It's Not Your Fault Campaign

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

Elders and dependent adults are reluctant to report abuse and neglect due to a false sense of guilt, and fear. With the first Baby Boomers turning 65 in 2011, unprecedented numbers are becoming “elders” in our society. For these reasons, the San Bernardino County Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) conceptualized and started the It’s Not Your Fault campaign in August 2012 as an outreach to seniors and dependent adults to report any incidents of abuse and neglect that occur. The campaign includes posters, flyers, hand-outs for Social Workers, Facebook publicity and bus advertisements. Through It’s Not Your Fault, Social Workers encourage their clients to follow through on making reports of abuse that are occurring either in their lives, or in the lives of others. It’s Not Your Fault focuses on the premise that elders and dependent adults are not at fault when they are abused by others and should file a report whenever they become a victim. The number of APS referrals received throughout the county has grown slightly over 100% since the It’s Not Your Fault campaign was introduced. This indicates that this campaign’s primary objective of encouraging seniors to report incidents of abuse is being achieved.