APS Center of Excellence Highlighted at C4A Conference

The Aging & Disabilities Department’s award-winning Adult Protective Services’ (APS) Center of Excellence (COE) was recently featured at the California Association of Area Agencies on Aging (C4A) Conference, where it was highlighted as an innovative model for collaboration and elder abuse prevention.

Launched in August 2023, the COE brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts to support social workers and coordinate responses to complex cases involving elder abuse and the protection of vulnerable adults and people with disabilities. By combining expertise across multiple systems, the COE helps ensure that clients’ rights, safety, and well-being are preserved.

The team includes representatives from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (DA), Department of Mental Health (DMH), Public Guardian, the GENESIS Older Adult Program, law enforcement, Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP), Bet Tzedek Legal Services (bettzedek.org), and other key partners.

“You have all these different professionals at one table, discussing complex cases,” said Ralph Pascual, AD’s COE coordinator. “It really helps to understand each role so everyone can come together as one to protect the client and ensure their rights and safety are safeguarded.”

Pascual and fellow APS manager Francisco Wong jointly presented a breakout session titled Los Angeles County Adult Protective Services Center of Excellence: An Elder Abuse Forensic Center Model. Their presentation highlighted how coordinated, cross-agency collaboration can improve outcomes in cases often complicated by cognitive impairment, conflicting family wishes, or challenges in substantiating abuse.

A key feature of the COE is the addition of Service Advocates, who help clients navigate barriers such as economic hardship, health challenges, and social isolation by connecting them to essential services and supports.

Among the COE’s partners is Keck Medicine of USC, which provides field-based assessments and access to relevant medical records. “Their clinical expertise plays an important role in identifying indicators of physical and financial abuse, particularly for clients with cognitive impairments,” Pascual said.

The COE team meets weekly for approximately two hours and typically reviews up to four cases per meeting. As of August 2025, the team has reviewed more than 120 cases.

One case highlighted at the conference involved an older adult who was a victim of financial abuse. The COE conducted a cognitive assessment and coordinated investigation, which revealed the individual was unable to make decisions regarding finances or medical care. Through the team’s collaborative efforts, the perpetrator was held accountable and restitution was secured for the client.

“They do not need to work in a vacuum,” Pascual said of social workers. “That’s why we have the COE. We have all these professionals who are going to be helping. I always say we are not walking behind you, we are walking alongside you.”

In October, the COE was recognized at the Los Angeles County Productivity and Quality Awards (QPC), honoring its innovative approach and excellence in public service.