Why was the website created?

All across North Carolina, professionals in state and local government are working to support adults who are in need of protection from abuse, neglect, and exploitation and to hold abusers accountable.

This project began with a goal of making clerks of court more helpful to their communities and quickly evolved to provide resources for other stakeholders in the system. The evolution was driven by site visits on the topic of adult protection with interested stakeholders across the state, including law enforcement officials; clerks of court; judges; social services directors, staff, and attorneys; private attorneys; and prosecutors.

Our Goals

Understand

We want stakeholders across the state to understand how the different parts of North Carolina’s adult protection system work together. Often, professionals in the system understand their own work but find it difficult to coordinate with others because they do not quite understand the role and limitations of other agencies and organizations involved with vulnerable adults.

Connect

We want professionals to connect with others involved in adult protection to share ideas and build knowledge, by fostering connections within local communities and with peers across the state.

Who created this website?

Faculty and staff from the UNC School of Government collaborated to develop the resources and tools available on this website. The project was originally funded through a contract with the North Carolina Conference of Clerks of Superior Court and the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts. Funding support was also provided by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services.

We are grateful for the insight provided during interviews and focus groups in Cumberland, Johnston, Pitt, Mecklenburg, Ashe, and Alamance counties. Thank you to the members of the Adult Protection Network’s Advisory Committee for providing support regarding content, tools, and website development.

Who are the “adults in need of protection”?

A person 18 years of age or older is an adult. At any time, an adult may be “in need of protection” due to physical or mental incapacity and may look to law enforcement officials, a department of social services, health care providers, family, or others for assistance. In the context of the resources on this website, we may refer to adults in a variety of circumstances, including the following:

Disabled Adults

Many adults, both old and young, have disabilities. Some adults with a disability may need to be protected from potential abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Under North Carolina law, local social services agencies are responsible for implementing a program referred to as “adult protective services” or APS. This governmental authority extends only to those who are “disabled adults,” as that term is defined in state law (see G.S. 108A-101(d)).

Older Adults

Initial funding for this website came from grant funding focused on elder abuse. As a result, many materials refer to “older adults.” Some North Carolina laws extend protection to adults over 60 while others focus on adults over 65.

Person Under Guardianship (or “Incompetent Adult”)

If a clerk of court determines that an adult is incompetent, the clerk will appoint someone to serve as that individual’s guardian. This appointed guardian, with the oversight of the court system, will be able to provide some protection to an adult.

Victims

If an adult has been abused, neglected, or exploited, we may refer to the adult as a “victim.” In many cases, the circumstances may be considered a crime under federal or state law and the adult would be a crime victim. Even if a perpetrator is not charged with a crime, the adult would still be considered a victim.

Vulnerable Adults

This is an umbrella term that is sometimes used to describe adults in any of the above categories if those adults are “in need of protection.”

The terminology will vary as it appears in resources throughout this website. We strive to be precise in our use of terms; for example, if a resource is focused on guardianship, it will likely refer to a person under guardianship or an incompetent adult.

Why do many of the resources on this site focus on elder abuse and older adults?

The Adult Protection Network’s funding originally focused on elder abuse and older adults. Over time, we have expanded the resources, training, and support available through the Adult Protection Network to address concerns facing other adult populations as well. Although some of these resources are focused on older adults, they should be useful for officials who work with all adults in need of protection.

Want to purchase or download the manual?

The manual may be downloaded free of charge or a print version is available through UNC Press. The free download would not have been possible without funding support from the North Carolina Conference of Clerks of Superior Court, the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, and the NC Governor’s Crime Commission through PROJ012303: NCCCSC AOC Elder Abuse & Financial Exploitation 2017.

Legal Framework for North Carolina’s Elder Protection System