Think about who is needed to resolve elder abuse cases 
effectively and efficiently.  Common core members may 
include:
•	 Adult Protective Services (APS)
•	 Aging services network personnel
•	 Geriatricians/physicians
•	 Law enforcement
•	 Prosecutors (District Attorneys)
•	 Psychologists/neuropsychologists
•	 Victim-witness advocates/victim service providers
CLICK ON HEADINGS FOR TIPS FOR STARTING AN MDT
What type of structure will work best for your community?  
What agencies and organizations should be involved in 
starting your team?
What is the purpose of your team?  Having a clear mission 
and vision early in the process of developing your team will 
help to keep everyone on track, working toward the same 
outcomes and providing clarity about how to measure 
success. 
The core of your MDT is the case review meeting itself.  
Ensure that presenters have the support they need to bring 
their case to the meeting by providing clear information 
about intake policy and procedures, presentation guidelines 
and by providing emotional support as needed.
Create a mechanism for evaluating team performance and 
making needed adjustments. Managing an MDT requires 
ongoing commitment and resources.
Maintain periodic and ongoing training, both formal and 
informal, particularly as new members arrive, protocols 
and policies change, and the political landscape shifts. EJI 
has many educational resources and webinars that 
may help your team.
•	 Clearly understand and agree upon interpretations of 
your state laws and statues
•	 Identify someone to serve as the coordinator 
•	 Create MOUs for participating agencies
•	 Write protocols
1.	 Shared Decision-Making
2.	 Partnership
3.	 Interdependency
4.	 Balanced Power
5.	 Transparent Process
Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only. Any 
person depicted in the licensed material is a model.
WHAT IS A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM (MDT)? 
MDTs are defined as a group of people comprised of representatives from three or more disciplines working 
collaboratively, bound by a common purpose, with a shared definition of the problem they are addressing.
	
CHOOSE A STRUCTURE
	
DEFINE YOUR MISSION AND VISION
	
RECRUIT PARTICIPANTS
	
PLAN FOR SUCCESS BY INCORPORATING THESE 
5 PRINCIPLES
	
DEVELOP ORGANIZATIONAL RULES 
	
HOST MEETINGS
	
REFINE YOUR WORK AS YOU PROCEED
ELDER ABUSE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM
Quick Start Guide
	
KEEP YOUR TEAM INFORMED