Many older adults are reluctant to seek depression treatment yet may participate in community-based programs or have close relationships with family and friends. This project explores different ways of engaging older adults in the treatment of depression.

Poor mental health is a major public health issue that robs millions of people of their chance to lead healthy and productive lives. Depression alone doubles overall healthcare costs, worsens other medical conditions, and results in a staggering loss of productivity at work. In underserved rural areas in the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) region, a severe shortage of mental health providers compounds these problems.

The Collaborative Care Medicaid Program (CCMP) is a program helping clinics in New York to fully integrate behavioral health screening and treatment into primary care settings and to provide reimbursement for those services.

The New York State Office of Mental Health selected 19 Delivery System Reform Incentive Program clinics to participate in a year-long learning network where clinics are encouraged to build relationships and learn from one another throughout training from the AIMS Center and Qualis Health.