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Threats to Independence, Health, and Financial Security. Income Security Health Care Financing Consumer Fraud Housing/ Foreclosure Elder Abuse/ Financial Exploitation. Model Approaches to Statewide Legal Assistance Systems. Strategic Goal
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Threats to Independence, Health, and Financial Security • Income Security • Health Care Financing • Consumer Fraud • Housing/ Foreclosure • Elder Abuse/ Financial Exploitation
Model Approaches to Statewide Legal Assistance Systems • Strategic Goal • Promote the creation of comprehensive, well integrated, and cost effective legal service delivery systems that target scarce resources to older adults in the most social or economic need • Tactical Application • Systems that function with the right legal entities, handling the right kinds of legal cases, at the right level of service
MODEL APPROACHES • Essential Features • Legal Assistance Developer • Needs and Capacity Assessments • Senior Legal Helplines • Leveraging Low Cost Mechanisms • Training of Aging and Legal Providers • Targeting and Outreach
Ultimate Outcome • Enhanced access to legal services for older persons most in need on “High Impact” legal issues
Legal Assistance Developer • Central Role of LAD in Achieving Model Approaches Goals • Stakeholders and Planning Process • Project Sustainability • Legal Service Delivery Standards • Communication • Ongoing Role of Coordination
Legal Needs Assessment • Legal Needs Assessments examine the Demand side of the equation • Must determine legal needs and not legal wants • Provides benchmarks and tools for planning • Look for conditions that put elders at risk (impact issues like income, shelter, food) • Use of Surveys • Use of Focus Groups
Systems Capacity Assessment • Legal Capacity Assessments examine the supply side of the equation • What is the capacity of the system to meet the needs of the population • How can the supply be enhanced • How can the supply be better coordinated • Be sure to include all sources (e.g. legal providers, ombudsman, APS etc…) • Capture both qualitative and quantitative information
Senior Legal Helplines • SLHs are well Integrated components of Aging and Legal networks • Each SLH may provide one or all of the following functions: • Provide Referrals • Provide Legal Information • Provide Legal Advice
Senior Legal Helplines • Diagram of MO’s SLH Model
Senior Legal Helplines • Diagram of MI’s SLH Model
Leveraging Low Cost Mechanisms • Leveraging of Low Cost Mechanisms Boosts Overall Systems Capacity • Use of SLHs • Use of Online Helpline • Pro-bono Volunteer Recruitment • Law School Clinics • Other Self Help Resources
Training! • Training is Critical to Achieving Integration Goals of Model Approaches • Training for use of online helpline • Training of AAA I & R Specialists • Cross-Training with aging providers and III-B legal networks
Targeting and Outreach • Model Approaches Targets Older Persons in the Most Social or Economic Need • Use of data to effectively target • MO Outreach methodology • Outreach Activities- AAA role • Michigan Outreach Experience