The Elder Justice Unit, formed in 2023, works to protect and promote the safety and well-being of elders through enforcement actions, legislative advocacy, and community engagement and education.  By creating this Unit, we are prioritizing the rights of elderly residents to live with dignity – free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. 

Specifically, the Elder Justice Unit will work with staff from the Attorney General’s Criminal, Public Protection and Advocacy, and Health Care and Fair Competition Bureaus to: 

• Convene internal and external elder justice groups to listen to priorities and ongoing issues 
• Enhance the existing work of the office to prosecute the abuse and exploitation of vulnerable older adults, including in the areas of long-term care, financial exploitation and scams 
• Work with the AG’s Community Engagement Division to conduct intentional outreach to elders 
• Advocate for state and national policy that aligns with and advances the work of the Elder Justice Unit 

About the speaker:

Valerie Frias is the Deputy Director in the Elder Justice Unit. Immediately prior to joining the AGO, Val was the Chief Executive Officer of Ethos, where she was responsible for providing vision, leadership, and direction for the organization’s programs, services, and activities for older adults and disabled individuals. Val has served as counsel for state and federal legislative committees, counsel at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, as well as in private law practice experience over the course of her career. She clerked for Justice Robert Berdon at the Connecticut Supreme Court upon her graduation from law school.