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Newsletters

Spring 2004

New Initiative by PA Coalition and DPW will Focus on Older Adults

Many older adults don't take advantage of mental health and substance abuse services even though they may need them. While one in four older adults needs help, only one in 20 gets some help. Why is that?

Some of the barriers to services that older adults often encounter may be the stigma of mental illness, the cost of care, the lack of knowledge on the part of primary care doctors or the difficulty in finding appropriate services.

A new initiative on the part of the Pennsylvania Mental Health and Aging Coalition and Estelle Richman, Pennsylvania's Secretary of Public Welfare, will identify the barriers, discover ways to overcome them and develop recommendations to make mental health and substance abuse services more accessible to older adults.

In the next few months, 20 focus groups will gather older adults (including older adult consumers) and providers throughout Pennsylvania to listen to how they look at the mental health needs of older adults and solicit their ideas on how to make it easier to get help and on improving the present system. The summary and recommendations to improve services will be completed sometime this summer.

The PA Coalition will conduct the focus groups in each of its five regions. Groups will take place in urban and rural areas. There will also be some groups for Hispanic and Asian older adults.

Here is a list of the groups and the contact person for each. To participate, please call:

Southeastern Pennsylvania
1 rural focus group (Hispanic), 3 urban
Contact: Corbitt Banks (215) 751-1800, x266

Central Pennsylvania
2 rural groups (1 Hispanic), 2 urban (1 Asian)
Contacts: Linda Shumaker (717) 531-8183
Jill Buhrman (717) 780-6180

Northeast Pennsylvania
4 rural groups (1 Hispanic)
Contact: Teresa Osbourne (570) 963-6740

Northwest Pennsylvania
3 rural groups, 1 urban (Hispanic)
Contacts: Alan May (814) 878-2113
Kathy Latimer (814) 878 - 3454

Southwest Pennsylvania
2 urban
2 rural
Contact: Dawn Hixson (724) 830-3625
Bonnie Popso 724-852-2893 X532

Pennsylvania Action Alert

Make Older Adult Mental Health Concerns a County Priority

Every county is now in the process of developing a plan for its mental health services. Under the new guidelines, counties need to choose their priorities for new funding. There will be public hearings in April and May.

Action

Recognition Grows for Older Adults' Concerns. Will It Result in Better Services?

Some positive events took place recently that indicates a growing public awareness of the importance of addressing the mental health needs of older adults. One example is the recent draft statement prepared by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) for its town hall meetings around the state. These hearings are in preparation for a four-year plan the department is developing. Second on the list of concerns was mental health. The background paper described the need to address treatment and coordination issues with health and aging services. One of the town hall meetings was held at the Center in the Park Senior Center in Philadelphia. The time allotted for discussion of mental health was filled with many stories of inadequate care and lack of resources. A report in June will describe how the PDA is going to address these issues.

Some dramatic changes took place on March 25 at the Mental Health Planning Council of the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. In the past, older adults were hardly a blip on the radar screen, with a representation of two out of 60+ members. But the transformation of the council into three committees (children's, adults', and older adults') means that older adult issues will be more easily recognized and dealt with. An additional plus for advocates is that the regional groups of the Pennsylvania Mental Health and Aging Coalition will become the local connection for the state planning board. This comes from a desire to increase communication between the state council and the local groups.

National Action Alert: Bush Administration Slashes Mental Health Services for Older Adults

An important development in improving mental health services for older adults took place in 2002 when Congress authorized $5 million to fund nine pilot projects throughout the country and a technical assistance center for older adults.

However, the Bush Administration's proposed budget eliminates all of this funding. The action has stunned the mental health and aging community, as it contradicts many of the findings and recommendations of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, which clearly advocated for developing models for serving older adults. This setback will have a significant impact on the development of services for older adults with mental illness.

Action Needed: Contact your Congressional Representatives - especially Senator Arlen Specter, who is on the Appropriations Committee. (See addresses below.) Send this message: Don't cut the funding for older mental health/substance abuse services. Instead, raise it to $20 million.

