Reflecting on the EJCC: Building Relationships and Breaking Down Barriers

The Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC) was established by the 2010 Elder Justice Act to coordinate federal activities related to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation across the federal government. Earlier this summer, the EJCC brought together 17 federal departments and agencies to look back on a decade in which the federal government has significantly expanded efforts to advance elder justice-including in the areas of enforcement, public education, training, interagency collaboration, research, and support for older adults who experience or are at risk of experiencing abuse-and to look ahead to the next decade.

ACL's Senior Advisor on Elder Justice and Elder Rights-and long-time advocate for advancing elder justice and civil rights-Hilary Dalin is retiring from federal services today. In the Q&A below, she reflects on her eight years leading the team that coordinates the EJCC, ACL's Office of Elder Justice and Adult Protective Services.

What are your key takeaways from your involvement in the EJCC?

The key takeaways for me are the importance of building relationships, growing trust with partners, and promoting mutual understandings of elder justice expertise and priorities across the federal government. The EJCC broke down barriers, so member departments know who to call (figuratively, in this day and age) at any particular agency. And most importantly, when staff do call, there is a quick pick up of the virtual phone. Having those kinds of relationships, mutually supportive and responsive, furthers elder justice by advancing not only coordination, but also collaboration. In my opinion, the EJCC embodies the real meaning of an all-of-government response.

What is your fondest memory of the EJCC?

It is difficult to pinpoint just one fond memory, so I will say being in a position to collaborate with so many dedicated civil servants from all of the EJCC member departments and agencies. It was very fulfilling to work together on coordinating programs, engaging in problem-solving, developing educational presentations, and through these efforts, to directly move the needle for older Americans all over the country. For instance, when we did a webinar on scams and fraud, we received feedback from the aging network about how much they appreciated the pragmatic approach to how service providers can actually support consumers. Many of them shared the personal experiences they had supporting relatives who had encountered nefarious actors.

Can you share some examples of how you have seen the EJCC increase coordination between federal agencies?

The first one that comes to mind is learning about Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) that financial institutions file with the Financial Exploitation Network (FinCEN) and being present in the meetings that led to the issuance of the "Memorandum on Financial Institution and Law Enforcement Efforts to Combat Elder Financial Exploitation " in August 2017.

Second is working with partner agencies such as the Department of Justice Civil Division, Legal Services Corporation, Federal Trade Commission, and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to develop webinars addressing various topics in elder justice and elder rights.

Third is the numerous brainstorms about how we in the federal government can coordinate and collaborate to fight abuse and progress towards elder justice.

Do you have any final thoughts regarding the EJCC?

The next decade is sure to bring even more accomplishments through the EJCC's all-of-government approach. It has been a privilege to be involved and to watch the EJCC grow.

I would also like to pay tribute to the elder justice leaders that were recognized at the June EJCC meeting as pioneers in advancing knowledge and policies on issues of elder justice. Thank you, MT Connolly, a former attorney with the Department of Justice and founder of the department's Elder Initiative; Edwin Walker, ACL's former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging; and Sidney Stahl, former Chief of the National Institute on Aging's Behavioral Processes Branch within the National Institutes of Health for your foundational work. It has truly been an honor to work with you, call you friends, and further your vision!

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