"Making Sense of S.I.L.V.E.R.* Research" is a webinar series, designed for everyone! It presents a recent, relevant research study in clear, understandable language, with time for you to ask questions.

This presentation will review a recently published article outlining policy changes needed to improve the quality of life for individuals with serious mental health conditions (SMHC) residing in U.S. nursing homes. People with SMHC often face quality of care concerns and limited access to appropriate mental health services in these settings. Key recommendations include: 1) Expanding Medicaid coverage to provide comprehensive mental health services in nursing homes, 2) Requiring specialized training for nursing home staff on caring for residents with SMHC, 3) Increasing funding for transitional care programs to help those with SMHC move from nursing homes to community-based living, and 4) Enhancing data collection and reporting on the mental health needs and outcomes of nursing home residents. Implementing these reforms would represent an important step toward addressing longstanding disparities in the care provided to this vulnerable population. The lead author will review these challenges, recommendations, and future steps.

Evan Plys, PhD, ABPP is a licensed clinical psychologist board-certified in clinical geropsychology. He currently is an Assistant Professor at Massachusetts General Hospital in the Center for Health Outcomes and Interdisciplinary Research and in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. His funded program of research investigates psychological intervention approaches for short-term, post-acute care residents with depression as well as long-term nursing home residents with dementia and serious mental health conditions. Clinically, he specializes in nursing home consultation and dementia caregiver mental health.

*Supporting Individuals to Live as Vibrant Elders in Recovery

Making Sense of S.I.L.V.E.R.* Research is a webinar series, designed for everyone! It presents a recent, relevant research study in clear, understandable language, with time for you to ask questions.

*Supporting Individuals to Live as Vibrant Elders in Recovery

Presentation: Rationale for and Design of an Exercise Program to Improve Physical Function in Older Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions

This presentation will discuss physical function in older adults with serious mental health conditions as well as the rationale for and preliminary design of an exercise program for this population.

Dr. Julia Browne is the Research Director of the Wellness and Recovery After Psychosis (WRAP) Program at Boston Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. Her research program, which is primarily focused on developing and evaluating health-promoting interventions (e.g., exercise) for young, middle-aged and older adults with serious mental health conditions, has been supported by institutional and federal grants and disseminated in more than 70 peer-reviewed publications. In addition to her research, she is a licensed psychologist who provides individual and family treatment to individuals with serious mental health conditions and supervises psychology trainees.

Making Sense of S.I.L.V.E.R.* Research is a webinar series, designed for everyone! It presents a recent, relevant research study in clear, understandable language, with time for you to ask questions. *Supporting Individuals to Live as Vibrant Elders in Recovery

Presentation: "People Living with Serious Mental Health Conditions in Nursing Homes: Stakeholder Perspectives on the Federal Preadmission Screening Program (PASRR)"

The federal Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) program was enacted in the 1980s amid concerns surrounding the quality of nursing home (NH) care. This program is meant to serve as a tool to assist with level of care determinations for nursing home applicants with serious mental health conditions (SMHC) and was intended to limit the growth in the number of nursing home residents with SMHC. Despite this policy effort, the prevalence of SMHC in nursing homes has continued to increase, and little is known about the mechanisms behind the limitations of the PASRR program. This presentation shares results of 20 semi-structured interviews conducted with state and national stakeholders to identify factors affecting PASRR program administration and nursing home care for residents with SMHC.

Dr. Taylor Bucy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Her research critically examines the role of long-term and post-acute care services within the broader healthcare delivery system and seeks to identify areas for meaningful organizational improvement in the structures and processes that facilitate the delivery of high-quality, high-value care to medically and socially complex older adults. Dr. Bucy earned her PhD in health services research, policy & administration from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.