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Adapted from the Best Practice Notes by The Center for Social Gerontology The Center for Social Gerontology The Center for Social Gerontology, Inc. (TCSG), is a non-profit research, training and social policy organization dedicated to promoting the individual autonomy of older persons and advancing their well-being in society. TCSG's mission is to help society adapt to the dramatic increase in the numbers of old and very old, and to insure that older persons at all socio-economic and health levels are able to meet their needs and use their talents and abilities in a changing society. Introduction While Older Americans Act (OAA) programs and services are open to all older adults age 60 and over, the Act contains numerous requirements that limited program and service resources be targeted specifically to older adults with the greatest economic or social need.' Throughout the OAA's history, Congress has added clarification on groups of older persons to be particularly targeted. Beyond the Act's general targeting requirements, there are special provisions regarding legal assistance that place even greater emphasis on targeting legal services. However, while the OAA mandates targeting to those in greatest need, it also clearly prohibits the use of means testing to determine who is eligible to receive legal services, creating a challenge for state and area agencies as well as legal providers. This Issue Brief first describes the general targeting provisions in the OAA, and then examines additional requirements specific to legal services. It explores the challenge of how to effectively target limited legal resources to those in economic or social need if legal providers cannot say no to serving individuals based on income and assets. It concludes with guidance on approaches for fulfilling the OAA's targeting requirements while adhering to the means testing prohibition. The Issue Brief is adapted from The Center for Social Gerontology's Best Practice Notes: Targeting Older Americans Act Services Without Means Testing. Meeting the Challenge .2 General Targeting Requirements in the Older Americans Act The original purpose of the OAA in 1965 was to test ways to address the needs of all older persons. However, over the past 50 years, Congress has increasingly directed that limited OAA resources be targeted to older adults with the greatest social or economic need. This has included more fully identifying an increasing number of specific groups to receive particular attention in targeting efforts; for example, low-income minority individuals and those with limited English proficiency. The OAA defines greatest economic and social needs as: The term "greatest economic need" means the need resulting from an income level at or below the poverty line. The term "greatest social need" means the need caused by non -economic factors, which include: (a) physical and mental disabilities; (b) language barriers; and (c) cultural, social, or geographical isolation, including isolation caused by racial or ethnic status, that: (i) restricts the ability 1 See for example, 42 U.S. C. §3025(a)(2)(E). 2 The Center for Social Gerontology, Inc., Targeting Older A7nericansAct Services Without Means Testing: Meeting the Challenge, Best Practice Notes, Vol. 15, Nos. 1 &2 (July 2013), available at: tcsg.org/bpnotes/`iulyl3/,jtilyl3BPN.12d