The Jewish Federations of North America were a major advocate and key researcher on the guidance, part of our ongoing effort to better serve this vulnerable population.

On January 12, 2017, the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL) sent the national Aging Services Network a formal set of guidelines for providing services to Holocaust Survivors. This guidance is the result of years of Federation advocacy efforts to include language in the Older Americans Act (OAA) that specifically addresses Survivors’ unique needs.

The guidance provides state agencies and local providers with information to consider when providing services to Holocaust Survivors, with a focus on person-centered, trauma-informed approaches to mental and physical health, nutrition, transportation, caregiver support, outreach, legal and other services. Download the ACL Guidance Outreach and Service Provision PDF.

The guidelines were issued to fulfill a requirement in the 2016 reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, which stated that the Secretary for Aging shall “issue guidance to States, that shall be applicable to States, area agencies on aging, and providers of services for older individuals, with respect to serving Holocaust survivors, including guidance on promising practices for conducting outreach to that population.”

Following the reauthorization of the OAA, Federation worked hand-in-hand with ACL and experts throughout the aging and Holocaust survivor services field to collect best practice recommendations, the majority of which is contained within ACL's finalized guidance. We believe this guidance will help to ensure that Holocaust survivors are able to live their final years with dignity and respect.