CCUL Donation to Fund Production of Web-Based Elder Abuse Protection Training

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – The California Credit Union League has donated $5,000 to the Elder Financial Protection Network to help finance the production of a Web-based version of the organization's award-winning Be Wise video training program, which trains employees of financial institutions to recognize and report suspected financial abuse of the elderly. "The League has worked with the Elder Financial Protection Network for several years, and is pleased to assist in its latest effort to prevent financial abuse of the elderly," said David L. Chatfield, president and CEO of the California and Nevada Leagues. The move comes as proposed elder abuse legislation, which requires financial institution employees to report suspected abuse, awaits a third reading and vote on the California Assembly floor. However, League Representative Mark Lowe said the timing of the donation is coincidental. "This project has been in the works for several months, preceding the proposed elder abuse legislation," Lowe said, adding that the web-based training will be quite similar to existing video-based training EFPN has made available to credit unions for the past two years. "It will be helpful for credit unions even if SB 1018 doesn't become law," Lowe said, "but if it does, this type of training will become indispensable, because credit union staff will be required to know how to detect suspected instances of financial abuse." A Beta version of the Web-based module is expected to be completed in mid-September, and EFPN expects to release the final version in mid-October. Once released, the training module will be accessible on the organization's website at www.bewiseonline.org. To accommodate institutions without high-speed Internet access, a DVD of the training module also will be available.