January 06, 2026 - Indiana, PA
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging today announced that five Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and/or coalitions within the AAA Network will be among the first in Pennsylvania to receive individualized, tailored support from outside experts and the Department as they develop Multidisciplinary Teams (MDTs) to help address complex older adult protective services cases in their respective counties and regions.MDTs are community-based groups that support the Department's commitment to protecting older Pennsylvanians from abuse by bringing together professionals from various fields like social services, criminal and civil justice, mental health, medicine, finance, and public health to improve collaboration and outcomes for protective services cases. Under the leadership of Secretary Jason Kavulich, the Department has been working to bring this collaborative approach, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Justice and utilized by several other states including New York and California, to Pennsylvania."We are doing groundbreaking collaborative work at the state level to ensure protection of older adults at the community level," said Secretary Kavulich. "One of our Administration's priorities is to continuously advance and modernize our practices while supporting the AAAs, District Attorney's Offices, and our community partners to ensure older adults are cared for and safe in their chosen community. With today's announcement, we are deploying national level expertise and proven practical approaches to help AAAs and community partners build teams that are person-centered and able to move quickly to get the right resources for the victim." Speaker List:Secretary of Aging Jason KavulichJanine Maust, Executive Director, Indiana County Aging Services (AAA)Robert F. Manzi Jr., Indiana County District AttorneyLisa Rachmuth, Program Administrator, Center for Elder Abuse Solutions, Weill Cornell MedicineRepresentative James Struzzi
An Official Pennsylvania Government Website