The Chautauqua County Health and Human Services Department will receive money from the state and federal governments as part of an $8.4 million program to to improve and expand services for vulnerable adults at risk of abuse, neglect or financial exploitation.

Developed by the state Office of Victim Services and state Office for the Aging, the Elder Abuse Interventions and Enhanced Multidisciplinary Teams Initiative will fund and support 23 existing multidisciplinary teams targeting elder abuse and establish additional teams with the goal of serving every county in the state by the fall of 2020.

“New York remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting one of our most vulnerable populations and to holding those responsible accountable for their actions,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “By expanding upon existing efforts to ensure we are able to serve every county in the state, we can prevent harm to vulnerable adults, reduce risk of exploitation, and save lives.”

Over the next three years, the Office of Victim Services will provide $2 million in federal funding annually and the Office for the Aging will provide another $500,000 in state funding annually to establish the initiative. The teams consist of professionals from aging services, adult protective, health care, financial services, criminal justice, victim assistance, mental health and other disciplines to coordinate investigations and develop interventions to stop or prevent elder abuse. The teams help adults who are 60 or older and at risk for harm or exploitation due to physical limitations, cognitive impairment or dementia, and social isolation.

Crime victims who were 60 or older filed a total of 4,031 claims for assistance that were approved by the Office of Victim Services between January 2015 and December 2017, roughly 17 percent of the 23,349 claims awarded by the agency over that two-year period.

Determining the full scope and prevalence of elder abuse is difficult, as many of these cases go unreported because the abuser is a family member or caregiver. A comprehensive, state-funded study published in 2011 found that for every one case of abuse reported to adult protective services or other authorities, there were 23.5 other cases that were not reported. In addition, a 2016 Office of Child and Family Services study found that financial exploitation costs vulnerable adults who have been victimized and the state at least $1.5 billion annually.

The Office of Victim Services provides a safety net for crime victims and/or their family members, compensating eligible individuals for medical and counseling expenses, funeral and burial expenses, lost wages and support, in addition to other assistance. For more information, eligibility guidelines and victim assistance programs it funds by county, visit www.ovs.ny.gov or call 1-800-247-8035.