Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News
A bi-weekly email to brief you on issues important to geriatric mental health
May 24, 2009 - Vol 3, Issue 5
May 24, 2009 - Vol 3, Issue 5
GMHA Annual Conference Draws Over 300
On Friday, May 15th, 2009 GMHA hosted its third annual geriatric mental health conference entitled Treatment and Beyond: Meeting the Behavioral Health Challenges of the Elder Boom at the Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn, NY. The conference was attended by over 300 participants from the fields of mental health, health care, and aging services as well as public officials, consumers, and older adults. The conference opened with welcoming remarks from Michael Friedman, GMHA Chair and Kim Williams, GMHA Director followed by remarks from Dr. Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, Commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging. GMHA honored Assemblyman Peter Rivera with the Geriatric Mental Health Leadership Award for his efforts in promoting geriatric mental health in New York State. Dr. Cameron Camp, of Hearthstone Alzheimer Care, delivered an exciting keynote address describing innovative techniques for working with older adults affected by dementia. At lunch, participants were addressed by Dr. Adam Karpati, Executive Deputy Commissioner for Mental Hygiene at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Twenty-four workshops were offered throughout the day focusing on current best practices, research, and policy in geriatric mental health. GMHA would like to thank all of the organizations and individuals who sponsored or participated in this year's conference. We look forward to planning next year's event!
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Update on Behavioral Health and Long-Term Care Act
The Behavioral Health, Chemical Dependency, and Long-term Care Act, an Act that would push the state to better address mental, substance, and behavioral problems in long-term care, has been reported out of the Senate Aging Committee and the Assembly Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Developmental Disabilities Committee. The bill is now being reviewed by the Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee even though we believe there is no cost implication.
We still welcome organizational supporters, so if your organization has not signed on and wants to be listed among the supporting organizations, please let us know.
Over 125 organizations have signed on in support of the Act thus far. Thank you for your support!
We still welcome organizational supporters, so if your organization has not signed on and wants to be listed among the supporting organizations, please let us know.
Over 125 organizations have signed on in support of the Act thus far. Thank you for your support!
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GMHA Participates in OMH Geriatric Mental Health Planning Day
On May 20, the NYS Office of Mental Health hosted a geriatric mental health planning day at the New York State Psychiatric Institute in order to discuss optimizing the effectiveness of the geriatric mental health demonstration programs and the dissemination of models around the state; recommendations for serving people with serious and persistent mental illness who are aging; recommendations for serving older adults with substance abuse problems; and policy recommendations for the Interagency Geriatric Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Planning Council.
The planning day, which was facilitated by Susan Essock, Ph.D., Director of the Division of Mental Health Services and Policy Research at OMH, included presentations by a number of the demonstration programs as well as insights from a panel of geriatric mental health experts. The experts included Stephen Bartels, M.D., Dartmouth Medical School; Fred Blow, Ph.D., University of Michigan; Martha Bruce, Ph.D., M.P.H., Weill-Cornell Medical College; Yeates Conwell, M.D., University of Rochester; Davangere Devanand, M.D., Columbia University; Michael Friedman, L.M.S.W., MHA of NYC; and Barnett Meyers, M.D., Weill-Cornell Medical College. Several OMH staff members participated in the day including Robert Myers, Ph.D., Senior Deputy Commissioner for Division of Adult Services at OMH.
The planning day, which was facilitated by Susan Essock, Ph.D., Director of the Division of Mental Health Services and Policy Research at OMH, included presentations by a number of the demonstration programs as well as insights from a panel of geriatric mental health experts. The experts included Stephen Bartels, M.D., Dartmouth Medical School; Fred Blow, Ph.D., University of Michigan; Martha Bruce, Ph.D., M.P.H., Weill-Cornell Medical College; Yeates Conwell, M.D., University of Rochester; Davangere Devanand, M.D., Columbia University; Michael Friedman, L.M.S.W., MHA of NYC; and Barnett Meyers, M.D., Weill-Cornell Medical College. Several OMH staff members participated in the day including Robert Myers, Ph.D., Senior Deputy Commissioner for Division of Adult Services at OMH.
