Integrated Behavioral Health Service Models for Older Adults

Integrated Behavioral Health Service Models for Older Adults CE Course (PDF document) – Online CE Course

Integrated Behavioral Health Service Models for Older Adults CE Course objectives, description, and outline

Course Objectives:

• Describe at least two the structural and policy-level factors that contribute to fragmentation of behavioral health services for older adults across public systems.
• Discuss at least one role of state units on aging and area agencies on aging in coordinating care for older adults with serious mental illness.
• Describe at least one evidence-based strategy for improving integrated behavioral health service delivery and crisis response for older adult populations.

Course Description:

The number of older adults in the United States, and their share of the population, will continue to increase over the next several decades. The increase in the number of older adults with serious mental illness (SMI) will present new challenges to public mental health systems and systems on aging. This paper begins with a brief description of the shifting demographics of older adults in the United States and older adults served by the public mental health system. It continues with a discussion of ways in which state mental health agencies (SMHAs) can coordinate policy and care with other agencies, such as state units on aging and area agencies on aging. The paper presents several examples – from Colorado, Indiana, New York, Oregon, and Tennessee – of innovative ways to coordinate treatment, improve the workforce serving older adults, and ensure that crisis services are capable of meeting the needs of older adults.

Course Outline:

1. 1. Introduction
   2. Overview of Older Adults and SMI
      1. The Transition to Older Adulthood
      2. Prevalence and Demographics of Older Adults
      3. Older Adults with SMI
   3. State Structure of Services for Older Adults
      1. The Older American Act
      2. Area Agencies on Aging
      3. State Units on Aging
      4. State Mental Health Agencies and Older Adults
   4. Community Mental Health System Opportunities
      1. Coordinating Behavioral Health Care of Older Adults
      2. Supporting People Living with Behavioral Health Conditions in Long-Term Care Settings
      3. Ensuring that Crisis Services Can Meet the Needs of Older Adults
   5. State Initiatives to Address the Behavioral Health Needs of Older Adults
      1. Colorado
      2. Indiana
      3. New York
      4. Oregon
      5. Tennessee
   6. Conclusion

Instructors: Nicole Hiltibran, MA, LMFT; Julie Campbell, Phd

Author: SAMHSA

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

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