You are on this page: Adult Protective Services
Contents
ASL Interpretation Video-
About Adult Protective Services
APS is a mandated service provided by local social services districts. It involves intake, investigation and assessment of referrals of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of impaired vulnerable adults who live in the community. APS workers develop services plans for eligible clients to remedy physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, or to address unmet, essential needs of adults.
APS serves adults (age 18 and older) who, due to physical or mental impairments:
- are unable to protect themselves from abuse, neglect, financial exploitation or other harm;
and - have no one available who is willing and able to assist responsibly.
Services provided (directly or through referral) may range from safety monitoring, linkages with other service providers (health, mental health, aging, etc.), assistance in obtaining benefits, informal money management, to appointment as a representative payee, to petitioning a court for appointment as a guardian or for some other legal intervention.
The Role of The Bureau of Adult Protective Services
The investigation, maintenance of a case record, and delivery of services are governed by state regulations. The bureau’s role is to:
- oversee local APS Program statewide;
- provide technical assistance to APS units;
- conduct periodic APS case reviews to monitor compliance with state standards;
- coordinate development and implementation of training for APS staff;
- develop and implement new program initiatives;
- review and approve state plan components relating to APS;
- respond to inquiries/complaints relating to administration/supervision of APS;
- issue policy directives relating to APS; and
- participate in workgroups and initiatives with other agencies and providers relating to APS/Adult Services issues.
Services
Adult Protective Services include:
- Investigation and assessment of the adult’s needs and risk of harm;
- Counseling for the victimized adult and their family;
- Case management including location and arrangement of medical and mental health assessments and services, home health care, home-delivered meals, and homemaker or housekeeper chore services. This could include ongoing assessments and monitoring to assure that the services place continues to be appropriate;
- Advocacy to assist in obtaining benefits and services the adult is entitled to;
- Finding alternative living arrangements, or arranging for emergency room and board for an APS client up to 30 days;
- Money management to assist adults who are unable to manage their own resources on their own behalf or protect themselves from exploitation. This can range from informal to more formal means of money management. APS may provide informal money management to assist adults to pay their bills or keep track of their money. APS can act as a representative payee appointed by the Social Security Administration to manage clients’ Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. A protective payee can be established to manage public assistance benefits;
- Crisis interventions that can be sought if the person, because of an impairment, is incapable of making the choices necessary to remove the endangering condition, include: short-term involuntary protective services orders, orders of protection, admission to a psychiatric facility, admission to a developmental center;
- Long-term involuntary interventions, such as seeking guardianship for persons who lack capacity or agree and who need protection to care for their person, their property, or both.
For further information on any of these services, please contact your local department of social services APS unit.