National Collaboratory to Address Elder Mistreatment 2026–2027 Mentorship Program Cohort
About the Program
As the nation’s health system expands its focus on and commitment to improving care for the growing population of older adults, the National Collaboratory to Address Elder Mistreatment (NCAEM) recognizes that improving elder mistreatment identification, intervention, and prevention requires supporting people with a broad range of interests and careers. We are pleased to support this talent pipeline with the annual NCAEM Mentorship Program. Please feel free to contact us (ncaem@edc.org) with questions, scroll down to meet the 2026–2027 NCAEM Mentorship Program Cohort, and meet our prior cohorts from 2025–2026, 2023–2024, and 2022–2023.
Meet the 2026–2027 NCAEM Mentorship Program Cohort
We are excited to welcome the new cohort of the NCAEM Mentorship Program. This year’s cohort is composed of professionals from a diverse array of clinical, practitioner, and research backgrounds who are dedicated to addressing elder mistreatment through their work.
Dr. Elizabeth Avent is a postdoctoral fellow on the National Social Life, Health & Aging Project (NSHAP) at NORC at the University of Chicago. She completed her PhD in Gerontology at the University of Southern California and her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and her Master of Arts in Gerontology at Georgia State University. Her research uses a life-course perspective to examine how early-life adversity and life transitions impact health, relationships, and experiences of abuse in later life, with a focus on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), intimate partner violence, elder mistreatment, caregiving, and cognitive decline. She also examines how major life transitions, such as retirement and caregiving, affect relationship quality and social networks, with a focus on how these transitions may heighten risk for elder mistreatment or later-life intimate partner violence. She aims to identify risk and protective factors across the lifespan to inform the development of prevention and intervention strategies that are both trauma-informed and strengths based. Liz’s mentorship program project will focus on distinguishing factors between elder mistreatment and later-life intimate partner violence (IPV).
Dr. Diana Treviño Cervantes is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, where she brings more than two decades of experience in infectious disease epidemiology, public health practice, and infection prevention. She previously served as Regional Chief Epidemiologist for a 49-county area in North Texas and as an Infection Prevention Manager in a major medical center, leading outbreak response, surveillance system development, and quality improvement initiatives. Dr. Cervantes holds an MS in Gerontology, an MPH, and a DrPH in Epidemiology, and multiple professional certifications, including Certification in Infection Prevention and Control (CIC) and Long-Term Care Certification in IPC. She is also a Certified Nursing Home Ombudsman, which informs her commitment to resident rights, autonomy, and safety in long-term care settings. Her current work focuses on resident-centered infection prevention and the development of the Infection Control Advocate and Resident Education (ICARE) program, which integrates person-centered care, resident empowerment, and infection control best practices in nursing homes. Diana’s mentorship program project will focus on the intersection of resident-centered infection prevention and elder mistreatment prevention in nursing homes.
Raeann Cruz, LMSW, is a Licensed Master Social Worker and mental health professional currently working at the Bexar County Jail. In her role, she conducts comprehensive mental health assessments with incarcerated individuals, many of whom present with complex trauma histories, cognitive decline, and significant unmet medical and social needs. Through this work, Raeann has developed a strong interest in the intersection of aging, vulnerability, and systemic barriers particularly how older adults in carceral settings experience heightened risks for mistreatment, misdiagnosis, and neglect. In addition to her clinical work, Raeann serves as a Graduate Research Assistant, contributing to research projects focused on mental health, social determinants of well-being, and vulnerable populations. Her growing research interests include elder mistreatment, dementia-related behavioral symptoms, and the criminalization of medically underserved older adults whose needs often go unrecognized in justice settings. Raeann is passionate about trauma-informed care, equitable access to services, and developing interventions that protect vulnerable older adults. She aims to bridge clinical practice, research, and advocacy to promote safer and more responsive systems of care. Her long-term goals include advancing elder justice initiatives, improving assessment practices for aging adults, and contributing to policy changes that support the safety, dignity, and rights of older adults across diverse environments. Raeann’s mentorship program project will focus on the impact of incarceration on older adults’ mental health.
Marti DeLiema, PhD, is a gerontologist and Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota. She is the Associate Director of Education for the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation (CHAI) at the University of Minnesota, and the faculty advisor for the student-led Aging Studies Interdisciplinary Group. She also holds the 2024-2025 Fesler Lampert Chair in Aging Studies. Using both quantitative and qualitative research methods, Dr. DeLiema studies financial victimization using focus groups, in-depth interviews, surveys, and panel data. She regularly collaborates with financial institutions, AARP, the FINRA Foundation, and federal protection agencies to analyze victimization risk factors and test efforts to inoculate consumers from fraud and abuse through enhanced consumer education and advance care planning interventions. Her research is funded by the National Institute of Justice, the National Institute on Aging, the Social Security Administration, the Administration for Community Living, AARP, and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. Prior to joining the School of Social Work, Dr. DeLiema was a Research Scholar at the Stanford Center on Longevity and graduated with her doctorate from USC School of Gerontology. Marti’s mentorship program project will focus on examining the effectiveness of peer support and individual therapy sessions on key fraud recovery outcomes.
Dr. Sheri Gibson received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Geropsychology from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS). She is an instructor and clinical supervisor for the Psychology Department at UCCS and a faculty affiliate with the UCCS Gerontology Center. Dr. Gibson serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, is a member of the Research Committee for the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA), and a founding member of the Pikes Peak Elder Justice Center. In addition to being an advocate for elder justice, Dr. Gibson has a private psychotherapy and consultation practice, which includes provision of capacity evaluations, expert testimony, consultation, and training. Sheri’s mentorship program project will focus on developing a conceptual model and resources regarding financial exploitation in older adults.
