Wisconsin DOJ awarded $1.25M to train, organize elder abuse response teams

MILWAUKEE -- The U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is awarding the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) $1.25 million to fight elder abuse. The grant program will provide funding to DOJ, in order to train and organize elder abuse response teams in four diverse project sites across the state.

A news release indicates the “Abuse in Later Life” grant program focuses on providing training and advanced victim services on elder abuse at project sites in Wisconsin. Funding will support program coordinators at DOJ, costs for train-the-trainer courses, development of a coordinated community response, and local training costs. Also, over $300,000 will be used directly for elder victim services in each project site.

The four project sites will serve urban, rural, and tribal populations in the state: City of Milwaukee, Outagamie County, Door County, and the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. Officials say focusing the program in each of these areas will allow for better replication moving forward.

To report suspected financial, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, you are urged to contact your county elder adult-at-risk agency or call 1-800-488-3780. If you witness an act of abuse, neglect, or exploitation that requires immediate attention, you are urged to call 911.

To learn more about elder abuse, go to ReportElderAbuseWI.org.