The
Behavioral Health and Aging Coalition comprised of numerous community
agencies, continues to meet regularly to find ways to improve and increase
services to people who are elderly and in need of behavioral health care. The
Division continues to coordinate the Coalition's efforts.
The mission of the
Coalition is to promote and enhance the behavioral health and quality of life
of older adults in Arizona. The coalition also provided opportunities for
professionals, consumers, government and private organizations to work
together towards improving the availability and quality of mental health and
substance abuse prevention and treatment for Arizonans 60 years of age and
older, and their families by:
- Identifying seniors as a
special population, and promoting appropriate behavioral health treatment
and services;
- Decreasing the
prevailing stigma associated with getting treatment for mental illness,
emotional and behavioral problems;
- Educating the public
about the importance of mental health, emotional well-being of older
adults, and promoting outreach and quality programs for the elderly;
- Encouraging older men
and women to use the services of behavioral health professionals,
prevention programs, and volunteer programs including self-help groups;
- Advocating for equity in
Medicare, private insurance coverage, and public funding to assure that
behavioral health services are treated like other health services;
- Identifying and reducing
gaps and deficiencies in services;
- Reducing the risk
factors for suicide among the elderly.
*Some of the files on this
page are in PDF format. In order to view, Acrobat
Reader™ is required.
Publications:
2003
Directory of Services [PDF 1MB]
Aging Coalition Brochure [PDF 490K]
Aging Coalition Newsletter [PDF 143K]
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