Rural and frontier communities face unique challenges when attempting to respond to the needs of older adults with mental health concerns. Collaboration across service systems (primary care, mental health, public health, aging and social services) is fragmented, education and training for professionals limited and screening/assessment services limited. This unique partnership has brought together key stakeholders from the aging, mental health, and academic arena in an attempt to bridge the systems of care for older adults who may be at risk for gero-psychiatric concerns. The purpose of this presentation is to outline the model, identify some of the key elements (systems integration, consultation and training/education) and identify strategies to evaluate progress. Although relatively young in its implementation, preliminary results suggest that this approach is effective in bridging the mental health and aging systems in order to meet the gero-psychiatric needs of older adults in a rural setting. At the end of the session, participants will: 1. Learn about an innovative program designed to meet the needs of a rural older adult population. 2. Learn how to interface between mental health, public health and aging systems of care. 3. Be familiar with a model of services delivery that is innovative in its design to reach older adults and promote mental health.
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