SAMHSA 2002 Press Releases


	SAMHSA News Release

	Date:	October 7, 2002
	Media Contact:	SAMHSA Media
	Phone:	301-443-8956



	HHS Awards $3.6 Million for Mental Health Programs for Older Adults

	Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson today announced $3.6 million to provide nine awards to support programs and services to meet the mental health needs of older adults. The awards will support programs to reach out to older adults with mental health needs, and provide evidence-based services for older adults who often need services adapted to different cultures and ethnic communities. The grants will be administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services. "These grants will help older adults to function at their full capacities and enjoy their later years," Secretary Thompson said. "Through this program, we are helping not only people who have had lifelong mental health problems but also those who developed such problems later in life." SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie noted that "We know that mental illness is a real risk as people age. The highest suicide rate in the country is among older white men. We can help reduce this unnecessary loss of life. After all, treatments are effective for mental disorders, and people of all ages can recover." The grantees are: Tiempo de Oro Prevention and Intervention for elderly Latinos, Valle del Sol, AZ - $390,127. The Area Agency on Aging for Arizona has had a successful ElderVention program that will be expanded to become more culturally competent to serve an Hispanic community. Mental Health Center of Dane County, Dane County, WI - $409,536. A mobile outreach and treatment capacity will be developed to treat elders too fearful or frail to leave their home. Services will be adapted to be culturally appropriate for a Hmong population, within the context of Hmong values and customs, primarily using Hmong language. Bienvenir PACE program, City of El Paso, TX - $400,000. The Bienvenir PACE program will be expanded to address the needs of frail Mexican-American Elderly in primary care settings, enabling them to live safely in the community rather than in nursing homes. Unity Health System, Rochester, NY - $400,000. Outreach and mental health services to care givers and older persons will be expanded to provide services in homes, in primary care sites, in older adult residences and to persons with either co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders or co-occurring mental health and physical abuse disorders. Kirksville College of Osteopathy, ElderLynk: Seamless Mental Health Care for Rural Elders, Kirksville, MO - $399,991. The ElderLynk is a rural mental health outreach program featuring an evidence-based case management model targeting underserved older persons. This program will be expanded to include two additional counties as well as to expand the population served by providing screening in area primary care clinics. La Clinica Del Pueblo, Inc., Washington, DC - $400,000. This non-profit health clinic, working with the Educational Organization of United Latin Americans (EOFULA) will adapt services to be culturally appropriate for low-income, uninsured or under-insured Latinos and others in need in the Washington, D.C. area. Jewish Family/Children Services, Pima County, AZ - $400,000. This program will expand services to provide home-based mental health services, services to consumers in community settings. COPE Behavioral Services, Pima County, AZ - $400,000. The existing Elder Services Program will be expanded to provide mental health screening, outreach, community education, intervention, and integrated behavioral health/primary care services to persons who are currently unserved, including Mexican Americans, American Indian, and rural older adults in Pima County, AZ. Catholic Charities, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties, CA - $400,000. The existing Senior Behavioral Health Service Program for Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties will be expanded to include evidence-based prevention, early intervention and treatment of older persons with depression and agitation who reside in residential facilities.

	The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental health services in the United States. Information on SAMHSA's programs is available on this website, www.samhsa.gov.