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GMHA Signs-On to Positive Aging Act of 2009
The Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of New York has signed-on in support of the Positive Aging Act of 2009. Senator Collins (R-ME) is planning to reintroduce the Positive Aging Act in the next week. As you may recall, this bill was previously a Clinton-Collins collaboration and the 2009 version of this bill is the same as the Positive Aging Act of 2007 (110th Congress). This legislation is designed to make mental health services for older adults an integral part of primary care and to extend them to other community settings where older adults reside and receive services.
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GMHA Opposes Cuts to Aging Services in NYC's Executive Budget
On May 16, 2009, GMHA presented testimony at a City Council Executive Budget Hearing held by the Committee on Finance, chaired by David Weprin; Committee on Aging, chaired by Maria Del-Carmen Arroyo; and the subcommittee on Senior Centers, chaired by Melissa Mark-Viverito. We strongly opposed the proposed cuts to aging service programs in the Mayor's Executive Budget. We supported restoration of cuts to, and elimination of, programs for older adults in the previous funding reductions including social adult day care, intergenerational programs, caregiver support, and non-core services. We also asked for restoration of funding for the New York City Council Geriatric Mental Health Initiative. GMHA has also joined with other NYC umbrella organizations supporting aging services - Council of Senior Centers and Services, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, Human Services Council, UJA-Federation of NY, and United Neighborhood Houses - to support their NYC FY2010 Budget Priorities for Aging.
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GMHA Advocates for the NYC Council Geriatric Mental Health Initiative
GMHA will also submit joint testimony with United Neighborhood Houses of New York and UJA- Federation of New York on the mental hygiene portion of the Mayor's FY10 Executive Budget. In our testimony, we strongly urge the Council to restore $2.4 million in funding for the Geriatric Mental Health Initiative.
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New NYS Law Regarding Powers of Attorney
New requirements regarding powers of attorney go into effect on September 1, 2009. We are grateful to Martin Petroff, of Martin Petroff & Associates who has provided GMHA with a short piece regarding these important changes. To read the article, click here.
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Upcoming Events
May 27, 2009 - Geroposium: Medical Home and the Frail Elderly A conference being sponsored by the New York Institute of Technology Center for Gerontology and Geriatrics with co-sponsors Long Island Geriatric Education Center at Stony Brook University Health Science Center (LIGEC), New York College of Osteopathic Medicine Educational Consortium (NYCOMEC), New York Chapter- American College of Physicians (ACP), and New York State Osteopathic Medical Society (NYSOMS). The conference will take place from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the DeSeversky Conference Center, Northern Boulevard, Old Westbury, New York
June 2, 2009 - Safety in a Storm: Identification and Prevention of Elder Abuse The Fourth Annual multi- disciplinary NYC Elder Abuse Conference will be held from 8:00am-3:00pm at the New School Institute for Retired Professionals, 66 West 12th St., New York City. In one of the afternoon workshops, Kim Williams, GMHA Director, will be joining a panel of presenters at a workshop entitled The Interfacing of Elder Abuse and Adult Protective Services (APS): Working with the Mentally Ill Elder Abuse Offender.
June 2-3, 2009 - 13th Annual "Aging Concerns Unite Us" (ACUU) Conference The ACUU Conference attracts professionals from all regions of New York State who are devoted to coordinating and providing quality services to the aging population and their caregivers. The Geriatric Mental Health Alliance is one of the organizations serving on the ACUU Advisory Committee. Over 30 workshops are offered, including a presentation by Michael Friedman, "Aging Well - The Role of Mental Health" on June 2nd at 9:30 am.
The opening Keynote Address will feature George Vaillant, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He will draw upon the insights from his widely acclaimed 2002 book Aging Well and let us know why "Growing Old is a Lot More Fun Than You Expected."
Enticing educational programs are being offered and back by popular demand are the Aging Forums which generated discussion and problem-solving at last year's ACUU.
The agenda and registration forms are posted to www.nysaaaa.org/acuu For questions, contact NYS Association of Area Agencies on Aging at 518-449- 7080 or by email office@nysaaaa.org
June 11, 2009 - Meeting the Mental Health Challenges of the Elder Boom This conference will inform mental health professionals about current trends and service delivery for older adults, including intergenerational strategies, animal-assisted treatment, and substance misuse. It is being co- sponsored by the Social Work Network of St. Vincent's Hospital Westchester and the Geriatric Mental Health, Elder Abuse, and Caregivers Coalitions of the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services. The conference will take place from Noon-4:00pm at St Vincent's Hospital Westchester.
