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Transforming mental health care for older veterans in the Veterans Health Administration
- Authors:
- KARLIN Bradley E., ZEISS Antonette M.
- Journal article citation:
- Generations, 34(2), Summer 2010, pp.74-83. Published online.
- Publisher:
- American Society on Aging
Older adults often lack familiarity with mental health symptoms and services and may hold negative beliefs about mental health care that can prevent them from seeking treatment. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) operates the largest and one of the most elaborate mental health care systems in the nation and perhaps the world. The recent history of the system is described. One successful new model for providing mental health care to older veterans that has been nationally implemented in the VHA is the integration of a full-time mental health provider on each of the more than 130 VA home-based primary care (HBPC) teams. Another major psychogeriatrics initiative involves the integration of a full-time mental health provider in VA community living centers (CLC), formerly designated as nursing home care units. It is critical that increasing national attention be devoted to the mental health needs of older Americans and that policies and processes be developed to extend the reach and potential impact of mental health care for older adults.