Pennsylvania’s Secretary of the Department of Aging has been appointed to the advisory boards of two national organizations focused on addressing elder abuse and promoting healthy aging.
Jason Kavulich previously served as the director of Lackawanna County’s Area Agency on Aging, where he helped to develop the Older Adult Advocacy Center in Scranton.
Kavulich recently joined the board for the National Collaboratory to Address Elder Mistreatment at the Education Development Center, which brings experts together to create a more efficient model for identifying and addressing elder abuse.
“We are honored to have Secretary Kavulich’s and Pennsylvania’s perspective and expertise on our advisory board as we work to mainstream elder mistreatment response as a vital component of care for older adults,” said the National Collaboratory’s project director, Kristin Lees Haggerty.
Kavulich was also named to the board of directors of ADvancing States, a national association with a mission to “design, improve, and sustain state systems delivering long-term services and supports for older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers.”
“Secretary Kavulich is a remarkable leader in the field of aging and has a deep commitment to addressing elder abuse,” said Martha Roherty, executive director of ADvancing States. “We congratulate Jason for becoming a strategic advisor to the National Collaboratory to Address Elder Mistreatment. As a board member for ADvancing States, Jason is in a unique position to help our members raise awareness of and respond to elder mistreatment.”
Under Kavulich’s leadership, Pennsylvania’s Department of Aging, in partnership with Governor Shapiro’s administration, developed Aging Our Way, PA, a 10-year plan that will reinforce aging services in the Commonwealth. The department also announced the Comprehensive Agency Performance Evaluation (CAPE), which reworks the system for monitoring the performance of Area Agencies on Aging across the state.
Kavulich looks forward to implementing the work he’s been doing in Pennsylvania at the national level while learning from other aging professionals from across the country.
“Pennsylvania is the fifth-oldest state in the nation by population. So it’s vital that we become part of the national conversation, exchanging best practices and models for how we can ensure that older adults can stay safe, thrive and continue to contribute to their communities,” he said.
