrator/Public Guardian
- Community Service Programs
- Long-Term Care Ombudsman
- Older Adult Services
- Human Options
The Program in Geriatrics at UCI College of Medicine and UCI Medical Center
provides primary medical care and consultation for the elderly throughout Orange
County. Its multidisciplinary team of board-certified geriatricians, psychologists,
gerontologists, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers
and rehabilitation specialists are dedicated to the medical and psychosocial well
being of seniors and provide care at UCI Medical Center's outpatient clinics, assisted
living and skilled nursing facilities and Mobile Medicine clinic. Its team of medical
experts specializing in elder abuse provides victim examinations and consultation to
Adult Protective Services, social service agencies, law enforcement and the district
attorney's office. In addition to its clinical activities, the Program in Geriatrics
has developed and implemented geriatric education programs and is active in groundbreaking
research on elder abuse, neglect and persons aging with disabilities.
Adult Protective Services (APS) provides services directed at remedying abuse or exploitation
of adults who are unable to protect their own interests because of age or disability.
Services are provided to elders and dependent adults residing in Orange County without
regard to income or resources, as victims of abuse are found in all areas of the county
and in all socio-economic groups. APS is mandated by the State of California to investigate
reports of abuse of elder or dependent adults that are alleged to have occurred in the
community with exception to abuse in licensed long-term care facilities which is investigated
by the Long Term Care Ombudsman. Investigations are conducted by specially trained social
workers, who coordinate with law enforcement when it appears that a crime has been committed.
APS also provides crisis intervention, 24-hour emergency response and case management services,
as well as certain tangible services for victims.
The Orange County District Attorney's Office is the largest law firm in the County
of Orange. The Office is comprised of more than 270 attorneys and 220 investigators
representing the People of the State of California in all criminal and some civil
proceeding in the criminal justice system in Orange County. The Family Protection
Unit oversees all cases involving Elder and Dependent adult abuse cases, as well as
all cases of domestic violence, stalking, child abductions, and child abuse law
violations. This unit is under the Supervision of Assistant District Attorney Jo
Marie Escobar and Senior Assistant District Attorney Bryan Brown. The mission of the
Office of the District Attorney of Orange County is to enhance public safety and
welfare, and create a sense of security in the community through the vigorous
enforcement of criminal and civil laws in a just, honest, efficient and ethical
manner.
The Orange County Sheriff's Department (OCSD) is responsible for law enforcement for 12
cities within Orange County and operates the Transit Police Services for the Orange County
Transit Authority (OCTA). These services provide law enforcement protection for bus
passengers and protection for OCTA property including all the rail lines throughout the
county. The OCSD provides security at the John Wayne Airport and Orange County Fairgrounds
through a contractual arrangement with the County. The harbors and coastline of Orange County
are also patrolled by the OCSD. The OCSD employs more than 4,000 people, including 1,897
Sworn Regular Officers, 212 Sworn Reserve Officers and 1,950 professional staff personnel.
The population served by the OCSD is in excess of 575,000 people.
The Public Administrator (PA) protects the assets and manages the affairs of deceased residents
of Orange County who at the time of death left no known heirs, no will, no named executor or
an executor who is ineligible. The PA searches for assets belonging to the decedent, arranges
for the interment when there are no known relatives, makes a search for heirs, and acts as
administrator of estates when named in a will or when heirs request such service. The Public
Guardian/Probate Conservator responds to referrals from Adult Protective Services, local law
enforcement agencies and the Superior Court to investigate persons, usually elderly, who are
unable to properly provide for their personal needs of physical health, food, clothing or
shelter, who are at risk of undue influence by others, or whose property is subject to loss,
injury, waste or mismanagement. When appointed by the court, the Public Guardian assumes
responsibility for care of the person and his or her assets.
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Community Service Programs (CSP) Victim/Witness Assistance Program
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The Orange County Victim/Witness Assistance Program was established in 1978 by CSP Inc.,
recognizing that all too often victims of crimes were forgotten and faced additional
problems following the incident. The Program was founded with the commitment of the
community and the encouragement of law enforcement and the criminal justice system.
Dedicated volunteers opened the first Victim/Witness Assistance Program Centers in West
and North County Municipal Courts. In 1980, the Orange County Board of Supervisors
recognized CSP as the major provider of services to victims of crime and entered into an
agreement for continuation of the program. Grant funds received from the Governor's Office
of Criminal Justice Planning allowed for the expansion of the Program to serve all areas
of Orange County. Victim/Witness Assistance Program goals are to identify and provide needed
services for victims and witnesses and to encourage their cooperation in case investigations
and the offenders' prosecution. Translation services for non-English speaking clients are
available. Workshops on crime prevention and victim services are presented on request
throughout Orange County.
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Service exists to help Orange County residents maintain or
improve their quality of life, while living in a skilled nursing or residential care
facility. The mission is to empower residents and to act on behalf of those who can't,
through advocacy and complaint investigation and resolution. An Ombudsman is charged with
helping residents live as they wish. However, the expressed wish of the resident may not be
in agreement with what a family member or facility director thinks is best. In that case,
the Ombudsman works to mediate a resolution that honors the expressed wish of the resident.
Older and dependent adults living in long-term care facilities face some unavoidable
limitations when they have to leave their own homes. Privacy and independence may be
curtailed by the need for care and assistance. Those few limitations do not require that
they also give up their fundamental human rights of self-determination and dignity,
including the right to be heard and taken seriously, and the right to express their own
wishes and have them respected.
Older Adult Services provides mobile mental health services and episodic treatment services
to community-dwelling older adults (60 and older) that emphasize individual needs, strengths,
choices, and involvement in service planning and implementation. The staff seeks to identify
those situations which could benefit from services leading to a better quality of life for older
adults disabled by mental illness. The Older Adult Services staff seek to reach homebound older
adults, help the clients and their families understand mental illness, provide the needed services,
information and referral that would improve the client's life, help older adult clients obtain the
highest level of independent functioning, and prevent the need for hospitalization or long term
placement out of the home.
Human Options has been offering comprehensive services for victims of domestic violence
for more than 20 years. The mission is to help battered women, their families and our
community break the cycle of domestic violence. Human Options does this by providing:
- An Elder Abuse prevention program for older victims of domestic elder abuse. This program
serves both men and women who are elder abuse victims offering case management, in-home
counseling, supportive services and advocacy.
- Emergency shelter which includes safe housing, counseling, supportive services, legal
advocacy and children's program for up to 45 days. The emergency shelter also includes the
family healing center which offers shelter graduates transitional housing, counseling and
supportive services for 90 days
- 24-hour English and Spanish crisis hotline for shelter intake and crisis counseling
- Second Step transitional housing facility for graduates of an emergency shelter offering
housing, counseling, supportive services and vocational assistance for up to one year
- A Community Resource Center offering individual and family counseling, support programs
for both adults and children, parenting education, Personal Empowerment Program, and legal
advocacy
- A Counseling Center offering batterers' treatment services and counseling for victims
of domestic violence
- Community education program offering violence prevention presentations for grades K-12
Last year Human Options served 1,479 women, children and seniors in our emergency
shelter, Second Step transitional housing program, Community Resource Center, Counseling Center
and Elder Abuse Prevention program. In addition the Community Education program staff spoke to
more than 15,900 students and educators.
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