You can view the webinar recording below. Supporting documents such as webinar slides, transcript, and additional resources are available to download by scrolling to the attachments section below.
Twenty-five percent of adults in the United States who are 65 or older experience a behavioral health issue, yet only 3% of these individuals report seeking treatment from a behavioral health professional.1,2 Individuals 65 or older who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, in particular, have high rates of behavioral health conditions compared to beneficiaries with Medicare only. For example, among individuals 65 or older, 19% of dually eligible beneficiaries were diagnosed with a depressive disorder compared to 8% of Medicare-only beneficiaries, and 11% of dually eligible beneficiaries were diagnosed with an anxiety disorder compared to 6% of Medicare-only beneficiaries.3
This interactive webinar discusses common behavioral health conditions and related challenges among dually eligible older adults, identifies best practices for treatment options and care coordination, and demonstrates practical strategies for meeting beneficiary needs. Speakers, including a family caregiver, discuss firsthand experiences, lessons learned, and strategies to coordinate care for dually eligible older adults across diverse settings.
By the end of this webinar, participants should be able to:
- Define common behavioral health conditions among dually eligible older adults.
- Recognize effective and appropriate treatment options for older adults with behavioral health needs.
- Identify practical tips and concrete strategies to improve care for older adults with behavioral health needs based on real-life stories from the field.
- Identify opportunities to collaborate with clinicians, social workers, case managers, and caregivers to support dually eligible older adults with behavioral health needs.
Featured Speakers:
- Neha Jain, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine
- Molly Rees Gavin, MSW, President, Connecticut Community Care, Inc.
- Sabrina Wannamaker, MA, LPC, LPC/S, Clinical Manager, Absolute Total Care
- Andrea Lovell, Family Caregiver
Intended Audience:
This webinar is intended for a wide range of stakeholders – front-line staff at social service agencies, providers and health care professionals (such as physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers, certified prevention specialists, addiction counselors), MMPs, D-SNPs, managed long-term services and supports programs, and consumer organizations.
1 National Council on Aging. (2018). Healthy Aging: Fact Sheet.
2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging. (2001). Older adults and mental health: Issues and opportunities.
3 Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission. (2015). Behavioral Health in the Medicaid Program – People, Use, and Expenditures. https://www.macpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Behavioral-Health-in-the-Medicaid-Program%E2%80%94People-Use-and-Expenditures.pdf.