Cycle 2 Mini-grant Projects

New Age of Aging Mini-grant Projects

 

Grant Period: November 3, 2008 - April 30, 2009

Family Guidance Center: Parkview Adult Day Health Services
Montgomery, Alabama

Build capacity for senior services through professional development and community outreach education.  Two staff will receive the Institute for Geriatric Social Work at Boston University.  Community understanding of and potential involvement in older adult needs will be addressed through the design and distribution of a marketing packet that would share information about Parkview’s services and educate readers on emerging older adults needs, and hold a mini-health fair and food distribution event to bring together service providers and community resources that would share information with seniors and their families/caregivers.

Expected Outcomes: Two staff will complete certificate program and will enhance their understanding of older adult needs and implement two activities for older adults at Parkview that utilize information learned from courses taken.

Five-hundred packets of information will be designed and distributed; 75 older adults and their families will participate in mini-health fair; and 2,000 pounds of food will be distributed to vulnerable older adults.

La Casa de Esperanza: Older Adult Fitness Program
Waukesha, Wisconsin

La Casa operates older adult housing complexes and will use the funding to introduce a fitness program to residents to improve health and wellness. Activities will be varied to accommodate all levels of mobility and fitness, and the program will incorporate health and wellness education. To augment in-person sessions, La Casa will purchase Wii Fit stations.

Expected Outcomes: In the short-term, residents will improve their fitness levels and will adopt positive attitudes towards fitness. In the long-term, residents will maintain their fitness, and their overall health will be improved.

Family & Children Services, Inc.: Older Adult Mental Health Care Program
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Increase organizational capacity and competency to provide evidence-based mental health and substance abuse services to older adults and to ensure access for low income and uninsured older adults in the greater Tulsa metropolitan area.  This will be done through education and training of mental health care staff on serving older adults and by identifying and initiating training on evidenced-based practices. 

Expected Outcome: 100 percent of Family & Children Services, Inc’s mental health care staff received comprehensive evidenced-based education on serving older adults.  Improved access to mental health and substance abuse services for older adults.  An increased number of older adults have access to and be served by Family & Children Services, Inc’s mental health care program.

Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service: Grandparents in Divided Families
Scarsdale, New York

Scarsdale will implement the Grandparent Project to provide support for grandparents in divorced families. Grandparents will receive help coping with changing in-law, grandchild, and child relationships, specifically targeted towards grandparents experiencing stress with familial relationships and/or those taking on child care responsibilities.

Expected Outcomes: In the short-term, participants will form peer support groups to understand changing familial dynamics. They will experience a reduction in stress and improved coping mechanisms. In the long-term, participants’ family relationships will be improved. The project will be replicated using the grandparents as facilitators to help peers, and a survey will determine additional needs for further program development.

Family Services of Westchester: Senior Employment Think Tank and Study Circles
Port Chester, New York

Younkers Senior Personnel Employment Council will implement a Senior Think Tank to plan new job development strategizes with the goal of garnering more opportunities for older adult job seekers; and to inform ongoing relationships with business owners and social organizations to educate them about the advantages of hiring mature, experienced workers.  Study Circles will be implemented to support older job applicants as they conduct their job search.  These group meetings will be organized to help older adults develop practical “soft” skills for their job search,

Expected Outcomes: Improved visibility of FSW’s Younkers Senior Personnel Employment Council, which will lead to an increase in new jobs for older worker applicants.  Increased technical support and improved soft skills (resume content, nuances of job interviews, etc) for older adult applicants in preparation for job interviews.  In the long-term, FSW will develop ongoing relationships with local companies and business owners and a study flow of new job opportunities for older adults.  Study circles will be used as a replicable model for other older adult job development programs.

The Up Center: Develop Older Adult Fitness Program
Norfolk, Virginia

The Up Center’s fitness program instructor will complete certification offered by the American Senior Fitness Association to offer older adults accessible and comfortable exercise. The Up Center will also purchase equipment for the class, as well as train staff members through the IGSW online program. It is expected that program fees will provide funding stability.

Expected Outcomes: In the short-term, the Up Center will develop an appropriately tailored exercise program for older adults. In the long-term, older adult’s physical wellbeing will be improved.
 