The Honorable (Name)
U. S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable (Name)
U. S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

A press conference is being planned for Older Adult Mental Health Week - May 23-29 - to unveil a campaign to reverse the cuts and increase funding for mental health/aging projects. Contact Tom Volkert at (215) 751-1800, x 266.

OACMHA Offers Principles for Older Adult Services

Recognizing the unique physical and mental health needs of older adults, the Older Adult Consumer Mental Health Alliance (OACMHA) has proposed 12 principles on which mental health services for older adults should be based. The draft core principles are:

1. Equality. All persons with mental health problems have equal access to treatment regardless of age, diagnosis, and the chronicity and severity of the illness or its age of onset.

2. Recovery-Focused Care. Recovery, wellness and maximized quality of life are possible at any age and are the goal of prevention and treatment.

3. Self-Determination and Choice. Throughout the course of treatment, older adults with mental health problems (and their family caregivers when appropriate) are involved in all aspects of their treatment planning, including choice of providers, medications and treatment options.

4. Early Identification and Diagnosis. Medical examinations, mental health evaluations and psychosocial assessments of older adults by public and private health care and social service providers include screenings for mental health disorders that are common among older adults.

5. Individualized, Holistic Care. Evaluation and treatments address older adults and their diverse needs in an individualized, holistic, non-fragmented manner, through timely delivery of services that are linguistically, culturally, ethnically and age appropriate.

6. Coordinated Services. Mental health, substance abuse, primary care, and aging service systems operate as one integrated and coordinated system at the federal, state and local levels.

7. Comprehensive Community Services. Mental health and primary care systems and services include prevention, targeted outreach, early intervention, in-home treatment, recovery and aftercare services, with transportation services available as needed.

8. Aging in Place. The need or change in level of need for mental health services does not precipitate an individual's move from the home environment. Every effort is made to allow individuals to maintain relationships with families, friends, peers and community supports and to include family caregivers in the decision-making process, when appropriate.

9. Geriatric Workforce Capacity. State officials promote and provide resources to maintain an adequate supply of multidisciplinary geriatric mental health specialists who are specifically trained and have expertise in delivery of service to older adults.

10. Sufficient Standards. Only service providers that meet required standards of care that include appropriate benchmarks and accountabilities are eligible for service contracts with and reimbursement by the publicly funded mental health system.

11. State Responsibility. State and regional mental health authorities dedicate resources to maintain at least one full-time staff person responsible for developing and implementing a coordinated system of care that addresses the total health needs of older adults who have mental health problems, including degenerative brain disorders such as Alzheimer's and other dementias.

12. Public Education. To counter misinformation, ignorance and stigma, federal, state and local mental health and aging authorities and organizations provide comprehensive community education regarding mental health, substance abuse and aging.

Philadelphia News: Senior Advocacy Team Moving Forward!

The Senior Advocacy Team (SAT) in Philadelphia started 2004 with their eyes toward progress and an uncertain climate for older adults, particularly those with mental health needs.

At the beginning of the year the SAT emerged with new leadership as Hikmah Gardiner passed the baton to the newly elected President, Nicky Donlen. In addition, the following officers were elected: Christine Reid, Vice President; Constance Savell, Secretary; Dan Bloom, Treasurer. This marks the first full slate of officers for the SAT. In addition, the board was expanded to 11 members (the original board had nine). The SAT is now positioning itself to become better organized and to strengthen its advocacy for older adults.

As part of this initiative, the board is taking on an increasing leadership role. In order to consolidate the board's ability to better serve the SAT and the older adult community, the Mental Health & Aging (MH&A) staff suggested a board retreat. The goal was to create an environment in which the board could feel secure in their ability to work together and better move the SAT forward.

Prior to the day-long retreat, a board member and the MH&A staff met with the facilitator, Elizabeth Kilo, to give her a sense of the board issues from the various perspectives.

During the retreat, Kilo was able to engage the board in processes that had them on their feet, thinking as teams, compromising, making group decisions and recognizing the talents that they each brought to the board. Staff participated but not in any decision-making capacity; their primary role was in facilitation. It was the board that did the work. As a result of the retreat, they are better equipped to make an impact on the serious challenges that older adults face daily.

