CREATING SYSTEMIC IMPROVEMENTS FOR LGBT OLDER ADULTS A model for Area Agencies on Aging Presenters Jay Kaplan, Staff Attorney, ACLU of Michigan – LGBT Project Kathleen LaTosch, Director, AAA-LGBT Collaboration Jason Maciejewski, Chief Information and Planning Officer, The Senior Alliance

Presentation Agenda Introductions & Welcome Learning Objectives About the LGBT Older Adult Coalition The Pilot Project Project Framework Policy Change Procedure Change Communicating the Changes Audience Q & A

Introductions & Welcome About the Presenters Jay Kaplan, Staff Attorney, ACLU of Michigan’s LGBT Project Co-Chair, LGBT Older Adult Coalition Jason Maciejewski, Chief Information & Planning Officer, The Senior Alliance Area Agency on Aging 1-C (MI) Kathleen LaTosch Director, AAA-LGBT Collaboration LGBT Older Adult Coalition LaTosch Consulting

Primary Learning Objectives 1.Learn best practices for asking questions and documenting information about sexual orientation & gender identity. 2.Learn how to encourage agency administration to pass non-discrimination policies. 3.Learn how to avoid pitfalls and prepare for unseen challenges in doing this work.

About the LGBT Older Adult Coalition In 2010, a number of organizations came together in Southeast Michigan – a seven county region, including the City of Detroit - to assess the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender older adults in the area.

About the LGBT Older Adult Coalition Our Goals: 1.Reduce isolation and increase social connection 2.Provide information, access and advocacy on health care and housing 3.Improve and increase LGBT competent care in community-based and institutional settings 4.Increase the competency of LGBT older adults to manage their own affairs

Atiba’s Story

About the LGBT Older Adult Coalition Fact about LGBT Older Adults: 1.90% of LGBT older adults have no children to help care for them; compare to just 20% of heterosexual older adults. 2.70% of LGBT older adults live alone; compared to 30% heterosexual older adults. 3.LGBT older adults are nearly 3 times as likely to live in poverty as heterosexual older adults.

The Pilot Project It is estimated that LGBT people make up 2-5% of the population. Based on 3% of the population, that means there are approximately 13,000 LGBT Older Adults living in the Metro Detroit Area.

The Pilot Project Only 1% come to LGBT organizations for service and support, just 130 older adults. The AAAs serving Metro Detroit receive nearly 150,000 calls collectively each year. We estimate that 4,500 of those calls involve LGBT older adults concerns – 3%.

The Pilot Project Pilot Project Process Project Framework – setting up the objectives, building a collaboration. Changing Policies Changing Procedures Communicating the Changes

The Pilot Project Pilot Project Framework How the collaboration model was developed The Senior Alliance – a shared story of being invited to the table Key Success Elements in setting up the collaboration

The Pilot Project AAA-LGBT Collaborative Pilot Project Objectives 1.Expand LGBT cultural competency among all call operators with three Area Agencies on Aging 2.Enable call operators to provide referrals for LGBT-affirming resources. 3.Provide support to adopt sexual orientation and gender identity into existing non-discrimination policies. 4.Launch a joint communications campaign to increase public awareness about the availability of referrals for LGBT elders. 5.Document process and share with other communities.

The Pilot Project Pilot Project Framework How the collaboration model was developed The Senior Alliance – a shared story of being invited to the table Key Success Elements in setting up the collaboration

The Pilot Project Pilot Project Framework How the collaboration model was developed The Senior Alliance – a shared story of being invited to the table Key Success Elements in setting up the collaboration

The Pilot Project Pilot Project Framework Key Success Elements: Framework created together by partners Three agencies in collaboration 3 rd Party Project Manager Designed as learning model Rotating meeting location Food!

The Pilot Project Pilot Project Process Project Framework – setting up the objectives, building a collaboration. Changing Policies Changing Procedures Communicating the Changes

The Pilot Project Objective: Changing Policies Making the case - Why is policy change important? Which policies need to be changed? The Senior Alliance – a shared story of policy change Key Success Elements for policy changes

The Pilot Project Objective: Changing Policies Making the case - Why is policy change important? Which policies need to be changed? The Senior Alliance – a shared story of policy change Key Success Elements for policy changes

The Pilot Project Objective: Changing Policies Making the case - Why is policy change important? Which policies need to be changed? The Senior Alliance – a shared story of policy change Key Success Elements for policy changes

The Pilot Project Objective: Changing Policies Key Success Elements: Early Executive support Three agencies – provided support, shared language and strategies for change with each other. Consultant provided best practices and examples of standard policy language.

The Pilot Project

Objective: Changing Procedures Summary of procedural changes - asking about sexual orientation and gender identity IT & database changes The Senior Alliance – an example best practice.

The Pilot Project

A Word About Training… National Resource Center on LGBT Aging - Best Practice documents Adapting training with practice sessions and role playing Learning along the way

The Pilot Project Objective: Changing Procedures Summary of procedural changes - asking about sexual orientation and gender identity IT & database changes The Senior Alliance – an example best practice.

The Pilot Project The Senior Alliance – audio recordingaudio recording

The Pilot Project Communicating the Changes YouTube content: Stories from Al, Atiba, Faith Website promotion – films shared by: AAAs: AAA1-B, D-AAA, The Senior Alliance AARP-Michigan Michigan Office of Services to the Aging LGBT orgs: LGBT Older Adult Coalition, ACLU of Michigan, Affirmations, Equality Michigan, KICK

Communicating the Changes YouTube content: Stories from Al, Atiba, Faith Website promotion News Coverage

Communicating the Changes YouTube content: Stories from Al, Atiba, Faith Website promotion News Coverage

Communicating the Changes YouTube content: Stories from Al, Atiba, Faith Website promotion News Coverage

The Pilot Project Communicating the Changes YouTube content: Stories from Al, Atiba, Faith Website promotion – films shared by: PR Firm – News coverage

Primary Learning Objectives 1.Learn best practices for asking questions and documenting information about sexual orientation & gender identity. 2.Learn best practices for encouraging agency administration to pass non-discrimination policies. 3.Learn how to avoid pitfalls and prepare for unseen challenges in doing this work.

Primary Learning Objectives 1.Learn best practices for asking questions and documenting information about sexual orientation & gender identity. National Resource Center on LGBT Aging guide for asking questions Employ an automated message to improve comfort Practice with community words and language, staff discomfort is biggest blockade to asking. Practice asking routinely, you won’t offend

Primary Learning Objectives 2.Learn best practices for encouraging agency administration to pass non-discrimination policies. Gain leadership support before engaging in project. Provide leadership with language alternatives. Triple collaboration provides opportunity to learn from one another and share strategies.

Primary Learning Objectives 3.Learn how to avoid pitfalls and prepare for unseen challenges. Be flexible – accommodate collaboration partner comfort levels, then test them and report back. Monthly Collaboration meetings – allowed project partners to stay on top of the project, monitor progress and share information.

Resources LGBT Older Adult Coalition of Michigan The National Resource Center on LGBT Aging The Senior Alliance Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) Questions?

THANK YOU! Jay Kaplan | Kathleen LaTosch | Jason Maciejewski |