Thirty-four years at the same table.
The East Tennessee Elder Justice Coalition is the longest-running elder abuse awareness and prevention effort in Tennessee. We are not a service provider. We are the place where the agencies that respond to elder abuse plan together.
Our history
Three names, one continuous effort. The work started before most states had an elder abuse coalition at all, and it has met without interruption ever since.
East Tennessee Elder Abuse Coalition
A handful of agencies — adult protective services, legal aid, law enforcement, and aging services — began meeting to compare cases and close the gaps between them. Elder abuse was barely a public conversation at the time.
East Tennessee ElderWatch
The coalition took the ElderWatch name and pushed outward — public awareness campaigns, information fairs, training for bank tellers and first responders, and a growing network of county-level groups doing the same work close to home.
East Tennessee Elder Justice Coalition
The current name reflects a wider brief: justice, not only watchfulness. We convene 16 counties, host the annual Tennessee Elder Justice Conference in Gatlinburg, and advocate in the public, private, and legislative sectors.
A project of ETHRA
The Coalition is a project of the East Tennessee Human Resource Agency (ETHRA) and its East Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability — the regional body designated to plan and coordinate services for older adults and adults with disabilities across the 16-county region.
That partnership is why the Coalition has staff support, a home for its funds, and a direct line into the aging services network. It is also why our work stays regional rather than drifting toward any single agency's caseload.
Who sits at the table
- Adult Protective Services
- Sheriff's offices and local police
- District attorneys and legal aid
- Hospitals, geriatrics, and home health
- Banks and credit unions
- Elder law attorneys
- Long-term care ombudsman
- Faith communities and senior centers
- Family caregivers
Mission and advocacy
Empower consumers by advancing prevention through awareness, education, and community-based activity.
We work with state and county agencies on how reports are received, triaged, and followed up — and where cases fall through.
Banks, credit unions, and care providers are often the first to see exploitation. We train them to name it and act.
We speak to lawmakers about elder abuse issues, solutions, and prevention — with the evidence our members see every week.
County affiliate groups
County-based affiliate groups are the core of the effort. The regional coalition sets direction and shares materials; the county groups do the work where people actually live.
They meet regularly
Usually monthly or quarterly, at a senior center, library, or agency office. Anyone who works with older adults is welcome.
They know local gaps
Which nursing home has no transportation, which bank branch keeps catching wire fraud, which church can reach homebound neighbors.
They act on them
Information fairs, awareness campaigns, training sessions, and referral relationships that outlast any one staff member.
Start one
We will help you find the first five people, set an agenda, and get materials. Call or email the Coalition coordinator below.
Contact us
The Coalition coordinator role is in transition. Until the new contact is posted here, reach us through our Facebook page or through ETHRA and the East Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability. If you are reporting suspected abuse, call the state hotline instead — it is answered 24 hours a day.
Tennessee Adult Protective Services. You do not need proof, and you can stay anonymous. Report online at reportadultabuse.dhs.tn.gov.