Senior Services of Snohomish County 5/9/2016

City of Everett Human Needs Grant January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016 Senior Services of Snohomish County Mental Health EXHIBIT A: Program Summary Mental Health Services provides depression screening and counseling for older adults to help them maintain or stabilize their housing, optimize self-sufficiency, and support safe independent living. The program consists of two initiatives: Geriatric Depression Screening and Senior Peer Counseling. Geriatric Depression Screening provides depression education, outreach, screening, counseling and follow-up services. Senior Peer Counseling provides counseling support using trained volunteers. Both initiatives provide no-cost, in-home services to isolated older adults residing throughout the City of Everett. The Geriatric Depression Screening initiative increases awareness of geriatric depression through education delivered to each counseling client. The approach is client-centered depression care focused on goals set by the client. Clients are helped to become more aware of depression risk factors, current stressors, and their own coping history.They are helped to identify and develop new coping strategies and social supports. Individuals who participate in counseling through the GDS initiative achieve at least a 5-point reduction in their GDS depression screen score, indicating reduction of depressive symptoms. They are assisted in understanding their unique risk factors and red flags for relapse, and in developing a plan for healthy mood maintenance and risk reduction. With the client's consent, program staff forward screening information and supporting documentation to the client's primary care physician or other prescriber. Staff may directly contact and advocate with mental health or medical providers for care coordination. Referrals for additional or other needed services may be made during, or at conclusion of program services through Senior Services' Older Adult Mental Health Access Program. The Senior Peer Counseling initiative offers support to older adult individuals who are struggling to cope with many difficult issues: housing challenges, medical challenges, loss of loved ones, transitions and stressors commonly associated with the aging process, financial challenges, and social isolation. Trained peer counselors meet weekly with program participants in their own homes for up to six months, offering emotional support, education, problem solving skills, and the validation of each individual's inherent value and capacity for coping, learning and growth. The peer counselors are trained to assist clients in identifying and connecting with both formal and informal supports, so that the client will be left with needed supports in place, and with confidence in their own ability to cope successfully with challenges the future may hold. Senior Peer Counseling provides free in-home counseling support delivered to City of Everett seniors age 60 and older, on a weekly basis for up to six months. Volunteer counselors are screened, and required to complete 40 hours of training in areas including counseling skills, mental health and aging issues, crisis management, and community resources. Volunteers participate in monthly group supervision, as well as regularly scheduled individual supervision with a licensed staff mental health specialist.