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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Catherine Thurston, Chief Executive Officer of Service Program for Older People (SPOP)
2:53:00
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Catherine Thurston, CEO of Service Program for Older People (SPOP), testified about the importance of mental health services for older adults in New York City. She emphasized SPOP's role in providing community-based mental health care and highlighted the need for increased funding, particularly for the DFTA Geriatric Mental Health Initiative (DGMH) program.
- SPOP serves over 2,000 adults annually, offering various mental health services at multiple locations.
- An estimated 20% of older adults experience mental health challenges, but resources are limited.
- Thurston urged the City Council to allocate robust funding for mental health care for older adults, including renewal and expansion of the DGMH program.
Catherine Thurston
2:53:00
Good afternoon, chair Hudson.
2:53:02
Thank you for holding this hearing on the preliminary budget for fiscal year twenty twenty six.
2:53:07
My name is Katherine Thurston, and I'm the chief executive officer of service program for older people, or SPOP.
2:53:13
SPOP is the only agency in New York City exclusively dedicated to community based mental health care for older adults.
2:53:21
We are licensed to provide outpatient mental health for adults age 55 and older and we offer services via telehealth at our offices and at 19 satellite locations throughout Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn and The Bronx.
2:53:36
We serve over 2,000 adults annually and provide individual and group therapy, psychiatry, medication management, group based psychiatric rehabilitation support, specialized counseling for substance use disorders, and linkages to other community based services to support aging in place.
2:53:56
Our goal is to support the overall health, well-being and independence of older adults and we partner with hospitals, aging service providers and community based organizations to coordinate services and reach out to those who are most isolated.
2:54:12
The vast majority of our satellite clinic sites are co located at NYC Aging Supported Older Adult Centers where we partner with staff to foster a culture of mental health awareness, reduce stigma, and integrate mental health care and wellness into other age supportive services.
2:54:30
We are proud to provide services at these older adult centers that are funded through the DFTA Geriatric Mental Health Initiative, or DGMH program.
2:54:39
Older adults represent the fastest growing segment of New York City's population and older New Yorkers are generally older, more diverse, and more isolated than ever before.
2:54:50
An estimated twenty percent of the population will experience a mental health challenge at some point, but there are few resources in the state specifically for older adults.
2:55:00
I urge the New York City Council to allocate robust funding for mental health care for older adults including renewal and expansion of the DGMH program which has dramatically expanded services for some of the city's most vulnerable members.
2:55:15
Age affirming mental health care is one of the best investments that we can make.
2:55:20
When we support the emotional health of older adults, it can improve their physical health, enable them to live with a greater sense of independence, and reduce social isolation and premature institutionalization.
2:55:32
I thank the committee and I thank you, Chair Hudson, for this opportunity and your ongoing support.
Crystal Hudson
2:55:37
Thank you.