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City subcommittee recommends study and joins regional senior justice effort after grant award
Summary
The Public Safety Committee’s elder abuse subcommittee outlined expanded training, public outreach and a proposed "Status of Older Adults in San Antonio" study; Bexar County won roughly $186,000 to support a Senior Justice Assessment Center model that will include city participation.
Jessica Devolina, Deputy Human Services Director, told the Public Safety Committee the elder abuse subcommittee identified short‑ and long‑term priorities that include expanding training and outreach, promoting existing city services, and commissioning a status report on older adults in San Antonio.
"To date, 6,800 city employees have completed that training," Devolina said, referring to the citywide "Don't Look Away" program that human services developed with Adult Protective Services. She said the Department of Human Services would lead the proposed status study and would engage a consultant and local stakeholders including senior advisory committees and the City‑County Joint Commission on Elderly Affairs.
Judge Veronica Vasquez and partners described a regional model used in Harris County — a Senior Justice Assessment Center (SJAC) — that convenes multidisciplinary teams to coordinate criminal and civil responses, victim compensation and case management. Vasquez said Bexar County applied for and was awarded approximately $186,000 to develop the program and that the city would participate as a referring agency and multidisciplinary partner; she also said a memorandum of understanding will be routed to relevant city departments.
Council members asked staff to explore aligning SAPD investigative resources, consider using SA CORP crisis teams for certain older‑adult responses, and ensure the study avoids duplicating existing efforts by coordinating with local funders. The committee supported moving forward with the subcommittee recommendations and the proposed status study; staff said they would follow up with more details and stakeholder outreach.
