Blackfeet TRIAD Program

Tribal victim service programs report that elder abuse is on the rise but continues to be underreported, particularly in Indian Country. Thus, OVC awarded funding to the Blackfeet Child and Family Advocacy Center (Blackfeet Center) for the development of a promising practice called TRIAD for offering support and assistance to older victims in Indian Country. TRIAD brings law enforcement, senior citizens, and local groups together to promote senior safety, reduce elder abuse, and enhance the delivery of law enforcement services to older persons. The first TRIAD program began in 1988 with the cooperation of the American Association of Retired Persons, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the National Sheriffs' Association. Since then, many TRIADs have been established and have increased public awareness and decreased victimization of older people.

OVC has adapted a TRIAD elder abuse program to fit an Indian Country setting—the Blackfeet Reservation, where 25 percent of the population, or about 1,500 persons, are considered elderly. The Blackfeet Center also has provided technical assistance to the Zuni tribe in developing an elder abuse program and conducted mentoring visits at four other Indian reservations to help them adapt the TRIAD model.

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