Agenda - 03-02-2010 - 8a - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

17 Activities and Accomplishments: 2007-08 ~. Mental Health Planning: Meetings were held with OPC Mental Health, a UNC geriatric Psychiatrist, a representative from the N.C. Division of Aging and Adult Services, and the Department on Aging to create a plan to implement the IMPACT program at local physicians' offices. The program focuses/treats clients with depression. Based on national research in the difficulty of gathering primary care physicians' support, a decision was made to implement IMPACT in auser-friendly senior center setting. To explore this new approach, the UNC Program on Aging paid for Kate Barrett, Aging Transitions Administrator, and Jan Gerard, MSW at the Seymour Center to attend Effective Programs to Treat Depression in OlderAdults: Implementation Strategies for community Agencies on May 19-20, 2008. This conference was sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Healthy Aging Research Network, Preventions Research Centers Program, the University of Washington, and the Carter Center for Mental Health. A local coalition attended including: 2 social workers from OCDOA; Lea Watson, MD, geriatric psychiatrist; Rebecca Hunter, MPH, UNC Geriatric Education Center and Mary Edwards, NC Division of Aging and Adult Services. The University of Washington presenters have researched and written extensively about the IMPACT depression management program and other evidence-based programs for depression in older adults. This community coalition of OCDOA, UNC, and the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services returned from the conference with a plan to implement a geriatric depression treatment program at the Seymour Center. The Department on Aging's Transitions staff attended afollow-up IMPACT training in Seattle, funded by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation and UNC. 2. Community Mental Health Education: The Aging Transitions Staff presented best practices in mental health for the NC Healthy Aging Network in September 2008, conducted a workshop for Piedmont Health Services social workers on diagnosing and treating geriatric depression and taught UNC medical students on a} recognizing geriatric depression and b) evidence based best practices for geriatric depression. 3. A Model Mental Health Clinic: The UNC Mood, Memory and Mobility Screening clinic that began in 2007 is being staffed by a UNC geriatrician, physical therapist, and a pharmacist. The Department on Aging provides an occupational therapist and a social worker. When a patient is screened in for depression, if appropriate, follow-up sessions are scheduled with a clinical social worker. Activities and Accomplishments: 2008-09 1. Using a variation of the IMPACT model of depression care, 196 geriatric (non-caregiver) counseling sessions were held at the Seymour Center and provided by Aging Transitions staff. Geriatric consultation was offered free of charge from Lea Watson, MD. 2. An LCSW in the Department on Aging has been provided clinical supervision to a provisionally licensed clinical social worker on staff as she provides counseling to geriatric clients to fulfill requirements for state licensure as a LCSW. 3. Support group for individuals with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia ran for 12 weeks, using MSW students, receiving clinical supervision from LCSW. Response from the 8 people who completed the program was 100% satisfaction. 4. The NC ACCESS program for dually eligible Medicare/Medicaid has engaged Dr. Lea Watson for 30% of her time, to coordinate mental health care within the stigma-free setting of primary care. 5. An Aging Transitions staff member served on Mayor's Foy's Mental Health Task Force, to inform the community and providers of the unique challenges of geriatric mental health issues. 15