Megan Wood has been selected for the Elder Justice Program, a two-year Equal Justice Works Fellowship program aimed at improving the national response to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Hosted by Prairie State Legal Services, Megan’s project addresses barriers for older adults seeking services to combat abuse and exploitation, as well as barriers for Adult Protective Services (APS) and other social service agencies seeking to prevent and stop the abuse. Megan plans to serve older adults experiencing abuse and improve collaboration with APS and other providers through outreach and training.
“Megan’s experience and strong understanding of the legal issues that impact poor and marginalized people in her community will allow her to better serve older adults seeking services to combat abuse and exploitation,” said Allie Yang-Green, senior program manager at Equal Justice Works. “We look forward to seeing the impact of her work at Prairie State Legal Services as part of the Elder Justice Program.”
The Elder Justice Program mobilizes 22 Fellows (lawyers) across the country to address the gap in civil legal services for victims of elder abuse and exploitation, with a special emphasis in serving rural communities. Fellows serve at legal services organizations for a two-year term, and are part of a nationwide cohort aimed at increasing coordinated, multidisciplinary responses to the victimization of older adults. Fellows in the program work as full-time employees and are attorneys licensed and admitted to practice in the applicable jurisdiction.
Learn more about Megan and her project at equaljusticeworks.org.