I am writing to inform the community of two grant opportunities offered by the Massachusetts Councils on Aging. Both were crafted with the goal of increasing access to behavioral health services for older adults in Massachusetts.
One is for elder mental health outreach teams and the other is a new program called Older Adult Behavioral Health Innovation. The due date for intent to bid forms for both Sept. 6. The RFPs can be found here: https://mcoaonline.com/grants/bid-opportunities/.
Traditional applicants are aging services access points such as Highland Valley Elder Services in Florence and LifePath in Greenfield and behavioral health agencies, but the newly envisioned innovation program — which could take several forms depending on the applicant — could be undertaken by agencies, nonprofits, or municipal departments that are not traditionally associated with behavioral health services.
Older adults face unique barriers to behavioral health care and have also endured a particularly difficult past couple of years of intensified isolation as a result of the pandemic. One systemic barrier they face is that Medicare only reimburses the highest level of trained providers, and most staff members of our local behavioral health agencies are professionals who have different degrees and licensures within the wide spectrum of credentials for people in the field.
For instance, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, and peer support specialists cannot be reimbursed by Medicare for providing services. The grant programs above provide opportunities for agencies to creatively meet the needs of a severely underserved population.
Hayley Wood
Hadley Senior Services Director