Tuesday, May 6, 2025
5/6/2025
SYSTEM OF CARE FOR OLDER ADULTS - The System of Care for Older Adults enhances the current system by increasing access and capacity through the collaboration of mental health service providers, the county Department of Senior and Adult Services, and Adult Guardianship Services. It serves the most vulnerable of Greater Cleveland's older citizens, those in a crisis or homeless. The project creates an interagency assessment team to respond 24/7 to crises. An ongoing interagency treatment team will provide Illness Management and Recovery, Family Psychoeducation, and Integrated Dual Disorders Treatment. The assessment team is jointly staffed by the mental health system's mobile crisis service and the Department of Senior and Adult Services. The team consists of a crisis intervention specialist, an intake worker, and a nurse. The assessment team resolves the crisis and links the older adult to ongoing services with a specialized interagency treatment team that includes the appropriate combination of mental health professionals who specialize in the treatment of older adults, a substance abuse counselor, Adult Protective Services, Adult Guardianship Services, and a community resource specialist. The infrastructure enhancements create a collaborative approach to service delivery among systems that previously were at odds over responsibility for older adults who were in crisis. The mental health system was ill equipped to deal with issues of aging and Senior and Adult Services lacked expertise in mental health. Together the team has the skills and the resources to more effectively resolve crises and wrap needed services around the older adult. The project will improve access to services through outreach and engagement. It will also increase the capacity, both quantitatively and qualitatively, through the infusion of evidence based practices. These changes will lead to less disparity in service access and improved outcomes.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).