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Legislation Provides Comprehensive Geriatric Mental Health Care March 23, 2007 Washington, DC - Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), along with Representatives Patrick J. Kennedy (D- RI) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), introduced The Positive Aging Act of 2007 to improve access to mental health services for our nation's seniors by integrating mental health services into primary care and community settings. The legislation builds on measures secured in law last year by Senators Collins and Clinton as part of the Older Americans Act and will help the growing numbers of seniors with mental and behavioral health problems get the mental health screening and treatment they need. "I am pleased that this bill will help to promote the mental health and well-being of our older citizens. It is an investment that will return tremendous dividends in terms of improved quality of life, better patient outcomes, and more efficient use of health care dollars," said Senator Collins. "Mental disorders do not have to be a part of the aging process because we have effective treatments for these conditions," said Senator Clinton. "But despite these effective treatments, too many seniors go without the services they need and deserve because of poor integration of physical and mental health care." Lack of integration of mental health screening and treatment into health service systems has hurt American seniors' ability to access the services they need for mental health problems. Compounding the problem, the number of seniors who need these services is growing. Nationally, it is anticipated that the number of seniors with mental and behavioral health problems will almost quadruple, from 4 million in 1970 to 15 million in 2030, according to the National Council on Disability. Senators Collins and Clinton, in the 109th Congress, introduced the Positive Aging Act of 2005 and succeeded in securing key components of the bill in last year's reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. The Collins-Clinton measures enacted in the law authorized grants for the delivery of mental health screening and treatment services for older adults and grants to promote awareness and reduce stigma regarding mental disorders in later life. Today's bill builds on that progress. The Positive Aging Act of 2007 will provide essential mental health services for older Americans through demonstration projects to support integration of mental health services in primary care settings, and authorize grants for community-based mental health treatment outreach teams, among other provisions. This legislation is endorsed by the American Psychological Association, the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, and the National Association of Social Workers, the Alzheimer's Association, and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.
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