Funding for an Institute of Medicine (IOM) study was recently approved by both the U.S. House and Senate and is expected to be signed into law shortly. A joint House-Senate Fiscal Year 2010 omnibus appropriations bill, consolidating funding for numerous federal departments, contains a provision providing $900,000 in funding for an IOM study on the mental health workforce for aging and ethnic populations.

“Despite the fact that mental illnesses like depression contribute enormously to the burden of illness-related disability in older persons, and despite the fact that greater numbers of older people are living longer and thus at risk for depression and its complications (especially in wealthy countries), the nation lacks a coherent policy or plan for creating the mental health work force needed to meet these challenges” Charles F. Reynolds, III, MD, president of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, said. “We look to the IOM study to help identify timely strategies for meeting these challenges.”

The omnibus appropriations bill passed the House of Representatives on December 10 and was approved by the Senate on December 13. It is anticipated that President Obama will sign the bill into law this week.

AAGP initiated the request for an aging and mental health study to complement the IOM's 2008 broad study of the geriatric workforce, when it became clear that the parameters of the broader study would not be able to consider mental health with the depth that is needed. “The funding of an IOM study of the nation’s geriatric mental health workforce is an event of great importance, one that has been championed by AAGP for a number of years,” Reynolds said.

Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut) and Patrick Kennedy (D-Rhode Island), as well as Senator Herb Kohn (D-Wisconsin), have been strong and tireless advocates for this initiative on Capitol Hill. AAGP was joined in its lobbying and grassroots advocacy efforts by the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Association of Social Workers.

Following enactment of this legislation, AAGP will begin to work with both the IOM and the Department of Health and Human Services on the logistics for this study.

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.

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

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