Project MASTER Is a first step towards establishment of an Adult Protective Services (APS) training academy that will provide standardized, advanced level training for APS workers throughout the state of California. Academy staff works closely with APS staff in the southern California counties to determine the training needs of experience Adult Protective Services workers and their multidisciplinary partners. Then, staff works with nationally recognized experts to develop evidence based curriculum that is responsive to the identified training needs. Each curriculum is reviewed and critiqued by a Curriculum Advisory Committee, composed of APS workers, supervisors and managers who have an interest in training.

All training units are developed around a conceptual model.

Conceptual Model:
Project MASTER is based on a multi-level social work model for delivering standardized, advanced training modules. Every training unit will be centered around a case “type” (self neglecting senior, developmentally disabled, mentally ill, etc) that is considered most at risk for a specific type of abuse or that provides the most “teachable moments” around the top training needs. Each training unit will include the common threads of cultural sensitivity and responsiveness and ethics issues specific to APS cases.
(See PDF document of conceptual model)

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Advanced Training in Self Neglect
The overarching theme for Project MASTER’s first set of topics is “self neglect” and includes the following modules:

• Biopsychosocial assessment and diagnosis of self-neglect (the micro level).
• Engaging with reluctant clients and their family members to develop a workable service plan (the mezzo level).
• Legal and ethical issues central to working with self neglect (the macro level).