The Elder Fraud Prevention and Response Networks Development Guide provides step-by-step materials to help communities form networks to increase their capacity to prevent and respond to this crime. The Guide is the result of the CFPB’s work with Adult Protective Services, financial institutions, legal aid organizations, senior service providers, and others on the issue of elder financial exploitation.

Specifically, the Guide offers planning tools, templates, and exercises to help stakeholders complete the following key tasks in the creation of a new network or to refresh or expand an existing one.

• Plan a stakeholder retreat and training event. A retreat is an effective way to rally stakeholders and community leaders together to create or enhance an existing collaborative network. The guide offers tools for gathering a core team of key community members to help plan logistics and reach out to key community stakeholders.
• Host a retreat. How you conduct a retreat can set the tone for your network. The guide offers group exercises to provide opportunities for collaboration and make sure everyone’s voice is heard during a retreat.
• Reconvene and establish your network. After hosting a retreat, it’s important to bring community stakeholders back together to determine next steps toward addressing the potential priorities identified at the retreat. The guide provides materials for this follow-up.
• Expand network capabilities. After your network establishes priorities, you’ll be able to use our materials to leverage working groups to reach goals, engage the community, and grow the engagement and influence of the network.