June 11, 2009 - Interagency Geriatric Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Planning Council The Council meeting will begin at 10:30am. To view a live webcast of the event, click here prior to the start of the meeting.
June 12, 2009 - 14th Annual Jarvie Colloquium: Lifting Every Voice: Coming Together to Meet the Challenges of Change for Older People, Community and Society This year's colloquium explores changes for older people as our nation continues to adapt the challenges of a growing older population at a time of economic uncertainty. Equally important, the colloquium will look at how older people are meeting the "challenges of change" in their individual lives. The agenda includes: morning plenary presentations by Jeanette Takamura, Ph.D., and DFTA Commissioner Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, Ph.D.; morning workshops; an afternoon plenary session presented by Wendy Lustbader, MSW; and afternoon workshops. The Colloquium will take place at the Interchurch Center, Lobby Floor, 475 Riverside Drive/120th Street, New York, NY.
June 12, 2009 - Answering the Call: A Community Forum on Health Aging and Civic Engagement This event, hosted by the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged (JASA) will engage older adults, senior care providers, community organizers, and legislators in discussions about healthy aging and civic engagement. A poster session held immediately following the panel presentations will allow professionals in the field of aging and public service to showcase their work. The event will take place from 9:00-12:00pm at UJA Federation of New York, 130 East 59th Street, 7th Floor, NYC.
July 8, 2009 - Medicaid and National Health Reform The United Hospital Fund will hold a conference to address issues regarding Medicaid. Topics include Medicaid's role in national health reform, the impact of national health reform on New York, the future of Medicaid in New York, and integrating behavioral health under Medicaid. Speakers include James Tallon, Deborah Bachrach, Jo Ivey Bufford, Bruce Vladeck, and others. Michael Friedman will make a presentation regarding behavioral health and long- term care. The conference will take place from 8:30 to 4:30 at the CUNY Graduate Center at 365 Fifth Avenue.
July 12-14, 2009 - CHCANYS Region II Conference The conference will include presentations by Richard Daines, MD, Commissioner of Health; Deborah Bachrach, NYS Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Health Insurance Programs; and Jacki Leifer of Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP. The conference is hosted by CHCANYS and held in collaboration with the New Jersey Primary Care Association, Asociacion de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Health Centers. Themed Community Health Centers-Yes We Can! , this 3-day event will be held at the Hilton Rye Town Hotel in Rye Brook, New York. Registration, hotel and sponsor/exhibit information are available by clicking here.
June 2, 2009 - Safety in a Storm: Identification and Prevention of Elder Abuse The Fourth Annual multi- disciplinary NYC Elder Abuse Conference will be held from 8:00am-3:00pm at the New School Institute for Retired Professionals, 66 West 12th St., New York City. In one of the afternoon workshops, Kim Williams, GMHA Director, will be joining a panel of presenters at a workshop entitled The Interfacing of Elder Abuse and Adult Protective Services (APS): Working with the Mentally Ill Elder Abuse Offender.
June 2-3, 2009 - 13th Annual "Aging Concerns Unite Us" (ACUU) Conference The ACUU Conference attracts professionals from all regions of New York State who are devoted to coordinating and providing quality services to the aging population and their caregivers. The Geriatric Mental Health Alliance is one of the organizations serving on the ACUU Advisory Committee. Over 30 workshops are offered, including a presentation by Michael Friedman, "Aging Well - The Role of Mental Health" on June 2nd at 9:30 am.
The opening Keynote Address will feature George Vaillant, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He will draw upon the insights from his widely acclaimed 2002 book Aging Well and let us know why "Growing Old is a Lot More Fun Than You Expected."
Enticing educational programs are being offered and back by popular demand are the Aging Forums which generated discussion and problem-solving at last year's ACUU.
The agenda and registration forms are posted to www.nysaaaa.org/acuu For questions, contact NYS Association of Area Agencies on Aging at 518-449- 7080 or by email office@nysaaaa.org
June 11, 2009 - Meeting the Mental Health Challenges of the Elder Boom This conference will inform mental health professionals about current trends and service delivery for older adults, including intergenerational strategies, animal-assisted treatment, and substance misuse. It is being co- sponsored by the Social Work Network of St. Vincent's Hospital Westchester and the Geriatric Mental Health, Elder Abuse, and Caregivers Coalitions of the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services. The conference will take place from Noon-4:00pm at St Vincent's Hospital Westchester.
June 11, 2009 - Interagency Geriatric Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Planning Council The Council meeting will begin at 10:30am. To view a live webcast of the event, click here prior to the start of the meeting.
June 12, 2009 - 14th Annual Jarvie Colloquium: Lifting Every Voice: Coming Together to Meet the Challenges of Change for Older People, Community and Society This year's colloquium explores changes for older people as our nation continues to adapt the challenges of a growing older population at a time of economic uncertainty. Equally important, the colloquium will look at how older people are meeting the "challenges of change" in their individual lives. The agenda includes: morning plenary presentations by Jeanette Takamura, Ph.D., and DFTA Commissioner Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, Ph.D.; morning workshops; an afternoon plenary session presented by Wendy Lustbader, MSW; and afternoon workshops. The Colloquium will take place at the Interchurch Center, Lobby Floor, 475 Riverside Drive/120th Street, New York, NY.
June 12, 2009 - Answering the Call: A Community Forum on Health Aging and Civic Engagement This event, hosted by the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged (JASA) will engage older adults, senior care providers, community organizers, and legislators in discussions about healthy aging and civic engagement. A poster session held immediately following the panel presentations will allow professionals in the field of aging and public service to showcase their work. The event will take place from 9:00-12:00pm at UJA Federation of New York, 130 East 59th Street, 7th Floor, NYC.
July 8, 2009 - Medicaid and National Health Reform The United Hospital Fund will hold a conference to address issues regarding Medicaid. Topics include Medicaid's role in national health reform, the impact of national health reform on New York, the future of Medicaid in New York, and integrating behavioral health under Medicaid. Speakers include James Tallon, Deborah Bachrach, Jo Ivey Bufford, Bruce Vladeck, and others. Michael Friedman will make a presentation regarding behavioral health and long- term care. The conference will take place from 8:30 to 4:30 at the CUNY Graduate Center at 365 Fifth Avenue.
July 12-14, 2009 - CHCANYS Region II Conference The conference will include presentations by Richard Daines, MD, Commissioner of Health; Deborah Bachrach, NYS Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Health Insurance Programs; and Jacki Leifer of Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP. The conference is hosted by CHCANYS and held in collaboration with the New Jersey Primary Care Association, Asociacion de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Health Centers. Themed Community Health Centers-Yes We Can! , this 3-day event will be held at the Hilton Rye Town Hotel in Rye Brook, New York. Registration, hotel and sponsor/exhibit information are available by clicking here.
October 29, 2009 - SAVE THE DATE - The Greater New York Chapter of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers Annual Conference The theme is CAREMANAGING IN AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN with keynote speaker, DR. Robert N. Butler, Founder, President and CEO of the International Longevity Center. The conference will take place from 8:30-4:30 at The Roosevelt Hotel, 45th St. & Madison Ave., NYC. More Information available in the coming months: NY Chapter Website - www.nygcm.org NY GCM Voice Message - 212-222-9163
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UHF Releases Report on New York's Medicaid Long-Term Care Programs
The Medicaid Institute at United Hospital Fund has published a comprehensive report on Medicaid long- term care programs in New York, which serve 247,000 Medicaid beneficiaries each month and account for roughly one quarter of all Medicaid spending. Care for these beneficiaries can be intensive and costly.
Created to inform discussions among New York's policymakers, health care stakeholders, and community advocates, the report provides an overview of the current organization of long-term care services under New York's Medicaid program, a September 2007 snapshot of program enrollment and associated annual spending, and a summary of the rules that govern how each program operates. The report also identifies policy options for addressing the key challenges facing the state as it looks at options to better serve New York's frail seniors and adults with physical disabilities through its 12 long-term care programs.
An Overview of Medicaid Long- Term Care Programs in New York is available free of charge, both in its component chapters and in its entirety, from the Fund's website.
Created to inform discussions among New York's policymakers, health care stakeholders, and community advocates, the report provides an overview of the current organization of long-term care services under New York's Medicaid program, a September 2007 snapshot of program enrollment and associated annual spending, and a summary of the rules that govern how each program operates. The report also identifies policy options for addressing the key challenges facing the state as it looks at options to better serve New York's frail seniors and adults with physical disabilities through its 12 long-term care programs.
An Overview of Medicaid Long- Term Care Programs in New York is available free of charge, both in its component chapters and in its entirety, from the Fund's website.
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Article: Integration with Primary Care Can Save Psychotherapy
By Paula Hartman-Stein, Ph.D.
Akron, Ohio
Nicholas Cummings, Ph.D., a former president of the American Psychological Association, predicts that psychotherapy will die within ten years if there is not greater integration of psychological practice in primary care settings.
Cumming spoke at an April 23-24 conference hosted by the Archives of the History of American Psychology at the University of Akron.
He said he comes from the clinical perspective of someone who has worked in clinical settings for many years, beginning his practice in 1948 in San Francisco when he was one of only five private psychological practitioners in the city. "At that time there was no license, malpractice insurance, societal recognition, or insurance reimbursement," he said.
"At the present time psychotherapy is languishing," he said. He cites factors such as psychology making the choice many years earlier to separate itself from health care rather than integrating. "Because we said we are not a health profession, we have created two silos, effectively separating the mind from the body. Rene Descartes is still alive and kicking," he said.
Borrowing a metaphor first described by a health economist, Cummings said that at the current time mental health care is analogous to the chicken who feeds off the few oats found within the droppings of the horse (the healthcare system).
For example, Cummings said that in the 1980s mental health care costs comprised 9 percent of the national health care budget. Today, despite parity legislation designed to pay for mental health on par with health care, behavioral health care takes up only 4.2 percent of the budget. If the cost of psychotropic medication is removed, the amount spent on behavioral health interventions drops to 1.5 percent with an ever lower percentage expected in 2009.
Advocating for additional legislation to improve parity between health and mental health care is not the answer, Cummings said. "Economics will trump legislation. Managed care companies will always find a way around parity, such as dropping their mental health care benefits."
Integration of behavioral care has become a popular buzzword, but according to Cummings, "Ninety-nine percent of what passes as integrated care is actually collaborative care."
To read more, click here.
Akron, Ohio
Nicholas Cummings, Ph.D., a former president of the American Psychological Association, predicts that psychotherapy will die within ten years if there is not greater integration of psychological practice in primary care settings.
Cumming spoke at an April 23-24 conference hosted by the Archives of the History of American Psychology at the University of Akron.
He said he comes from the clinical perspective of someone who has worked in clinical settings for many years, beginning his practice in 1948 in San Francisco when he was one of only five private psychological practitioners in the city. "At that time there was no license, malpractice insurance, societal recognition, or insurance reimbursement," he said.
"At the present time psychotherapy is languishing," he said. He cites factors such as psychology making the choice many years earlier to separate itself from health care rather than integrating. "Because we said we are not a health profession, we have created two silos, effectively separating the mind from the body. Rene Descartes is still alive and kicking," he said.
Borrowing a metaphor first described by a health economist, Cummings said that at the current time mental health care is analogous to the chicken who feeds off the few oats found within the droppings of the horse (the healthcare system).
For example, Cummings said that in the 1980s mental health care costs comprised 9 percent of the national health care budget. Today, despite parity legislation designed to pay for mental health on par with health care, behavioral health care takes up only 4.2 percent of the budget. If the cost of psychotropic medication is removed, the amount spent on behavioral health interventions drops to 1.5 percent with an ever lower percentage expected in 2009.
Advocating for additional legislation to improve parity between health and mental health care is not the answer, Cummings said. "Economics will trump legislation. Managed care companies will always find a way around parity, such as dropping their mental health care benefits."
Integration of behavioral care has become a popular buzzword, but according to Cummings, "Ninety-nine percent of what passes as integrated care is actually collaborative care."
To read more, click here.
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