Tracy Keibler is the Founder and Executive Director of START Senior Solutions, a Minnesota-based education and advocacy nonprofit that provides no-cost, high-acuity support to older adults and caregivers navigating complex medical, housing, and care challenges. Since 2012, START has served more than 8,000 people through a mix of high-acuity casework, dementia-informed advocacy, and prevention-focused education. Tracy is recognized for her compassion and formidable advocacy for older adults, and for guiding START’s expertise in complex care navigation and safe care transitions. Her work routinely supports individuals who lack reliable caregivers, where risks of mistreatment, unsafe discharge, or unmet care needs are often greatest. Through this frontline experience, she has developed a uniquely comprehensive view of system-driven gaps that place medically frail or cognitively impaired older adults at risk. Tracy previously served on the Minnesota Board on Aging, including as Vice Chair to the Board and Chair of Public Policy. She co-founded the Long-Term Care ReThink Tank with Dr. Robert Kane at the University of Minnesota and presented at the Mayo Clinic Dementia Conference. She is the author of the Amazon bestseller Start Winning Medicare Appeals and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Iowa with an MA in Gerontology from Bethel University. Tracy’s mentorship program project will focus on developing a conceptual model and resources for older adults aging alone.
Dr. Rujeko Machinga-Asaolu, a native of Mutare, Zimbabwe, is an Assistant Professor at Boise State University and a certified social worker. She holds a Bachelor’s in Biochemistry, a Master of Science in Community Health Education, a Master of Science in Social Work, a Master in Couple and Family Therapy, and a Ph.D. in Social Work. Her scholarly work focuses on intimate partner violence, with a particular emphasis on post-traumatic growth among survivors. Her interest in intimate partner violence prevention among underrepresented populations like immigrants and late life older adult led to her appointment by the Mayor of Lexington to the city’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition. A former Board Member for the Association for Gerontology in Social Work Education, Dr. Machinga-Asaolu has been honored with multiple awards at the local, national, and international levels for her leadership and contributions to social work, education, and advocacy. Some of these include the Gerontological Society of America Diversity Mentoring and Career Development Fellowship and the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work Pre-Dissertation fellowship. She is deeply passionate about advancing research, policy, and practice to prevent elder mistreatment and improve the well-being and protection of older adults in vulnerable communities. Rujeko’s mentorship program project will focus on examining intimate partner violence (IPV) in older adults using large-scale datasets to identify protective factors and explore pathways to resilience and post-traumatic growth.
Onyinye Faith Mbanefo is a doctoral student in Human Development and Family Science (Adult Development and Aging) at Virginia Tech and a research assistant at the Center for Gerontology. Where she recently completed and successfully defended her master’s thesis. Her research focuses on elder abuse and mistreatment among vulnerable, homebound older adults living in rural and geographically isolated communities. Her master’s research, Perspectives on Mistreated Homebound Older Adults Living in Geographically Isolated Communities, examined how practitioners —including Adult Protective Services staff, healthcare providers, faith leaders, and social workers — identify and respond to elder mistreatment, highlighting systemic barriers such as poverty, caregiver burden, and limited institutional support. Beyond academia, Onyinye is the founder of the Onyinye Mbanefo Foundation, a Nigerian nonprofit translating research into community-based action. In March 2025, the Foundation conducted its first outreach in Akwa Ibom State, providing health screenings, food support, and education on self-neglect to rural older adults. Her work has been recognized through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and competitive awards. Onyinye’s scholarship bridges research, community practice, and policy to advance the dignity and protection of older adults. Onyinye’s mentorship program project will focus improving recognition and response to elder mistreatment among homebound and geographically isolated older adults.
Azade Tabaie, PhD, is an AI Data Scientist at MedStar Health Research Institute and Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center. Her work focuses on applying AI and advanced clinical analytics to identify and prevent forms of violence affecting patients and healthcare providers. She is the Principal Investigator of an NIH-funded study developing AI-enabled tools to improve the detection of intimate partner violence (IPV) in emergency departments (ED), where under-identification remains a critical barrier to effective intervention. In parallel, she collaborates with the MedStar Workplace Violence Prevention Center to analyze patient safety event reports and identify patterns and contributing factors associated with workplace violence against healthcare staff. Dr. Tabaie’s broader research vision centers on harnessing electronic health record data and AI to better recognize vulnerable populations whose experiences of violence often go undetected in clinical settings. Building upon her prior work identifying clinical and social risk patterns among IPV survivors, she is expanding her research into elder mistreatment, with a particular focus on ED-based detection. Dr. Tabaie is committed to developing equitable, actionable, and clinically meaningful tools that support safer care for older adults. Azade’s mentorship program project will focus on developing improved screening methods for emergency medicine settings utilizing artificial intelligence.
April Wehrle has over 18 years of experience working in the interest of children and elder victims. She currently serves as the Senior Elder Services Coordinator of the Attorney General’s Elder Justice Unit and as staff to the Elder Abuse Commission. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, April served as a caseworker and a supervisor for Adult Protective Services and Children Services in Delaware County Ohio. April is certified in the Project FIND Advanced Forensic Interviewing Individuals with Disabilities. April serves on several statewide elder justice partnerships and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Ohio Coalition for Adult Protective Services. Her professional experience includes, hands on child and elder abuse investigations, training, and collaboration in the field of social services. April’s mentorship program project will focus on building a research-informed case advocating for amending Ohio law around elder sexual violence.
