LOUISIANA Community Mental Health Services Block Grant ...

provide expanded crisis services and education for survivors of Hurricane Gustav during the last
fiscal year. Louisiana Spirit services included the provision of crisis counseling and resource
referral services to priority populations, including older adults. Given that the elderly are
considered one of the priority populations in the State, a special emphasis was placed on
reaching out to this population. LA Spirit counselors worked with entities as varied as local
Councils on Aging, Senior Living and Assisted Living sites, Senior Centers, Nursing Homes,
and Transitional Living Sites where many individuals lived after being evacuated after the
storms. LA Spirit functioned effectively as a bridge between the elderly and the communities in
which they are currently residing.
As discussed in the Housing Services Section of Criterion 1 and previously in this Criterion (see
Outreach to Homeless), there are several initiatives to assist the elderly with housing. OBH, in
partnership with other offices in DHH, disability advocates, and advocates for people who are
homeless, has actively pursued the inclusion of people with disabilities in the development of
affordable housing. These efforts resulted in a Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Initiative
which successfully gained a set aside of 5% of all units developed with Low Income Housing
Tax Credits to go to low income people with special needs, including the elderly population.
Because people with mental illness are present to a high degree in all of the targeted
subpopulations of this initiative, it is likely that they will benefit significantly. This initiative
also targets the aging population so those persons with mental illness who are in that
subpopulation will have targeted housing, emphasizing that disparities in mental health services
be eliminated.
Some clinics have benefits specialists who work with all populations, but particularly the elderly
to ensure that they receive individualized case management. Some clinics have assigned a
registered nurse to deliver specialized health needs to the elderly population, and other regions
provide enhanced nursing services for this population. In some regions, there are interagency
support groups for Alzheimer‟s disease.
Informal collaborative agreements exist with the Federally Qualified Health Care Centers
(FQHCs) regarding persons with SMI over the age of 65. Mobile outreach teams provide
therapeutic respite and linkage to community services for adults. In an example of a
collaborative agreement, a local hospital provides on-site medical care at the Baton Rouge
Mental Health Center on a monthly basis. In addition, the Council on Aging works with clinics
in the provision of food, transportation, and sitter services. Some regions have specialized
programming for elderly that include geriatric inpatient psychiatric units and four geriatric day
programs. Outpatient counseling is also available specifically for this population.
Specific clinical staffing and enhanced nursing services are also noted as ways of meeting the
needs of elderly persons with SMI. Other specialized initiatives and relationships mentioned
include home health agencies, meals on wheels, Elderly Protection Services, Senior Citizens
Centers, Council on Aging, Veterans Administration, Governor‟s Office of Elderly Affairs and
Housing Authority for Senior Citizens. In one innovative situation, an LGE reported that the
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) volunteers assist in clinics and offices as
needed.
PART C LOUISIANA FY 2011 PAGE 153
SECTION III: ADULT PLAN – CRITERION 4
TARGETED SERVICES TO RURAL, HOMELESS, AND OLDER ADULT POPULATIONS – SERVICES FOR OLDER ADULTS