Nation’s First Age-Friendly Designated Outpatient Mental Health Team Awarded to Atlanta VA Mental Health Program
By Gregory Kendall, Public Affairs Specialist
In a groundbreaking achievement, the Atlanta VA Health Care System’s Gero/Neuro/Health Mental Health team has become the first all-mental health outpatient team in the nation to be officially designated as Age-Friendly by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).
This historic milestone marks a major step forward in providing high-quality, tailored care to older Veterans.
The Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative is a nationwide movement that aims to ensure care for older adults is guided by an essential set of evidence-based practices known as the 4Ms: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility. The Atlanta VAHCS team integrated these principles into every aspect of their mental health services — a feat no other exclusively mental health team in the country has accomplished until now.
“This recognition is more than a badge,” said Dr. Jennifer Smith, Atlanta VAHCS Program Director. “It’s a reflection of our team’s deep commitment to understanding and supporting the unique mental health needs of aging Veterans.”
The Gero/Neuro/Health Mental Health team provides specialized care for older Veterans dealing with a range of cognitive and psychological challenges, including dementia, depression, PTSD, and neurological disorders. By embracing the Age-Friendly model, the team ensures that each Veteran’s care plan is shaped around what truly matters to them — supporting not only their mental health but their dignity and independence as they age.
The program’s success is now being looked at as a national model, with other VA systems reaching out to learn how to replicate the Age-Friendly approach in mental health settings.
For the Veterans served by the team, the impact is already being felt. “They listen to me, not just about my medications, but about my goals and what I want out of life,” said one Veteran patient. “That means everything.”