Psychosocial Interventions for Older Adults With Serious Mental Illness

This updated TIP is designed to help providers and others better understand how to identify, manage, and prevent substance misuse in older adults. The TIP describes the unique ways in which the signs and symptoms of substance use disorder (SUD) manifest in older adults; drug and alcohol use disorder screening tools, assessments, and treatments specifically tailored for older clients' needs; the interaction between SUDs and cognitive impairment; and strategies to help providers improve their older clients' social functioning and overall wellness.

This brief provides an overview of workforce issues to consider when addressing the needs of older adults living with serious mental illness (SMI). Information includes demographics; challenges faced by a provider workforce, and ideas for strengthening the geriatric workforce to address SMI.

This guide reviews ways that telehealth modalities can be used to provide treatment for serious mental illness and substance use disorders among adults, distills the research into recommendations for practice, and provides examples of how these recommendations can be implemented.

This Advisory is based on TIP 60, Using Technology-Based Therapeutic Tools in Behavioral Health Services. It provides information on synchronous and asynchronous telehealth technologies for behavioral health treatment. Factors such as technology access and implementation are addressed.

This Guidance reviews non-pharmacologic behavioral approaches and strategies to avoid and reduce prescribing of antipsychotics whenever possible for older adults with dementia and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This report for clinicians explains approaches to providing integrated care to older adults living with substance use disorder and mental illness. It highlights the importance of assessing patients for cognitive deficits and adapting behavioral interventions to help improve treatment outcomes.