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Aging is a fact of life. Having access to quality, accessible behavioral health resources is as important for older adults as for anyone else - and it's critical to living full lives at home and in our communities or settings of our choice. As the Older Adult Behavioral Health Network moves into its second year, MAMH will continue to support the network to advance the mental health and well being of older adults. 

In the News...

Strong and Responsive to Real Needs

On July 28, 2022, Governor Baker signed into law a FY23 budget prioritizing behavioral health. The bill included all of MAMH's spending priorities, including:

• $115M to expand outpatient and urgent care behavioral health services at MassHealth;
• Funding for Network of Care Massachusetts;
• $20M for a behavioral health trust fund to support school tele-behavioral health, workforce diversity, initiatives to address the ED boarding crisis, and mental health support for K-12 and college students.

Stay tuned for more details about what the budget means for people with behavioral health conditions.

Massachusetts Poised to Adopt Legislation that Promotes Positive Mental Health

Comprehensive mental health bills passed by the MA Senate and House (S.2584/H.4891) are near the final stages of passage. Both bills include important steps to improve mental health services and address disparities in access and quality.

To learn more about each bill, please see our 2021-2022 Mental Health Omnibus Fact Sheet. 

Older Adult Behavioral Health Network

Breaking Down Silos Series

Providing cross-training and networking for providers in the behavioral health and older adult service systems. You can catch up on past trainings and be on the lookout for future offerings.

Breaking Down Silos: Overview of Aging Resources for Behavioral Health Providers

Moving Beyond Silos: Building Aging and Health Partnerships

Breaking Down Silos: Substance Use and Aging

Find other trainings and webinars here.

Featured Posts

BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month

July is BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) Mental Health Awareness Month – a time set aside to honor communities of color and ensure mental health services are responsive to individual strengths, challenges, values, and cultures.

This month we highlighted BIPOC communities via social media to elevate their voices and educate the public on diverse perspectives, and challenges and disparities that still exist.

Follow us on Twitter for more about BIPOC mental health!

BIPOC Specific Resources

BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health) provides a library of interactive handouts, journaling prompts, and social media posts to destigmatize mental illness in the Black community.

A list of resources compiled by the Asian American Psychological Association for Asian Americans including mental health self-care, responding to racism/harassment and COVID-19 stress, potential resources for assistance, and a list of culturally relevant mental health organizations.

The BIPOC Project aims to build authentic and lasting solidarity among Black, Indigenous and People of Color, in order to undo Native invisibility, anti-Blackness, dismantle white supremacy, and advance racial justice.

Liberate is a smartphone app for daily meditation designed for the BIPOC community and led by BIPOC teachers (NOTE: free trial followed by monthly or annual subscription).

The longest-running program on public television focusing on the interests of people of color, GBH's Basic Black often explores the topic of mental health among BIPOC communities in their episodes.

Live Another Day provides a list of resources to support Native and Indigenous peoples mental health with a focus on suicide prevention and substance use.

Research and News of Note

On July 26, 2022 the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) turned 32! This important civil rights law works to ensure all people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. Read the White House statement here.

A report examining challenges facing female students of color found that in the last school year before the pandemic, Black girls in Massachusetts were disciplined in school at more than three times the rate of white girls for the same offenses.  Learn more here.

According to a new federal report, fatal overdoses jumped 44 percent among Black people, twice the increase among white people from 2019 to the end of 2020, reflecting widening racial disparities. Read the New York Times article here.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Year Three Age-Friendly Progress Report details efforts in 2021 to advance the goal of becoming an age and dementia-friendly state. Read the report here.

Events

Take advantage of the many opportunities for in-person and online training across the Commonwealth! 

Check out our Events page to see what's happening in the behavioral health community this month!

Interested in trainings for supporting older adults with behavioral health needs in the community? Check out our Older Adult Behavioral Health Training Calendar!