Territory of American Samoa, Adult Protective Services Program Operational Plan

State/Territory/District American Samoa 

Contact Director Evelyn Lili’o-Satele /Dr. Joan A Tofaeono

Budget Allocation

$ 86,060 APRA 1 

$ 163,646 ARPA 2 

$ 249,706 

Timeline $ 86,060 ARPA Grant 1 - (08/01 2021 - 09/01/2023)

$ 163,646 ARPA Grant 2 - (08/01 2022 - 09/01/2024)

TAOA APS Vision 2024 Elderly and disabled adults will be protected from all forms of abuse, neglect and 

financial exploitation with every resource available to ensure they are able to maintain 

happy, safe and independent lifestyles in the setting of their choice. 
Mission Statement To develop, improve, strengthen and maintain Adult Protective Services programs in the 

Territory of American Samoa through community empowerment in order to improve the 

safety and independence of older adults who are, or who may become victims, or potential 

victims of abuse, neglect, self-neglect or financial exploitation with the least amount of 

intervention possible.
Core Values APS Core Values

Elderly Adults have the right: 

● To be and to feel safe; 

● To live their lives as they wish; 

● To manage their own finances; 

● To live healthy and productive lives; 

● To enter into agreements unless a court adjudicates 

otherwise; and, 

● To accept or refuse services. 

APS Guiding Principles

● Service is provided with humility and cultural sensitivity that 

respects the integrity and authority of victims to make their 

own life choices. 

● Hold perpetrators, not victims, accountable for abuse, 

neglect and exploitive behavior and the responsibility for 

changing for the betterment of the elderly individual. 

● Appropriate Action takes into consideration the victim’s 

concepts of what safety and quality of life mean. 

● Recognize and Respond to the resilience by honoring the 

strategies that victims have used in the past to protect 

themselves. 

● Engage the victim in identifying his/her definition of 

‘success’; not what is determined only by others. 
GOALS AND PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE

Goal 1: 

Conduct investigations and provide services to the elderly adults in the community. 

Goal 2: 

Advocate and act to protect the elderly population from all forms of abuse. 

Goal 3: 

Respond responsibly and in a timely manner when providing assistance, support and guidance in accordance with the needs of the APS clients. 

Goal 4: 

Educate the community concerning the identification and prevention of abuse, neglect and exploitation of elderly adults through outreach, 

dissemination of information and fact sheets.

Goal 5:

Strengthen services and networking with APS partners in the American Samoa Government and Non-Governmental Organizations and the private 

sectors.
Improvement Projects 

1. Development of MOUs

a. To guide the cooperative efforts of community resources in the protection of the elderly

b. To ensure all related and reliable data is collected in a uniform manner

c. To ensure all data is available in a timely manner to ensure decisions and policies are based on well-informed information

2. Creation of APS Office Space

a. To enable confidential meetings between staff and/or clients

b. To provide a designated area for the further design and development of the APS program

c. To provide office space for the newly hired APS staff to conduct private and confidential interviews and discussions

3. Development of a cadre of APS community outreach staff

a. Adhere to the ASG DHR laws and regulations regarding the hiring process

b. Hire two new staff to perform APS outreach and other program duties

c. Provide training as recommended by the ACL

4. Development of outreach initiatives targeting senior citizen populations 

a. To introduce the community to the newly passed Elderly Protection Laws and what it means to all

b. To create awareness of the various forms of adult abuse, especially as it relates to financial exploitation and self-neglect

5. Purchase of Vehicle

a. To allow for unrestricted, 24-hour use of transportation for staff to carry out their duties and responsibilities of the program

b. Adhere to the ASG Procurement laws and regulations regarding the purchasing process

6. Travel

a. To enable APS staff to provide access to services to all communities of the Territory

b. To ensure all members of the remote islands of Manu’a and Aunu’u have full access to APS information and services

c. To conduct outreach and awareness training programs in the Manua islands

7. Advertisement

a. To provide an avenue for information to be disseminated throughout the community in a timely and up-to-date manner

b. To provide for printing, panel discussions, radio ads, newspaper ads, etc. to ensure all have access to APS information and services 
TARGETED IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

PURPOSE/NEEDS INPUTS 

Resources Deployed ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES LONG-TERM OUTCOMES

Utilize MOUs to guide the 

cooperative efforts of all 

agencies involved in the 

protection of the elderly, 

detailing responsibilities of 

each party to ensure there 

are no gaps or overlaps of 

service.

1. APS Team 

2. TAOA Staff 

3. Representatives of 

ASG agencies and other 

service-orientated 

agencies

Utilize MOUs to 

guide the cooperative 

efforts of all agencies 

involved in the 

protection of the 

elderly, detailing 

responsibilities of 

each party to ensure 

there are no gaps or 

overlaps of service.

1. APS Team 

2. TAOA Staff 

3. Representatives 

of ASG agencies and 

other serviceorientated agencies

Utilize MOUs to guide the 

cooperative efforts of all agencies 

involved in the protection of the 

elderly, detailing responsibilities of 

each party to ensure there are no gaps 

or overlaps of service.

1. APS Team 

2. TAOA Staff 

3. Representatives of ASG 

agencies and other serviceorientated agencies

Create office space for 

designing and creating

educational outreach

activities for Adult 

Protective Services 

programs.

Office supply centers 

TAOA Staff

Purchase filing 

cabinets, desks 

computers, printer, 

office supplies.

