ELDER LAW OF MICHIGAN
3815 W ST JOSEPH STREET NO C200, LANSING, MI 48917 www.elderlawofmi.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO ADVOCATE FOR, EDUCATE, AND ASSIST OUR TARGET POPULATIONS. OUR SERVICES ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BUT WE CONTINUE TO TARGET OUR SERVICES TO OLDER ADULTS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

TO ADVOCATE FOR, EDUCATE, AND ASSIST OLDER ADULTS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

PROVIDED ECONOMIC SECURITY THROUGH MICHIGAN'S COORDINATED ACCESS TO FOOD FOR THE ELDERLY (MICAFE), A PUBLIC-BENEFITS ACCESS PROJECT, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (DHHS), THE AGING AND ADULT SERVICES AGENCY (FORMERLY THE MICHIGAN OFFICE OF SERVICES TO THE AGING), AND LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THE PROJECT, OPERATING IN 36 MICHIGAN COUNTIES, IS DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE PARTICIPATION OF OLDER ADULTS IN THE FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (WIDELY KNOWN AS THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM OR SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP)), MEDICAID AND OTHER SERVICES BY MAKING SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTERS POINTS OF ACCESS FOR THE PROGRAM (RATHER THAN REQUIRING SENIORS TO GO TO A LOCAL DHS OFFICE). MICAFE STAFF PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE TO OVER 120 COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO WORK WITH SENIORS TO HELP THEM APPLY FOR THE FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. STAFF ALSO ANSWERED ALMOST 5,000 CALLS TO ITS DEDICATED HELPLINE. FOR 2019 FISCAL YEAR, MICAFE DISTRIBUTED OVER 75,000 EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS TO OVER 68,000 MICHIGAN SENIORS, SCREENED OVER 2,100 OF THEM FOR BENEFITS, AND HELPED ALMOST 1,600 OF THEM APPLY FOR SNAP BENEFITS.BENEFITS ENROLLMENT AND OPTIONS CENTER WAS ORIGINALLY STARTED WITH FUNDING FROM THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING (NCOA) TO ESTABLISH A STATEWIDE PROJECT TO PROVIDE SCREENING TO OLDER ADULTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET AND INTERESTED IN FINDING PUBLIC BENEFITS LIKE MEDICAID, SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD ASSISTANCE, MEDICARE PART D, AND OTHER PROGRAMS THAT COULD REDUCE THEIR COSTS OR PROVIDE NEW BENEFITS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR MOST BASIC NEEDS ARE MET. SERVICES ARE PROVIDED OVER THE TELEPHONE. ELM STAFF ALSO ASSISTS CLIENTS SCREENED ELIGIBLE FOR KEY BENEFITS WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS. THIS PROGRAM IS A COMPLEMENTARY SERVICE AND IS INTEGRATED WITH THE MICAFE PROGRAM AND ALL LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAMS. IN 2014, ELM DESIGNATED ALL PROGRAMS AT ELDER LAW TO BE PARTS OF THE BENEFITS ENROLLMENT CENTER BECAUSE EVERY CLIENT THAT RECEIVES ASSISTANCE FROM ELM IS SCREENED FOR KEY BENEFITS.

ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM - BEGINNING IN 2007, ELM RECEIVED GRANTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE'S OFFICE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN (OVW) TO PREVENT, REDUCE, AND RESPOND TO ELDER ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION. ELM LEADS MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAMS TO TRAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, JUDGES, PROSECUTORS, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO 1) INCREASE THEIR ABILITY TO IDENTIFY ELDER ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE; 2) FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS AND COLLABORATION AMONG CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES PROFESSIONS; 3) IDENTIFY PRACTICES AND PROTOCOLS TO CREATE A COORDINATED RESPONSE TO ELDER ABUSE, NEGLECT, FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION, AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE EXPERIENCED BY ADULTS. IN 2014, THE OVW GRANT ENDED AND ELM WAS CHOSEN AS THE LEAD ORGANIZATION FOR THE STATE OF MICHIGAN'S ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION EFFORTS. IN 2015, ELM LED THE EFFORTS TO CREATE THE MICHIGAN ELDER JUSTICE COORDINATING COUNCIL, A STATEWIDE COLLABORATIVE THAT WILL FOCUS ON ADDRESSING THE ISSUES OF ELDER ABUSE IN MICHIGAN. ELM ALSO DESIGNED AND BEGAN TESTING AN INTEGRATED SCREENING AND REFERRAL TOOL THAT WOULD ALLOW SERVICE PROVIDERS TO ACCESS INFORMATION IN REAL TIME ABOUT WHAT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR THEIR SENIOR CLIENTS. IN 2017, THE COUNCIL BUILT ON ITS PARTNERSHIPS WITH A NATIONAL IDENTITY THEFT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE NETWORK GRANT TO HELP COMBAT THE PROBLEMS OF ID THEFT AMONG OLDER ADULTS.

PROVIDED LEGAL SERVICES THROUGH THE LEGAL HOTLINE FOR MICHIGAN SENIORS AND THE MID-AMERICA PENSION RIGHTS PROJECT. AS ONE OF THE FIRST AND LARGEST SENIOR LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, THE LEGAL HOTLINE FOR MICHIGAN SENIORS PROVIDES BASIC, PERSONAL LEGAL ADVICE AND INFORMATION OVER THE TELEPHONE TO OLDER ADULTS IN MICHIGAN. SINCE IT BEGAN IN 1990, THE PROGRAM SOLVES PROBLEMS FOR CLIENTS THROUGH CUSTOMIZED INTERVENTIONS AND CLIENT SPECIFIC LEGAL WORK. THE PROGRAM WAS CREATED TO RESPOND TO THE "SOCIALLY NEEDY" BY ELIMINATING BARRIERS SUCH AS GEOGRAPHY, TRANSPORTATION, ILLNESS, POVERTY, AND SOCIAL ISOLATION. THE PROGRAM SERVES APPROXIMATELY 2,000 PEOPLE PER YEAR STATEWIDE. A MAIN STRENGTH OF THE HOTLINE IS THE ABILITY TO REACH AND SERVE PEOPLE FROM ALL SEGMENTS OF THE OLDER ADULT POPULATION. ELM UTILIZES VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS, RECENT LAW SCHOOL GRADUATES, AND LAW STUDENTS TO NOT ONLY ASSIST MORE CLIENTS, BUT TO ALSO TRAIN MEMBERS OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION ON THE UNIQUE LEGAL ISSUES FACED BY LOW-INCOME SENIORS. IN AUGUST 2019, ELM CEASED OPERATIONS OF THE LEGAL HOTLINE FOR MICHIGAN SENIORS DUE TO FUNDING SHORTFALLS. ELM PARTNERED WITH OTHER LEGAL SERVICE AGENCIES IN THE STATE TO REFER OLDER ADULTS CALLING THE LEGAL HOTLINE TO OTHER PROGRAMS NEAR THEM TO ENSURE EFFORTS TO MEET THEIR LEGAL NEEDS.THE MID-AMERICA PENSION RIGHTS PROJECT ASSISTS RETIREES OF ANY AGE IN RECOVERING PENSION BENEFITS AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS REGARDING PENSION PLANS AND OTHER RETIREMENT BENEFITS. THE PROJECT STARTED AS AN ARM OF THE LEGAL HOTLINE TO SERVE MICHIGAN RESIDENTS. IT HAS GROWN INTO ITS OWN PROGRAM THAT IS A COLLABORATION COVERING SIX STATES, WITH ELM AS THE LEAD ORGANIZATION. THIS PROJECT HAS HELPED RECOVER MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN PENSIONS FOR BENEFICIARIES.

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