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Adult Protective Services Unit

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

This year’s event will be Friday, June 14, 2013 at the William Mitchell College of Law. Minnesota will celebrate the eighth anniversary of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. This year’s theme is: Digging Deeper: Beyond the Basics.

National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) Conference

The 24th Annual NAPSA conference will be in St. Paul, MN on October 2-3, 2013. The National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) is a national non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization with members in all fifty states. Formed in 1989, the goal of NAPSA is to provide Adult Protective Services (APS) programs a forum for sharing information, solving problems, and improving the quality of services for victims of elder and vulnerable adult mistreatment. Its mission is to strengthen the capacity of APS at the national, state, and local levels, to effectively and efficiently recognize, report, and respond to the needs of elders and adults with disabilities who are the victims of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, and to prevent such abuse whenever possible. For more information go to the NAPSA website at:
www.napsa-now.org/conference

Adult Protective Services Unit

This unit provides training and consultation about the Minnesota Vulnerable Adults Act. Identifying maltreatment in vulnerable adults can be challenging because the adult may not be able to communicate what happened or may be considered an unreliable witness. For example, an elderly man with dementia has a bruise on his arm. Is the bruise the result of caregiver abuse or did he accidentally bump into the wall?

There are three basic kinds of maltreatment:

• Abuse - physical, emotional or sexual

• Neglect - caregiver neglect or self neglect

• Financial exploitation

Reporting Maltreatment of Vulnerable Adults

Online Mandated Reporter Training
County Phone Directory for Reporting Vulnerable Adult Maltreatment

Adult Protection Data
Adult Protection Data Reports

Eighty-seven counties have their own adult protection units which are responsible for investigating county complaints and providing protective services. State agencies investigate complaints in regulated industries, such as nursing facilities or group homes. Law enforcement units coordinate with state and local vulnerable adult units to investigate maltreatment reports made and investigated.

In addition, Adult Protective Services keeps an aggregate statewide database on maltreatment reports made and investigated.

The Adult Protective Services unit is a consultant for Minnesota's Vulnerable Adult Act [Minnesota Statute Section 626.557 (1995)]. In addition to educating the public about maltreatment of vulnerable adults, Adult Protective Services consults with local agencies, including counties and law enforcement agencies.

Guideline to the Investigation of Vulnerable Adult Maltreatment

The Adult Protection Manual provides policy and procedures for county staff that perform the Common Entry Point function (CEP Form – fillable Word format) and conduct investigations as required in MS626.557 Vulnerable Adult Act and MN Rule 9555.7100-9555.7700. The entire document can be downloaded in this PDF format. Links to relevant statutes and resources are provided, as well as an extensive appendix (appendices ).

Adult Protection Executive Summary 2-page fact sheet

Adult Protection fact sheet

The Minnesota Vulnerable Adult Act outlines the role of Adult Protective Services as providing:

1. Training:
Public agencies with responsibilities under the statute are required to receive training on their responsibilities specifically in the areas of investigation of vulnerable adult maltreatment and operation of a Common Entry Point (CEP). A CEP is the county unit responsible for receiving oral reports of suspected maltreatment twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. It is designated by each county board. The county directory is a list of all CEP phone numbers for the State of Minnesota. It is updated regularly. The Continuing Care Administration Training Calendar is a list of all the current training opportunities. Please consult this calendar for all of your training needs.

2. Consultation:
Provide general and case-specific assistance to citizens, providers, local and state agencies on the Vulnerable Adult Act and issues arising under it.

3. Data Collection:
Prior to 2008, a copy of the suspected maltreatment report (DHS 3243) was sent to the Department of Human Services – Adult Protection Unit for data collection purposes. In anticipation of the need for a centralized automated data collection system for CEP data, Minnesota Statute, section 626.557 subdivision 13 (g) authorized that the CEP would log reports into a database once this database became available. Effective April 1, 2008, the centralized database became available to all 87 counties. The Social Service Information System (SSIS) Vulnerable Adult (VA) Common Entry Point (CEP) collects all adult maltreatment reports. An updated Tip Sheet will assist counties with frequently asked questions associated with the SSIS VA-CEP system.
SSIS Role Clarification – April 1, 2010 memo

4. Vulnerable Adult Maltreatment Review Panel:
According to Minnesota Statute, section 626.557 subdivision on 9d, any victim or interested party may request the lead agency to reconsider their final disposition. If the lead agency fails to respond to the request or upholds the determination, the victim or interested party may request a review by the Vulnerable Adult Maltreatment Review Panel under MN Statute 256.021. Each year the panel shall submit a report to the legislature.

Get the "Help Protect People who are Frail or Vulnerable" brochure.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact the Adult Protection state office staff Jennifer Kirchen or Mary McGurran, or at DHS.AdultProtection@state.mn.us, by phone (651) 431-2609 or (800) 882-6262. TDD/TTY users please call (800) 627-3529 and ask for the phone number listed above.

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