GOSHEN – Orange County’s Department of Mental Health has received a state grant of $1 million over a five-year period through the state’s Partnership Innovation for Older Adults program.
The grant will establish community programs that identify adults age 55 and older whose independence or survival in the community is in jeopardy because of mental health, substance abuse, or aging-related concern.
County Deputy Commissioner of Mental Health Thomas Bolzan co-authored the program.
“The beauty of this project is it will involve direct engagement and service delivery to seniors that had addiction or unmet behavioral health needs,” Bolzan said. “The other benefit is the families that it reaches and opportunities for education and awareness on how to link seniors to services. It has a dual approach in terms of helping people directly and teaching people where they go to receive help.”
Project partners include Mental Health Association in Orange County, Rehabilitation Support Services, Department of Social Services, Jewish Family Services, Catholic Charities of Orange County and the county Office for the Aging.
County Mental Health Commissioner Darcie Miller said the grant will “respond to the mental health and substance abuse needs of our aging population, who can feel alone and isolated when coping with these challenges.”