Family Lifeline: ElderFriends Intergenerational Program
Richmond, Virginia

ElderFriends program will expand its reach to serve more low-income older adults.  Elderlink volunteers will be trained using an updated and enhanced comprehensive training program including a customized volunteer handbook.

Expected Outcomes: Eighty new volunteers will be recruited and trained; the creation of an improved volunteer handbook; decreased social isolation of older adults enrolled in ElderFriends program; increased knowledge of and access to community-based resources; and increased social support.
 

The Crossnore School: Intergenerational Activities for Isolated Children and Older Adults
Crossnore, North Carolina

The Crossnore School holds visitation for children on Sunday afternoon. Many children have no visitors or their visitors do not show up. There are local older adults who also feel isolated, so Crossnore will pair children with older adults to participate in storytelling, crafts, gardening, music-making, and exercise.

Expected Outcomes: Paired individuals’ quality of life will be enhanced with the intergenerational relationship. Crossnore will gain visibility in the community, will learn more about the needs of local older adults, and the project may lead to more volunteers and partnerships.

Family Services of Montgomery County: Asian Indian Seniors Club
Eagleville, Pennsylvania

FSMC will explore a new service model in order to respond to the needs of Asia Indian immigrant older adult population, and to investigate the possibility of broadening the traditional older adult targeted-population base currently served by the agency.

Expected Outcomes: Through the development of an Asian Indian Seniors Club, a social network will be created leading to a reduction in the feeling of isolation and more socially satisfied and engaged older adults.  In the long term, Asian Indian older adults will be recruited and maintained to serve as volunteers, committee members and social service board members and participate in human service collaborative opportunities and FSMC’s reputation will be viewed in the community as a responsive social service agency capable of developing new and innovative approaches to serve the areas growing and diverse senior population.
adults.

Family Service of Greater Boston: Mental Health Services Programming
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

FSGB will commit to creating an environment that will maximize the independence and the transitions of aging for older adults.  This will be done through the implementation of home-based mental health treatment services and outreach and education counseling services. 

Expected Outcomes: Underserved older adult clients will receive mental health/counseling services; client psychological and physiological stabilization; reduced symptomotology; and enhanced support system; and in the long term overall improvement of clients’ level of functioning.

Family & Children’s Service: Relative Caregivers’ Psycho-educational Groups
Nashville, Tennessee

Family & Children’s Service will offer counseling services to help older adult relative caregivers cope effectively with their emotional and mental health issues and equip them with skills and tools to better manage the challenges of the caregivers’ role.  Counseling services will focus on improving self-care; decreasing stress, anxiety and depression; enhancing the caregivers’ capacity to deal with behavioral issues of children in their care; increasing the stability of the kinship family structure.

Expected Outcomes: Increased number of caregivers will meet target plan goals; demonstrated better self-care and reduction in symptoms of depression; improved coping skills and management of children’s behavioral issues, and a greater awareness of commonality of experiences with other group members.  Long term outcomes include an increased awareness of community resources that address long standing and more individualized mental health problems, strengthened kinship family functioning, and a reduction in the disruption of kinship placements.

Family and Youth Counseling Agency: 11th Annual Connections Count! Family Focus Professional Development Conference and Post Conference Awareness Campaign
Lake Charles, Louisiana

Through Family and Youth Counseling Agency’s 11th Annual Connections Count! Family Focus Professional Development Conference, an awareness of the new retiree will be created among professionals, community leaders, and service and business organizations.  The conference will include an aging expert key note address and educational/brainstorming session to strategize a plan to continue creating community awareness three months after the conference.  Post conference activities will include presentations to area service clubs, work organizations, and non-profits.

Expected Outcome: Through the aging expert keynote address, 250 professionals will receive information about issues related to older adults.  From the strategy session, approximately 50 professionals will increase their appreciation for and awareness of the “new retiree” and will develop a plan to utilize the talents of older adults.  Staff in service clubs, work organizations, and non-profits will acquire the skill and ability to manage older workers and seek effective services for them.

Catholic Family Center: Home Repair and Maintenance to Keep Older Adults in Their Homes
Rochester, New York

Catholic Family Center operates a network of contractors who are certified to provide home upkeep to older adults. The mini-grant funds will be used to cover membership fees for low-income older adults to help them age in their homes.

