Detailed Awards Information Online: www.AAGPmeeting.org/awards.html

The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry has created a new award to encourage programs to provide and/or expand services for meeting the mental health needs of the frail elderly in their homes. As part of the new AAGP Deirdre Johnston Award for Excellence and Innovation in Geriatric Mental Health Outreach Services, the association will grant $10,000 to a program based on its excellence and/or innovation in providing mental health services to older adults in the community.

Older adults with mental illnesses in the community are a vulnerable group, often living in isolation without access to the services that would greatly improve their lives. One in 10 adults over age 65 and nearly half of those over 85 suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, 5 percent of the elderly in the community live with depression, and 4 percent of older adults have anxiety disorders.

This annual award is made possible by a generous gift from Arnold H. Snider to the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation, which with the association oversees the award. This award is named in honor of geriatric psychiatrist Deirdre Johnston, MBChB, MRCPsych, in gratitude for the care she provided to Kate Mills Snider, Mr. Snider’s mother. Mr. Snider has been a long-time advocate for health care causes such as increased research into lupus and paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders. He and his wife, Katherine, have endowed the Kate Mills Snider Geropsychiatry Outreach Program and Professorship Fund within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

“The Deirdre Johnston Award will help bring services to more frail, older men and women, who can benefit from the attention of expert mental health care,” said Mr. Snider. He added, “This type of care can make a big difference in the quality of life of home-bound elderly patients and is a need that is going to grow dramatically in the years ahead.”

The Johnston Award will be presented at the AAGP Presidential Plenary and Awards Dinner on March 5, 2009, in Honolulu, Hawaii, in conjunction with the AAGP Annual Meeting. A representative from the award-winning program will be invited to give a brief lecture or poster presentation as part of the AAGP Annual Meeting. Travel and lodging for the meeting and meeting registration will be the responsibility of the recipient of the award.

Eligibility

Geriatric mental health outreach programs that provide community services are eligible to apply. Programs are eligible to receive the award, individuals are not. Eligible applicants are U.S. and Canadian public and private nonprofit entities. For example: state, local or tribal governments; public or private universities and colleges; community- and faith-based organizations; and tribal organizations may apply.

Application

Programs are asked to submit a 3-5 page description of their program detailing its components including the age of the program, target population, and evidence of impact. Supplemental materials may be included.

The AAGP and Geriatric Mental Health Foundation’s Awards Selection Committee is chaired by Burton V. Reifler, MD, MPH, director of the Kate Mills Snider Geriatric Psychiatric Outreach (GO) Program.

Letters of application are due October 15, 2008, to AAGP, Attn: Johnston Geriatric Mental Health Outreach Services Award Committee, 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1050, Bethesda, MD 20814. For questions, write to ddisque@aagponline.org. The awardee will be notified by November 20, 2008.

The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (www.AAGPonline.org) is a national association representing and serving its members and the field of geriatric psychiatry. AAGP’s mission is to enhance the knowledge base and standard of practice in geriatric psychiatry through education and research and to advocate for meeting the mental health needs of older Americans.

The Geriatric Mental Health Foundation (www.GMHFonline.org) was established by the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry to raise awareness of psychiatric and mental health disorders affecting older adults, eliminate the stigma of mental illness and treatment, promote healthy aging strategies, and increase access to quality mental health care for the elderly.

CONTACT:
Kate McDuffie, E-mail: kmcduffie@aagponline.org, Phone: 301.654.7850 x113