Holistic Expert to Keynote County's Seventh Annual Elder Abuse Awareness Forum

CLEVELAND – The County’s Division of Senior and Adult Services (DSAS) will hold the seventh annual Elder Abuse Awareness Community Forum on June 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Conference Center at the Benjamin Rose Institute (BRI). This year’s Forum is entitled, “The Changing Face of Trauma: Healing Approaches for Victims and Professionals.” The forum is held in conjunction with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, which takes place June 15.

The purpose of the forum is to raise awareness of the issue of physical, emotional and financial abuse within a growing older adult population. Last year in Cuyahoga County, over 2,300 adults were known survivors of abuse, neglect, self-neglect, abandonment and exploitation. Nationwide, it is estimated that only one in 23 incidents of abuse is ever reported.

“Even though there is momentum at the state level, we still have huge strides to take in addressing elder abuse,” said Natasha Pietrocola, Deputy Administrator for the County’s Adult Protective Services (APS) unit. “With a growing elder population right here in our own community, abuse continues to make an impact across all walks of life.”

This year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Jamie Marich, travels internationally speaking on topics related to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, trauma, addiction, expressive arts and mindfulness while maintaining a holistic private practice in her home base of Warren, Ohio. She is the developer of the Dancing Mindfulness practice and the author of five books, including EMDR Made Simpleand EMDR Therapy and Mindfulness for Trauma Focused Care, written in collaboration with Dr. Stephen Dansiger. Her newest title, Process Not Perfection: Expressive Arts Solutions for Trauma Recovery, is due to be released in April 2019.

The objectives for this year’s Forum include: describing the causes and impacts of traumatic stress on clients; learning about changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5®) as they relate to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other trauma-related disorders; learning to serve clients in a more trauma-informed way; identifying ways to assist clients in dealing with the physical impacts of traumatic grief; differentiating between trauma-informed and trauma-focused care; understanding the roles of APS and BRI in the case management process; and practical application of the techniques shared during the forum.

Registration for the Forum is free for professionals and students. Pre-registration is required. Register online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cuyahoga-county-elder-abuse-forum-2019-tickets-60087895513. For information visit https://dsas.cuyahogacounty.us or call 216-420-6750.