Expected Outcomes: In the short-term, the number of older adults living in unsafe and unkempt homes will be decreased by providing home repair and maintenance services. In the long-term, more older adults with low incomes will be able to access the program, increasing their safety and well-being.

Northeast South Dakota Community Action Program: Tax Assistance and Financial Counseling
Sisseton, South Dakota

The Northeast South Dakota Community Action Program (NESDCAP) provides assistance with filing income tax forms. NESDCAP will increase the free tax preparation and financial counseling programs for older adults to meet the increasing need in the community. The programs help educate participants regarding housing rehabilitation, rebuilding credit, property tax refunds, telephone tax refunds, business loans, budgeting, and emergency services.

Expected Outcomes: More area older adults will receive free tax assistance, increasing their financial knowledge and their savings by allowing them to keep money otherwise used for tax preparation.

Family Service League, Inc.: Elder Care Training Program
Huntington, New York

A training program will be developed to educate and enhance the skills of staff working with older adult clients.  Specialized training focused on eldercare issues will be provided for one case manager at each of FSL’s family centers.  Training programs on long term care will also be offered to older adults and their family members.

Expected Outcomes: Ten case managers and three social workers will be trained on issues related to older adults; older adults and their family members will be educated about long term care through four community presentations and 30 individual sessions; and through the creation of 250 educational brochures FSL will be recognized as a reliable, effective resource for older adults.

Macomb Family Services: Provide Comprehensive Service Delivery for Older Adults through Collaboration
Clinton Township, Michigan

Macomb Family Services will form a collaborative effort to develop a comprehensive strategy to address identified challenges related to services for older adults, including awareness of programs, emerging needs, and knowledge of how other communities are preparing for older populations.

Expected Outcomes: In the short-term, gaps in services will be identified and information will be gathered about the gaps, existing programs, and other communities’ experiences to guide a comprehensive strategy. In the long-term, the comprehensive strategy will be implemented to improve the life of older adults.

Catholic Social Services of Wayne County: Recruit Older Adult Volunteers, Create Community Awareness Toolkits, and Pursue Partnerships
Detroit, Michigan

Catholic Social Services of Wayne County will recruit volunteers and train them for its Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent programs. Information about the programs will be published and widely distributed, with the expectation that partnerships will develop. Staff will receive the Certificate in Aging.

Expected Outcomes: Volunteers will be recruited and trained. Awareness toolkits will inform the community about the programs, resulting in new partnerships to enhance the programs. Staff will receive training to appropriately service older adults and will pass knowledge on to other staff.

Heartland Family Service: Heartland Family Service Senior Center Youth and Older Adult Volunteer Program
Omaha, Nebraska

Through a practicum experience for Masters of Social Work students, Heartland’s senior center will work to recruit retired older adult volunteers to engage youth in the community.  Youth program development will be focused on the Children’s Shelter and the Solomon Girls Center, Youth Links, Victim Empathy Program, and Family Works.

Expected Outcomes: Increased number of new older adult volunteers; increased satisfaction and rewarding experience for older adult volunteers; and an adequate number of older adult volunteers will be available to meet Heartland’s youth program needs.

Alliance for Families and Children of Central Virginia: Mental Health Screenings
Lynchburg, Virginia

The Alliance for Families and Children of Central Virginia will provide depression screenings and/or counseling sessions to meet the mental health needs of older adults through a Master’s level counseling intern.

Expected Outcomes: In the short-term, older adults will receive mental health services and a Master’s level intern will receive hands-on experience. In the long-term, visibility will increase for the Alliance for Families and Children throughout the region.

 

The Center for Families: Care for the Caregiver’s Support Group
Shreveport, Louisiana

The Center for Families will implement three project components to better support the aging population and their caregivers. The caregiver support group will hear presentations provided by experts in the field of aging, each participant will be offered individual or family counseling sessions provided by a licensed mental health professional, and a licensed mental health professional will also provide on-site counseling and visitation.

Expected Outcomes: Caregivers will have increased access to resources, decreased stress from limitations, and the community will have a better understanding of the need to supply more appropriate services.