Brooklyn MDT

    The Brooklyn MDT Approach

    The clients of the Brooklyn MDT are professionals responding to the needs of elder abuse victims. (Thus, the team does not provide direct services to victims.) A highly collaborative endeavor, the Brooklyn MDT is staffed by professionals from government, non-profit, and health care organizations and meets three times a month at the Brooklyn APS Office. The team is led by NYCEAC’s MDT Coordinator. Representatives from the following organizations comprise the team:

    Some members of the Brooklyn MDT, March 2011: Seated (left to right): Marta Kuklik, Robin Roberts, Jenny Breznay, Melvin Hecht; Standing (left to right): Mark Lachs, Mario Harper, Michelle Errante, Risa Breckman, Pat Butka, David Cohen, Deborah Holt-Knight, Ronnie LoFaso, Ronald Marshall, Barbara Paris

    FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority)
    JASA
    Kings County DA’s Office
    Legal Aid Society
    NYC Department for the Aging
    NYC Elder Abuse Center
    NYC Human Resources Administration Adult Protective Services
    NYPD
    Weill Cornell Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Care
    Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
    The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale
    Womankind (formerly New York Asian Women’s Center)

    Core Values

    Problem solving during team meetings occurs through animated discussions guided by the following core values and motivated by a deep concern about the health, well-being and safety of older adults:

    • Respect all members to foster group cohesion and build trust.
    • Approach team discussions with an open-mind to strengthen collaborations.
    • Adhere to the confidentiality agreement to protect victims and fortify the team.
    • Ask questions to obtain accurate information for the development of effective interventions.
    • Create action steps during team meetings and hold timely follow up discussions to improve case responses.
    • Increase inter/intra agency coordination to reduce service duplication and system fragmentation.
    • Brainstorm ideas to create innovative solutions to difficult problems.
    • Seek service flexibility to develop new responses to seemingly intractable problems.
    • Embrace creativity.
    Eligibility Criteria

    The following is the eligibility criteria for a case to be brought to the NYCEAC’s Brooklyn MDT for review:

    • The elder abuse victim must be 60 and over AND reside in Brooklyn, or the case needs to have someone age 60 and over living in a dwelling located in Brooklyn.
    • If the victim is under 60 OR there is nobody in the house 60 and over AND/OR the dwelling is not located in Brooklyn, the case will be considered for consultation at the discretion of the NYCEAC’s Multidisciplinary Team Coordinator (MDTC).
    Case Consultations

    In addition, the NYCEAC offers 1:1 medical and social work case consultation services to Brooklyn professionals working on elder abuse cases. (See the Case Consultations page for more information about these services.)

    Team-in-Action

    In August 2010, the Brooklyn MDT made a DVD of a mock case discussion to help people understand what happens during meetings. View it here:

    For More Information

    To receive additional information about the Brooklyn MDT, to refer a case for expert review and recommendations and or to obtain a case consultation, please contact NYCEAC’s Elder Abuse Prevention Specialist/MDT Coordinator, Peg Horan, LMSW, at mmh2010@med.cornell.edu or (212) 746-7211.

    Funded by NYC Department for the Aging.