The new city budget for fiscal year 2015 was recently released and included increased funding for many aging initiatives, including $1 million in funding for elder abuse enhancement. The new city council and mayor increased aging services funding to include $29.5 million in baseline and additional funding for the Department for the Aging. The additional funding is a good sign for seniors as Bobbie Sackman, Director of Public Policy, Council of Senior Centers and Services, states, “On behalf of the 120,000 elder abuse victims suffering in silence across New York City, we thank City Council for the $1 million added to community-based services funded through the Department for the Aging. We appreciate that Mayor Bill de Blasio supported this funding. It is a new day in NYC government and it is time to move forward. Building a robust elder abuse network must be a priority for both sides of City Hall.”

The new funding for elder abuse enhancement will be used to provide services for seniors experiencing financial and physical abuse. This is exciting news as this will increase the amount of money the NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA) will have to fund its Elder Abuse Prevention and Intervention Services (EAPIS). Indeed, DFTA plans to release an RFP for EAPIS during the Summer 2014 and has prepared a Concept Paper that “lays out the goals, elements and parameters” of EAPIS. DFTA seeks feedback on this Concept Paper by July 15th.

The Council for Senior Centers and Services (CSCS) is requesting that people write thank you letters to City council and the Mayor’s Office for their support of this funding allocation! To find out more about CSCS’s advocacy efforts and the funding allocation, contact Bobbie Sackman at (212) 398-6565 x226 or [email protected].

By Elizabeth Bloemen, MPH NYCEAC Social Media Associate