California Association of Local Behavioral Health Boards & Commissions
  • Home
  • Resources
  • News/Issues
    • News/Issues (Full Listing)
    • News/Issues A - D >
      • BHSA
      • Board & Commission News
      • Children's Issues >
        • Foster Children and Youth
      • Coordinated Care
      • Co-Occurring >
        • Dementia
        • Developmental Disabilities
        • Substance Use Disorder
        • TBI
      • Courts
      • Crisis Care Continuum
      • Cultural Issues
      • Disaster Recovery/Readiness
    • News/Issues E - P >
      • Employment
      • Homeless / Housing >
        • ARCF
      • Hospitals
      • Jails & Prisons
      • Laura's Law
      • Law Enforcement
      • LGBTQ >
        • LGBTQ+ Definitions and Acronyms
      • LPS Act
      • Navigator Programs
      • Parity
      • Patients' Rights
      • Peer Supports
      • Psychiatric Advance Directives
    • News/Issues Q - Z >
      • Stigma
      • Seniors
      • Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
      • Suicide
      • Veterans
      • Whole Person Care
      • Workforce
      • Youth Issues (Ages 16-25)
  • Performance
    • ByCOUNTY
    • byTOPIC
  • Meetings
  • Training
  • Contact Us
  • Association Docs
  • Home
  • Resources
  • News/Issues
    • News/Issues (Full Listing)
    • News/Issues A - D >
      • BHSA
      • Board & Commission News
      • Children's Issues >
        • Foster Children and Youth
      • Coordinated Care
      • Co-Occurring >
        • Dementia
        • Developmental Disabilities
        • Substance Use Disorder
        • TBI
      • Courts
      • Crisis Care Continuum
      • Cultural Issues
      • Disaster Recovery/Readiness
    • News/Issues E - P >
      • Employment
      • Homeless / Housing >
        • ARCF
      • Hospitals
      • Jails & Prisons
      • Laura's Law
      • Law Enforcement
      • LGBTQ >
        • LGBTQ+ Definitions and Acronyms
      • LPS Act
      • Navigator Programs
      • Parity
      • Patients' Rights
      • Peer Supports
      • Psychiatric Advance Directives
    • News/Issues Q - Z >
      • Stigma
      • Seniors
      • Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
      • Suicide
      • Veterans
      • Whole Person Care
      • Workforce
      • Youth Issues (Ages 16-25)
  • Performance
    • ByCOUNTY
    • byTOPIC
  • Meetings
  • Training
  • Contact Us
  • Association Docs
PDF for Print

​​ISSUE BRIEF:  Older Adults
​
Increasing mental/behavioral health access and engagement

A dramatic increase in CA’s older adult population has begun, with a projected 80.8% increase from 2010—2030.* The state and local communities must scale and roll-out evidence-based mental/behavioral health offerings to address the needs of older adults.

Local Solutions

Evidence-Based Practices:
Examples: PEARLS & IDEAS programs

Outreach: Increase outreach and engagement.
 
Planning should include input from older adults, such as the Area Agency on Aging (AAA): 
https://4csl.org/aging-network-directory/ )
 
Workforce/Training
  • Fund MHSA WET programs.
  • Geriatric Training — 6-month pro-grams for Mental Health providers.  Example: SDSU
  • Mental Health First Aid Training for professionals and volunteers who work with Older Adults (such as Meals on Wheels, Community Centers, Residential and Hospice Care.)
  • Peer Specialists offer experience-based support. Examples: Pool of Consumer Champions; Alliance on Aging Peer Counseling
Training in older adult suicide screening and differential diagnosis of SMI and dementia.

Statewide Solutions

 Mental Health Data should include age-specific:
  • Performance Outcome Data
  • Service Penetration Rates for seniors
 
Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly        (RCFE): Address the “Board & Care” Shortage--Issue Paper
 
Workforce issues to address:
  • Workforce Shortage—Fund MHSA WET 5-Year Plan
  • Training statewide to include MH/BH,  Geriatric & Peer Specialist Certification
  • Medi-Care Access: 43% of psychiatrists do not take Medi-Care.
 
More at: calbhbc.org/workforce

 The Statistics*

​Mental illness impacts one in four older adults.
  • Suicide rate for males 85+ is more than 4 X higher than national rate.
  • Depression:
Nationally 15-20 percent of older adults have experienced depression.
  • Anxiety Disorders:  Approximately 11 percent of older adults have     anxiety disorders.
  • Alcohol & Drugs:  16% of older adults are estimated to be alcoholic or at risk. 25% of senior emergency room visits in 2012 involved narcotic and nonnarcotic pain relievers.
  • 50% of depression care is provided in the primary care setting.
  • 50% of patients with mental illness only have contact with their primary care physician.
  • 66% of people who commit suicide had contact with a primary care physician in month prior to death.

*Sources: CA DOF, SAMHSA & UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
 
More at: www.calbhbc.org/seniors

OFFICE

717 K STREET, SUITE 427
SACRAMENTO, CA 95814

mission

cALBHB/C supports the work of california's 59 local  behavioral health boards and commissions by providing resources, training, and opportunities for communication and statewide advocacy.

Local boards are responsible for reviewing public behavioral health and needs, services, facilities and special problems, and serve in an advisory capacity to local governing bodies and local behavioral health directors per CA Welfare and Institutions Code 5604.2.
Donations are welcome. CALBHB/C is a nonprofit organization.