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Intersectional oppression and discrimination based on race have impacted the lived experiences of minoritized individuals across their lifespans, particularly through their interaction with systems. These barriers exist within all institutions and structures, including E-MDTs. For older abuse and neglect victims, experiencing these challenges from the E-MDT process can profoundly negatively impact their ability to access much-needed safety and healing support.

For older victims from marginalized communities, working with E-MDT members who understand how these issues impact their experiences, particularly within responding systems, is critical to enhancing their sense of safety and belonging. Centering an equity lens in the work of E-MDTs is also aligned with the elder justice sector's broader push towards person-centered care - where individuals' values and preferences, informed by their lived experiences, are elicited and, once expressed, guide all aspects of care. 

E-MDTs are well-placed to center racial equity and person-centeredness in their work due to several reasons:

  • Interdisciplinary Collaboration: E-MDTs consist of professionals from various disciplines, such as social work, law enforcement, healthcare, and legal services. This diversity enables the team to bring different perspectives and expertise to address elder abuse cases, embedding racial equity and person-centered principles across disciplines, thereby multiplying its impact. 
  • Recognizing Intersectionality: Elder abuse affects individuals from diverse backgrounds. Intersectionality acknowledges that individuals have multiple identities that intersect and interact with each other, shaping their experiences and vulnerabilities. E-MDTs that value racial equity understand the importance of considering the unique challenges faced by older adults from marginalized communities and strive to address those specific needs through tailored interventions.
  • Cultural Humility and Competence: An essential aspect of person-centeredness is recognizing and respecting an individual's cultural background, beliefs, and values. E-MDTs prioritizing racial equity and person-centeredness actively promote cultural competence among their team members. The work includes understanding the cultural nuances of different racial and ethnic groups, addressing language barriers, and engaging with community resources sensitive to diverse cultural needs.
  • Trauma-Informed and Healing-Centered Approach: Racial equity recognizes the historical and ongoing trauma experienced by marginalized communities due to systemic racism and discrimination. E-MDTs that prioritize racial equity adopt a trauma-informed approach in their work. They create a safe and inclusive environment that acknowledges and validates the experiences of older adults subjected to abuse. Such an approach is essential for supporting survivors and ensuring their empowerment throughout the intervention process.
  • Community Engagement: E-MDTs that center racial equity and person-centeredness actively engage with communities to build trust, raise awareness, and promote prevention efforts. By involving community leaders, organizations, and advocates who understand diverse populations' unique needs and challenges, E-MDTs can develop strategies that address the root causes of elder abuse within specific racial and cultural contexts.
  • Data Collection and Research: E-MDTs can be crucial in collecting disaggregated data on elder abuse cases to advance racial equity and person-centeredness. They also have a role to play in aggregating data from various sources. By examining the intersection of race, ethnicity, and other demographic factors, E-MDTs can identify disparities, trends, and gaps in services. This data-driven approach can inform policies, interventions, and resource allocation that are more equitable and responsive to the needs of older adults from diverse backgrounds.

The National Center is committed to leading the E-MDT community in Advancing Racial Equity and Person-Centeredness in our work with teams. The "Advancing Racial Equity in E-MDTs: A Resource for Elder Abuse E-MDT Coordinators" is a crucial resource we have produced to support this work. Access the resource guide to: 

  • Learn practicable strategies and resources to enhance inclusion, safety, and belonging in E-MDTs; 
  • Increase knowledge of racial equity within E-MDTs as well as various activities E-MDT coordinators can utilize to advance racial equity; and 
  • Access lists of resources to support effective facilitation and knowledge and skill-building around racial equity, a glossary of key terms, and additional technical assistance information.

The Resource Guide builds from 3 workshops conducted with the National Center's OVC-funded E-MDTs. They provided participants with the opportunity to:

  • Grow their knowledge of the history and current manifestations of structural racism and white supremacy in the United States;
  • Apply a racial equity framework to their role as E-MDT coordinators and to various E-MDT processes and;
  • Practice the facilitation of racial equity conversations within their E-MDT.

View the proceedings here

Our work on racial equity also necessarily focuses on understanding the unique experiences of tribal communities and, in particular, tribal elders. Tribal elders are advisors, teachers, spiritual healers, and connectors to the past. They are keepers of knowledge and tradition and hold unique and important social positions in tribal communities. The work to prevent and respond to harm against tribal elders also takes on additional dimensions that relate to: 

  • Tribal Elders’ experiences of historical trauma
  • Utilizing appropriate language while working with tribal elders
  • Honoring the sovereignty and jurisdictional rights of Tribal Nations
  • Working with tribal governments
  • Leveraging community strengths and values
  • Embracing cultural humility in our work with tribal elders and communities

To learn more about working with tribal communities through E-MDTs, access these National Center webinars: 


Visit this section in the future to learn more about strategies and tools for E-MDTs.

Here are some resources that have informed our work to date: