My name is Daunje Sanders, and I am the new Program Manager for the Solano County Elder Justice Program. Prior to taking the role of the Elder Justice Program Manager, I managed the Solano County Long-term Care Ombudsman program. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration and Management. I managed Radiation Oncology Centers for 14 years before coming to Empower Aging. My passion is advocating and empowering vulnerable populations to advocate for themselves. The Solano County Elder Justice Program consists of myself and a Victim Support Specialist.

The Solano County Elder Justice MDT consists of many community partners, which include local police departments, Adult Protective Services, The Solano District Attorney’s Office, Legal Services of Northern California, Meals on Wheels, and Solano County Social Services. The key aspect of our team members is that they all work with and are well-versed in the senior and dependent adult community. Collectively the team works together to bring forth resources, advocacy, and support for Solano County seniors and dependent adults who have been victimized.

Achievements and Success Stories

The tools obtained from the MDT coordinator meeting were resourceful and gave great tools like the connection to The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). With the tools obtained from the IACP we are better prepared to deal with financial abuse with the use of the Senior Abuse Financial Tracking and Accounting (SAFTA) Guide. Financial abuse is a major factor in the elder and dependent adult Community, as they are among the most vulnerable population. Having resources and partnerships to help in the fight against these heinous crimes is essential.

Challenges

I am new to Facilitating the MDT meetings so I have not experienced many challenges, though I do look for ways to enhance the team. My vision is to make the MDT more robust and to add more community partners to the team. We have had great success with the team we have in place through case review. During case reviews, we have been able to provide support to elder abuse victims and guide them to the resources that they need. Through our MDT team, we have prevented evictions, assisted several seniors with the restraining order process and provided court accompaniment, and partnered with agencies to provide emergency shelter for our clients.

Quick Tip for E-MDT Coordinators

Advice that I would give to other MDT coordinators would be to stay innovative. The role of the MDT coordinator provides the opportunity to innovate new processes and continually build new relationships with community partners. Innovation accelerates justice and advocacy for senior and dependent adults who have been victimized. Always stay alert to the opportunities to influence new ideas, approaches, and resources.

Burning Question for E-MDT Coordinators

A question that I would ask other MDT coordinators would be, what tools do you use to
keep your team engaged and enlightened?