Senior Reach:
An Evidence-Based Program Serving Older
Adults
Colorado’s Current Senior Population
And it is Growing Faster than any Other Age Group…
Behavioral Health Treatment Needs for the
Older Adult Population
Older Adult Behavioral Health Needs:
Percentage of Older Adults at Risk:
% of older adults with clinically significant
anxiety
% of older adults with depressive symptoms
27%
% of older adults using psychoactive
prescription medication (pain, sleep, anxiety
medications) that have substance abuse
potential:
25%
% of older adults with co-occurring alcohol
and depression
% of older adults affected by the
combination of alcohol and medication
misuse
% of older adults at risk of problem drinking
20%
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Issue Brief 2013
26%
19%
16%
Jeste, Alexopoules, Bartels, et al. 1999
10 Things Retirees Won’t Tell You
The Wall Street Journal September 21, 2014
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We’re broke
Retirement is more stressful than it looks
We’re alone too much
We’re in denial about our health problems………
…...and our health-care costs are huge
We’re after your job
We still get frisky
We’re planning to move in with you
Traveling the globe? We wish
We’re scam magnets
What is Senior Reach?
 An evidence-based program that provides behavioral health
treatment, wellness and care management services who are
isolated, frail, or need support
 A program that trains Community Partners (30,500 trained in
Colorado and Kansas) on how to recognize the early warning
signs of when an older adult may need assistance and where to
refer
 A single entry point program with a 93% engagement rate
 A program that has partnered with doctors’ offices to screen older
adults for depression and at risk substance use in order to provide
follow-up services
What is Senior Reach?
 A grassroots, community-based volunteer program that identifies
older adults who may benefit from additional assistance and
support
 A simple way to help older adults get assistance before a serious
crisis develops
 A strong partnership between agencies that provide support
services, businesses and community-minded individuals.
A Senior Reach Outreach and Education Program
in a Community Can:
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Address the changing demographics of the older adult population
Help residents adapt to the changing needs of the community
Educate the community about mental health and the needs of
older adults
Train volunteers to be the “eyes and ears” for older adults in need
or those at risk
Reduce stigma about mental health and aging
Provide easy access to information in an elder-friendly manner.
The mission of Senior Reach is to
support the well-being,
independence and dignity of older
adults by educating the community,
providing behavioral health, care
management services, and
connecting older adults to
community resources.
 Senior Reach® is honored that its program is recognized as a
National Evidence-Based Program through the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's(SAMHSA)
National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices
(NREPP)!
Collaborative Management & Partnership
Arapahoe Douglas Mental Health
Network :
-Behavioral Health Clinicians
-Management of program
- Marketing & Develop.
- Clinical Supervision
- Fiscal Agent
Community Partner Trainers:
-Innovage
- Love Inc.
- South Metro Health Alliance
- Meals on Wheels
- City of Littleton
- Consortium of Older Adult
Wellness
- Arapahoe Douglas Mental
Health Network
Seniors’ Resource Center:
- Call Center
-Data Collection
Senior Reach
DatabaseOutcome
Measures
Senior Reach Components
• Senior Reach outreach
and education services
train individuals and
professionals in the
community to identify
and refer seniors in
need.
• Other community
training: suicide
prevention, health care
issues for seniors
• Training specific to
health care providers
who are screening for
behavioral health needs
Community Education
& Outreach
Screening
• Telephonic single point
of entry: information/
community referrals are
provided as needed; link
to behavioral health, and
wellness services
• Screening at PCP
offices/ health care
clinics
• Intake
• Brief in home treatment
• Referral to community
resources and wellness
services
Services As
Needed
What Does a Senior Reach Community Partner Do?
 Community Partners are professionals and individual community
members who have been trained in identifying and referring older
adults in need of assistance
 They become keen observers of an older person’s personal
appearance, mental and emotional states, personality and physical
changes, poor health, social problems, substance abuse, caregiver
stress, abuse or neglect, social isolation, financial hardship, and
the risk factors of suicide
Research Data- 14 Statistically Significant
Outcomes* Including…
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Better overall level of functioning
Increased optimism about the future
Increased positive activities with others
Reduction in social isolation
Decreased emotional disturbance
Decreased risk of suicide
Better outcomes on the Geriatric Depression Scale
*Indicates statistically significant change at p< .05 from time of enrollment to dischargepaired sample t-tests.
Bartsch, D.A., & Rodgers, V.K. (2009). Senior Reach Outcomes in Comparison with the
Spokane Gatekeeper Program. Care Management Journals, 3(10), 82-88.
Senior Reach: A Solution for Communities
 Proven population- based, health intervention that focuses on
prevention
 Proven to reduce fragmentation & better utilization of community
resources
 Proven 93 % engagement rate & clinical outcomes
 Proven to reduce suicide risk. Seniors represent 13% of the
population yet account for almost 15.7% of suicides
 Proven high customer experience/ satisfaction. 94 % would
recommend Senior Reach to someone else
 Senior Reach has been approved for inclusion in SAMHSA’s
National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices
(NREPP).
Senior Reach, Braided and Blended Funding
 Senior Reach bills Medicare, Medicare-Medicaid, private
insurance, and Capitated Medicaid for all behavioral health
services
 Our local Area Agency on Aging provides funding for behavioral
health services for those who are uninsured
 Senior Reach has been extremely successful in receiving grant
and foundation funding. To date, the program has received over
$2.3 million!
 Funding for positions is shared across three sites and existing staff
can be used
 Boulder has been successful in using tax dollars to support a
clinical position (sales tax initiative)
Expanding Our Impact…
 In the counties served by JCMH and MHP, Senior Reach has provided
integrated care in multiple primary care practices. Over 4,000 older adults have
been screened within12 months and over 637 brief interventions have been
provided for depression and at-risk substance use. 29% of those screened were
positive for depression and 11% were positive for at risk alcohol, substance,
prescription misuse.
 What we’re learning:
- screening in PCP offices is effective for early detection and case
finding for older adults
- effective referral protocol and care coordination
 Colorado Senior Reach Outreach
and Education Program
Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network
and Partners
 From July 1st through September 30th there have been 14
Community Partner Trainings.
 22 Trainers were trained
 217 individuals in the community have been trained.
 We have brought on a volunteer Patient Navigator who will be
able to support the clinical team, and provide some administrative
support to Senior Reach.
 Future plans include adding Wellness programming and
expanding senior peer programming
Senior Reach Remains a Vital Part of our
Community Because…
 By 2020, the 60+ population will have more than doubled
 Some seniors have little or no support from family and friends
 Seniors often face multiple challenges that can be effectively
addressed by Senior Reach
 Senior Reach fills a critical gap in services and is able to provide
assistance before a crisis develops
THANK YOU!
 Barbara Becker, Ph.D.
 Director, Community Programs
 Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network
 bbecker@admhn.org
Please Visit Our Website
 For more information, please visit,
www.seniorreach.org
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