Faith Leaders - NCALL - The National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life

Many older Americans turn to their faith communities and faith leaders for help when they are experiencing abuse. Older survivors know and deeply trust faith leaders and community members and often reach out for assistance in times of great need. As a faith leader, you can play a critical role in responding to abuse as well as improving access to services and supports for older survivors in your community. You may also be in a unique position to observe signs of abuse and indicators of abusive behavior.

In October 2008, NCALL and Safe Havens Interfaith Partnership Against Domestic Violence and Elder Abuse examined the juncture of elder abuse and faith on a national level, and sought to strengthen collaborations among faith community leaders and domestic violence, elder abuse, and sexual assault service providers.

Selected Resources

In 2010, Safe Havens and NCALL released an elder abuse and faith toolkit intended to support service providers and advocates as they reach out to and collaborate with local faith communities. This toolkit, Where Faith and Safety Meet: Faith Communities Respond to Elder Abuse, offers resources for service providers and advocates, as well as for faith communities. We hope that, working together, service providers and faith communities can respond more effectively to victims and survivors and increase access to community-based services.

Partnering to Address Faith and Safety

In 2013, Safe Havens and NCALL released a companion toolkit, Partnering to Address Faith
and Safety: A Guide for Faith Leaders and Domestic and Sexual Violence Service Providers to Assist Older Victims of Abuse. This guide provides ideas, best practices, and strategies for domestic and sexual violence service providers and faith leaders to build partnerships that support older victims and survivors.

Partnering to Address Faith and Safety: A Guide for Faith Leaders and Domestic and Sexual Violence Service Providers to Assist Older Victims of Abuse (color) (PDF 1.84 MB)
Partnering to Address Faith and Safety: A Guide for Faith Leaders and Domestic and Sexual Violence Service Providers to Assist Older Victims of Abuse (black and white) (400 KB)
Introductory Letter to Service Providers and Advocates (color) (PDF 257 KB)
Introductory Letter to Service Providers and Advocates (black and white) (PDF 77 KB)
Before You Start Checklist (color) (PDF 94 KB)
Before You Start Checklist (black and white) (72 KB)
First Visit Checklist (color) (PDF 83 KB)
First Visit Checklist (black and white) (PDF 67 KB)
Elder Abuse and Faith: A Guide for Service Providers on Reaching out to Faith-Based Organizations Regarding Elder Abuse (document cover, available in color only) (PDF 701 KB)
Elder Abuse and Faith: A Guide for Service Providers on Reaching out to Faith-Based Organizations Regarding Elder Abuse (document contents, available in black and white only) (PDF 197 KB)— this document addresses challenges that service providers may encounter when reaching out to faith-based organizations, as well as strategies that may help when responding to those challenges.
Sample letter from Service Providers and Advocates to Faith Communities (available in black and white only) (Word Document 18 KB)— sample letter (Word format) that introduces the faith-based resources found in the Elder Abuse and Faith Toolkit to faith community member and leaders. Service providers can edit the letter to include contact information and a list of services that their agency provides, and the letter can be printed on agency stationery.
Bookmark (available in color only) (PDF 653 KB)
Brochure, “Where Faith and Safety Meet: Faith Communities Respond to Elder Abuse” (color) (PDF 4.47 MB)
Brochure, “Where Faith and Safety Meet: Faith Communities Respond to Elder Abuse” (black and white, formatted for a standard printer) (PDF 291 KB)

Other pages in this section

Civil Attorneys

Civil attorneys and other civil legal system professionals work each day to ensure victim safety and hold offenders accountable for harm to older survivors. Their knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of elder abuse, as well as the legal remedies and non-litigation resources available to older survivors, are critical in developing effective intervention strategies to end elder abuse and prevent further harm to older adults.

Learn more

Domestic and Sexual Violence Advocates and Programs

Many older survivors will seek the help of domestic and sexual violence advocates and programs in dealing with the abuse they experience. Older victims can benefit from many of the services traditionally offered by domestic violence and sexual assault programs such as individual and peer counseling, support groups, emergency and transitional housing, and specialized economic and legal advocacy.

Learn more

Healthcare Providers

Health care providers are in a unique position to identify and respond to abuse in later life. Often, many older adults, especially survivors, have an ongoing relationship with one or more health care providers. Primary care physicians, emergency room staff, geriatricians, dentists, physical therapists, and other providers each have an opportunity to see injuries suggesting abuse, neglect, or exploitation, or indicators of trauma.

Learn more

Law Enforcement

As first responders, law enforcement officers can play a key role in providing an effective response to abuse in later life at the local level. In many cases, law enforcement can use tools already used in domestic violence, stalking, child abuse, and sexual abuse cases to interview victims and gather evidence. Officers can also benefit from learning about abuse in later life and abuse dynamics; appropriate referral resources for intervention and support for older victims; and working collaboratively with other organizations.

Learn more

Professionals Working in Tribal Communities

In many cultures, elders preserve traditions and share wisdom to help ensure community permanency and balance. Indigenous communities often hold elders in a unique and important social position. The dramatic increase in the number of older individuals has led to concern over the well-being of older adults in these communities.

Learn more

Prosecutors

A significant number of reported cases of elder abuse do not progress through the criminal justice system. Whether an elder abuse case is successfully prosecuted may depend on a prosecuting attorney’s familiarity with effective investigation and prosecution strategies. Further, prosecutors must be able to collaborate across disciplines to increase victim identification, to encourage victims to engage with the criminal system, and to ultimately hold more offenders accountable.

Learn more