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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Geordana Weber, Chief Program Officer of Service Program for Older People (SPOP)
5:20:46
ยท
141 sec
Geordana Weber, Chief Program Officer of Service Program for Older People (SPOP), testified about the importance of mental health care for older adults in New York City. She emphasized SPOP's role as the only agency exclusively dedicated to community-based mental health care for older adults, serving over 2,000 adults annually through various programs and partnerships.
- SPOP provides outpatient services for adults 55 and older at multiple locations, including telehealth options
- About 20% of older adults are living with a mental health condition, with many facing challenges such as lack of support, suicidal ideation, and alcohol dependence
- Weber urged the New York City Council to allocate robust funding for mental health care programs that support older adults
Geordana Weber
5:20:46
Thank you, committee chair Lee and chair Schulman and all committee members.
5:20:50
My name is Jordana Weber, and I serve as chief program officer of Service Program for Older People, or SPOP.
5:20:56
SPOP is the only agency in New York City exclusively dedicated to community based mental health care for older adults.
5:21:03
We provide outpatient services for adults age 55 and older at 20 satellite locations throughout Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn, and The Bronx via telehealth, and at our flagship offices on the Upper West Side Of Manhattan.
5:21:16
SPAB also operates the only geriatric personalized recovery oriented service program, PROs program, in the state.
5:21:24
We serve over 2,000 adults annually, and provide individual and group therapy, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, psychiatric rehabilitation, and specialized substance use counseling.
5:21:35
To reach those most isolated, most frail, or most medically ill, spot partners with hospitals, aging service providers, and other community organizations to make mental healthcare accessible, acceptable, and effective.
5:21:49
We all have older adults in our lives.
5:21:51
If not ourselves, it's our parent or grandparent, our neighbor, our fellow bus or subway passenger, our colleague or our friend.
5:21:59
And if you know an older adult, you know that the need for mental healthcare does not decrease as we age.
5:22:05
About twenty percent of older adults are living with a mental health condition.
5:22:09
But in fact, older adults are less likely to have the financial, family, or community supports that can help them, whether trauma, crises, or chronic mental illness.
5:22:18
They are most vulnerable to falling through the cracks of mental healthcare system.
5:22:24
The impact of mental illness and addiction on older adults can be devastating, especially for our LGBTQ plus elders, those without secure housing, and those living with multiple disabilities.
5:22:35
We are seeing higher rates of suicidal ideation and attempts.
5:22:39
We're seeing greater severity of alcohol dependence, and we're seeing major challenges to recovering from trauma.
5:22:45
Mental healthcare plays a pivotal role in the health and well-being of older adults, so they can live well at home and participate in the community.
5:22:52
Community mental healthcare reduces the cost of hospitalization or institutional care.
5:22:57
And I'll wrap up.
5:22:58
I urge the New York City Council to allocate robust funding for mental health care in the year ahead, including programs that support older adults.
5:23:05
Thank you for the opportunity.
Lynn Schulman
5:23:07
Thank you.