Free Webinar – Elder Abuse and Faith: Navigating the Intersection

September 30, 2025 | 1:00-2:15pm PT | Virtual Zoom | Free

Faith plays a profound role in the lives of many older adults, shaping their worldview, providing comfort during difficult times, and influencing how they understand and respond to trauma. For those working with elder abuse survivors, understanding these faith dimensions isn’t just helpful—it’s essential for providing truly effective support.

Join Rev. Dr. Anne Marie Hunter and Alyson Morse Katzman from Safe Havens Interfaith Partnership Against Domestic Violence as they guide us through the complex intersection of faith, aging, and abuse. This isn’t about theology—it’s about practical understanding that can transform how we serve older adults in our communities.

What You’ll Learn

Deepen Your Cultural Competency – Understand why faith matters so deeply to many older adults and how it influences their decision-making, healing processes, and willingness to seek help.

Navigate Complex Responses – Learn to anticipate how different faith backgrounds may affect an older survivor’s responses to abuse, including barriers to reporting and unique pathways to healing.

Build Strategic Partnerships – Discover proven approaches for collaborating with faith leaders to create safer environments and expand support networks for vulnerable older adults.

Strengthen Your Practice – Walk away with concrete tools and insights that honor the whole person—including their spiritual life—while maintaining professional boundaries.

Meet Your Expert Facilitators

Rev. Dr. Anne Marie Hunter brings decades of experience as an ordained United Methodist pastor, seminary professor, parish pastor, and shelter advocate. As one of the founders of Safe Havens, she has published extensively on faith communities’ role in addressing abuse and received multiple awards for her interfaith and anti-violence work. Her approach is deeply grounded in understanding marginalized communities without proselytizing in professional spaces.

Alyson Morse Katzman holds a Master’s in Public Administration and co-leads Safe Havens’ local and national programs. With specialized experience in Jewish communal responses to violence, she currently oversees their technical assistance work, infrastructure development, and partnership building across diverse faith communities.

Together, they are approved by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to provide training and technical assistance on interfaith collaborations. Their work is part of the OVW’s Abuse in Later Life initiative, and they’ve trained advocates, faith leaders, and service providers nationwide.

Who Should Attend

This session is essential for social workers, victim advocates, healthcare providers, legal professionals, aging services staff, and anyone who works with older adults. Whether you’re faith-based yourself or work in secular settings, you’ll gain valuable insights for serving older adults more effectively.

Why This Matters

Elder abuse often happens in isolation, but faith communities represent one of the largest networks of support for older adults. When we understand how to work respectfully and effectively across these communities, we exponentially expand our ability to protect and support those who need it most.

This webinar is part of the Elder Abuse Task Force webinar series and is free to attend. Registration is required.

Register: https://dub.sh/api-sept30