These challenges include the rising cost of prescription drugs, the lack of mental health parity in Medicare, and the city's comprehensive plan for older adults that need mental health services.

The SAT is working hard to encourage its constituents to do what older adults always do - V-O-T-E - and to make sure that their candidates will support the issues that will improve the quality of life for older adults.

-Corbitt Banks

Senior Advocacy Team Board of Directors 2004

Mental Health and Long-Term Care Task Force Training: May 6-7th

The Mental Health and Long-Term Care Task Force (MHLTCTF) will be holding a training for direct care staff at the Belmont Center for Comprehensive Treatment, 4200 Monument Road, Philadelphia, on May 6, 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM, and May 7th, 8:30 AM - Noon. Each of the sessions will include an interactive presentation on aging sensitivity and a talk on how to recognize and handle mental health problems in older adults.

Contact Jennifer Romanski for info and registration at (215) 561-2919.

Asian Mental Health Committee and Agencies Join to Address Asian Older Adult Residents

A coalition of mental health and aging organizations are working together to address some groups of older adults that are often overlooked: members of the Asian community. After the death of an older adult in a senior residence that looked suspiciously like suicide, Joanne Huff from Haddington Multiservice, Inc. asked what could be done to address some of the concerns of the non-English-speaking older adults. A conference call was arranged between the residence staff, Haddington staff and members of the Mental Health Subcommittee of the Asian Advisory Committee. Together the advocates worked to develop a plan to listen to the needs of the Chinese, Korean and English-speaking older adults. A variety of agencies are involved, including the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, the Intercultural Center, the Jaison Center, Lutheran Children and Family Services, and the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania. A meeting that proved very helpful was held with non-English-speaking Chinese residents. Other meetings are being planned with English-speaking residents and Korean residents.

Welcome Ella and Domingo

We want to welcome two new faces: Ella Young and Domingo Nieves.

Ella had previously volunteered for us and we are delighted to welcome her back.

Domingo is part of the Senior Community Service Employment Program. He is working to expand mental health/aging advocacy to the Latino community. He has been making Successful Aging and Mental Health presentations in Spanish at various senior centers and senior residences. If you would like a presentation, contact him at (215) 751-1800, x 336.

Many Thanks to Dr. Bloom

A "steady and reliable volunteer," "an outspoken advocate for older adult consumers," and "a gentleman" all describe Dr. Dan Bloom. who has been with the Senior Advocacy Team from its inception in 1999. We are sorry to have to say goodbye to Dan but very grateful for his service these past five years.

Announcements

May is Older Adults Month and Mental Health Month. The last week in May is Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Week.

JOBS: Geriatric Counseling program is looking for people to fill two positions in Philadelphia. Contact Misa Romasco at (215) 487-1990.

Tuesday, May 4, 1PM-3PM. Senior Advocacy Team meeting at MHASP, 1211 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 12th floor.

Thursday, May 13, 2PM-4PM. Delaware Valley Mental Health/Aging Advocacy Committee meeting at MHASP, 1211 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 12th floor.

Tuesday, May 18, "The Medicare Act of 2003: A Prescription for Confusion," at CARIE, 100 N. 17th Street, Suite 600, 9AM-Noon. For registration information, call Kathy Cubit (215) 545-5728.

Wednesday, May 19, 10AM-2PM. Hearing on Philadelphia Mental Health Plan, at Philadelphia Office of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services, 1101 Market Street, 7th Floor, Philadelphia.

Tuesday, May 25, 3PM-6PM at Houston Hall, 3415 Spruce Street, on the University of Pennsylvania campus. Poster presentation by Older Adult Treatment Services (OATS) of COMHAR, which provides mental health services to Latino older adults. It is sponsored by the Institute on Aging.

Mental Health/Aging Advocacy Project | a project of the Mental Health Association of SE PA | 1211 Chestnut Street | Philadelphia, PA 19107 | 215-751-1800, ext. 266 | e-mail: tvolkert@mhasp.org | www.mhaging.org
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