May is Adult Abuse Prevention Month in Virginia and each year, thousands of older adults and individuals with a disability are mistreated by family members, caregivers, and others responsible for their well-being.
Adults who are vulnerable to mistreatment are frequently isolated and less likely to have their plight discovered by an interested outsider. The majority of incidents of alleged abuse, neglect, or exploitation occur behind closed doors in the adult’s own home. As a result, many victims suffer in silence and go unaided.
You can make a difference. In Virginia, APS investigates reports of adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation and can arrange for a wide variety of services to stop the abuse and prevent further mistreatment. If you or someone you know is being mistreated call Prince William County Social Services- APS at (703) 792-4200 (TTY: 711) or the Toll-free APS hotline at: (888) 832-3858 (TTY: 711)
For additional resources and information about adult abuse, please visit the Virginia Department of Social Services website at http://www.dss.virginia.gov/family/as/aps.cgi
Why us (Marriage and Family Therapy Solutions): Through a grant from the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), Marriage and Family Therapy Solutions have partnered to implement the Equity at Intercept 0 project. This project’s aim is twofold:
- Increase participation of providers of color in crisis services
- Increase the number of students of color seeking jobs in crisis services
We are in the preliminary stages of launching this exciting project, and I am super excited to get this project off the ground! We wanted to keep you informed; follow us on social media!
If you would like to hear more about how you can help answer the call to improve the quality of behavioral health crisis response in the Greater Prince William Area, please get in touch with us at Laurie.wilson@mftsva.com and sign up here for our Newsletter.