SB 1224

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Authorizes local departments of social services to foster, when practicable, the creation, maintenance, and coordination of hospital and community-based multidisciplinary teams focused on the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of adults 60 years of age or older or 18 years of age or older who are physically or mentally incapacitated. The bill provides that such teams may: (i) assist the local department of social services in identifying abused, neglected, and exploited adults; (ii) coordinate medical, social, and legal services for abused, neglected, and exploited adults and their families; (iii) develop innovative programs for detection and prevention of the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of adults; (iv) promote community awareness and action to address adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and (v) disseminate information to the general public regarding the problem of adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation, strategies and methods for preventing such abuse, neglect, and exploitation and treatment options for abused, neglected, and exploited adults. The bill also allows the attorney for the Commonwealth in each jurisdiction to establish a multidisciplinary adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation response team to review cases of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of adults. Such multidisciplinary team may be established separately or in conjunction with any already existing multidisciplinary team. This bill is identical to