Risk & Resiliency Internship Project-NYC Elder Abuse Center (NYCEAC)

The blog post from the NYCEAC on September 12 discussed a very cool project,  the Risk and Resiliency Project (RRIP) that NYCEAC does with the Legacy Project. The internship allows undergrads for 7 weeks in the summer to examine elder abuse and neglect issues along with the positive strengths of adults who are elderly. The purpose of the internship program is:

to bring the invaluable lessons of older adults to tomorrow’s elder justice leaders. RRIP is specifically designed to educate undergraduate students about the value of older adults as well as the different types of abuse that can occur later in life. The resiliency side of the program brings interns and older adults together through use of The Legacy Project’s structured interview method. Using this scripted protocol, interns will facilitate dialogues with older adults about their lives and experience, ultimately learn about the value of older adults as an inspiring source of wisdom. The risk part of the program focuses on the many angles of elder abuse, providing interns with the opportunity to learn how to respond to elder abuse first hand by attending NYCEAC trainings, case management meetings, and multidisciplinary case conferences.

You can read more about the interns’ experiences as well as view short videos here and commentary from the 2013 interns can be found here.

Applications for the 2014 internships will be taken starting in January of 2014.

BTW, while we are mentioning the Legacy Project, be sure to check out their website.  The project was created in 2004 by Professor Pillemer at Cornell, who began to collect “the practical advice for living of America’s elders… [and] has systematically gathered nearly 1500 responses to the question: “What are the most important lessons you have learned over the course of your life?” People from across the country in their 70s and beyond shared their wisdom for living. … [with] advice … from how to be happy on a day-to-day basis, the secrets to a successful marriage, tips on raising children, ways to have a fulfilling career, strategies for dealing with illness and loss, and how to grow old fearlessly and well.”

I’m all about that!

Becky Morgan

Stetson Law