Many local actors, in both the public and private sectors, are continuously doing their best to protect and help older adults, while working within a fragmented elder protection system in North Carolina. Sustaining ongoing communication and coordination among themselves and with the relevant population is challenging for these local actors, including social services agencies, law enforcement officials, financial institutions, the judicial system, health-care providers, and private nonprofits. 

Since 2018, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) School of Government (hereinafter the School of Government) faculty members have been working to help increase connectivity among the local actors involved in elder protection. The project, called the North Carolina Elder Protection Network (EPN), has produced a manual, other written resources and tools, a website, and multiple trainings. A key focus of this project is helping communities/counties in North Carolina form and sustain multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) for elder protection. Two of the greatest challenges facing these teams are coordinating effectively to conduct their work and securing enough resources to do their work. The North Carolina EPN includes an online shared space for each county’s MDT, a discussion forum for statewide information sharing, and various other resources and tools.