A state advisory committee has recommended Montana direct $645,000 of federal COVID-19 recovery funds to increase efforts to fight exploitation of senior citizens by adding three elder councils to the state and hiring more staff to focus on crimes that hurt the elderly community.

Mark Mattioli, chief of the Office of Consumer Protection and Victim Services within the Montana Department of Justice, told the Montana Health Advisory Commission at its June 24 meeting that his agency has seen the need for such help for years and “frankly we are relieved you are reviewing it.”

“Senior exploitation can happen in several forms, but in whatever manner it occurs, it is devastating,” Mattioli said. He said such crimes against older people significantly decrease the quality of life of those who are victimized.

The funds would be used to hire two full-time prosecutors at the Montana Department of Justice to handle elder justice cases and to hire 1.5 investigators with the Department of Public Health and Human Services to handle elder justice matters. It would also be used to start up three more elder councils throughout the rest of the state and to reach out to tribal communities regarding issues impacting senior members.

The money would fund the programs for two years, state officials said.

Lynne Egan, deputy securities commissioner for the office of Securities and Insurance, said the Elder Justice Act, as authorized and funded through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, provides funds for “establishing, expanding, or enhancing state-wide and local-level elder justice networks for the purpose of removing bureaucratic obstacles and improving coordination across the many state and local agencies interacting with APS (Adult Protective Services) clients who have experienced abuse, neglect, or exploitation.”