Dedicated office 

space within the 

TAOA compound

Office space is created to allow 

confidential and private interactions 

with clients will be conducive to 

allowing private and confidential 

interactions with clients.

Permanent space is available 

affording staff an opportunity 

to conduct in-house meetings, 

trainings and the development 

of training materials.

Develop a cadre of 

trainers responsible for 

conducting educational 

outreach programs targeting 

the community and 

vulnerable seniors, 

addressing the potential 

threat of financial 

exploitation, self-neglect 

and local laws as they relate 

specifically to seniors.

1. TAOA Personnel 

Department. 

2. ASG/DHR 

3. Attorney General's 

Office. 

4. Samoa News/Talanei 

Nei 

5. ACL Program 

Specialists 

1. Complete 

advertising for hiring 

processes as required 

by the ASG/DHR 

2. Schedule training 

opportunities with 

partner agencies.

A variety of outreach 

workshops designed 

to increase the 

community's 

knowledge and 

understanding of the 

threat of financial 

exploitation, 

avoidance of selfneglect and the legal 

protection of seniors.

A confirmed calendar of activities are 

developed, planned and 

implemented.

Senior citizens have a greater 

awareness of their rights, 

resources and services 

available to them to ensure 

they are able to maintain 

happy, safe and independent 

lifestyles in the setting of their 

choice.

Develop awareness and 

training programs for 

elderly adults to enable 

1. APS Team/ACL. 

2. Trained personnel 

from government 

1. Design and 

develop training 

workshops for the 

1. Regularly 

scheduled radio talkshows to address 

A determined set of community 

outreach in services ready to be 

Senior citizens have a greater 

awareness of their rights, 

resources and services 
them to master skills 

necessary to live 

independently in the least 

restrictive and safe 

environment and awareness 

of the potential for financial 

exploitation and selfneglect.

partners banking 

institutions, health care 

facilities

community 

2. Identify most 

vulnerable 

populations within 

the senior 

community 

3. Develop printed 

materials to address 

dedicated areas of 

APS concerns. 

4. Schedule bimonthly outreach 

activities

immediate concerns 

within the 

community. 

2. Regularly 

scheduled meetings 

with members of 

financial institutions. 

3. Regularly 

scheduled outreach 

activities with the

community.

presented as requested or as 

scheduled.

available to them to ensure 

they are able to maintain 

happy, safe and independent 

lifestyles in the setting of their 

choice.

Purchase of vehicle, fuel 

and general maintenance for 

outreach/educational 

transportation purposes.

1. Local automobile 

dealerships 

2. Office of 

Procurement 

 3. TAOA Finance 

Office

Submit Request for 

Bids for the 

procurement of a 

vehicle suitable for 

the transportation of 

staff and training 

materials to various 

sites on island.

Completion of 

procurement process

Use of unrestricted travel to ensure 

uninterrupted services to the 

community.

All areas of the community can 

and will be accessed by APS 

Outreach Team

Travel and conduct 

outreach projects to outer 

islands of the American 

Samoa archipelago

Manu'a Staff 

APS Team 

Local airlines 

Lodging facilities 

Village leaders 

 

 

Schedule, plan, 

conduct bi-annual 

outreach to Manu'a 

Island residents. 

Conduct periodic 

visitations to clients

All members of the 

Manu'a will have 

access to available 

information as it 

relates to financial 

exploitation, self 

neglect and other 

forms of adult abuse

Data will be collected. Residents 

of the Manu'a Islands will have equal 

access to available information

Senior citizens have a greater 

awareness of their rights, 

resources and services 

available to them to ensure 

they are able to maintain 

happy, safe and independent 

lifestyles in the setting of their 

choice.

Develop a plan for 

advertising in all media to 

ensure the community has 

access to current, up-to-date 

information regarding APS.

KVZK TV Station 

93KHJ Radio Station 

KSBS Radio Station 

Samoa News 

APS Team

Together with media 

staff, develop 

advertising events to 

directly target 

desired audiences.

Commercials, flyers, 

panel discussions, 

radio ads, 

Community 

Bulletins

Advertising will be developed to 

target and inform specific audiences 

of upcoming events and relevant 

information

The community will be wellinformed; aware of ongoing 

activities available to them and 

relevant, up-to-date 

information as it relates to the 

potential for becoming victims 

of abuse/neglect.
BUDGET FOR ARPA FUND - August 2022 - September 2024

Description

2022 

Period 2

2023 

Period 1

2023 

Period 2

2024 

Period 1

2024 

Period 2 Total

Project 1 Development of MOUs $5,000.00 $5,000.00

Project 2 Creation of office space $5,000.00 $5,000.00 $10,000.00

Project 3 Development of a cadre of APS 

community outreach staff

$37,426.50 $37,426.50 $37,426.50 $37,426.50 $149,706.00

Project 4 Development of outreach initiatives 

targeting senior citizen population

$2,500.00 $2,500.00 $2,500.00 $2,500.00 $10,000.00

Project 5 Purchase of vehicle $42,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $45,000.00

Project 6 Travel $5,000.00 $5.000.00 $5,000.00 $5,000.00 $20,000.00

Project 7 Advertisement $5,000.00 $2,500.00 $2,000.00 $500.00 $10,000.00

Total

$101,926.50 $53,426.50 $47,926.50 $46,426.50 $249,706.00