Silver School of Social Work Receives Grant for Geriatric Mental Health Program

A $75,000 grant over three years from the John A. Hartford Foundation, administered by the New York Academy of Medicine, has been awarded to the Silver School of Social Work to develop a Field Learning Partnership Program in Integrated Geriatric Mental Health (IGMH). The grant will place 12 students in hospital and community-based geriatric mental health settings.

      In order to maximize learning opportunities, the Silver School will partner with several agencies in New York City that provide a range of community-based geriatric mental health services, including the Flushing Medical Center (psychiatry and addiction services); St. Vincent Catholic Medical Center (behavioral health); West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing; Aging in America; and the Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of New York City.

      “There is an appalling shortage of trained, geriatrically-competent mental health professionals to meet the psychosocial needs and concerns of a growing population of at-risk older adults in the community,” says Daniel Gardner, assistant professor of social work and project co-director with Peggy Morton, Silver School clinical associate professor.  “We designed the IGMH to integrate direct and policy practice, health and mental health, and field and classroom learning in order to maximize the students’ geriatric social work competencies and to develop future leaders in social work in aging.” 

—Barbara Jester