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COMMUNITY EDUCATION and OUTREACH

Community Education and Outreach Projects

-Training and Education Projects
-Aging and Mental Health Task Force
-Depression Information Service
-Mental Health and Aging Policy Committee (coming soon!)

Training and Education Projects

Present Training and Education Projects

Title:  Geriatric Depression Training for Area Agency on Aging Staff
Partners:  Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression & Lower Chattahoochee Regional Development Center Area Agency on Aging
Date:  2005-2006
Funding:  Lower Chattahoochee Regional Development Center Area Agency on Aging ($8800)

The Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression is partnering with the Lower Chattahoochee Regional Development Center Area Agency on Aging (AAA) to educate and train AAA staff on geriatric depression.  The AAA Staff will include Information and Referral Staff, Senior Center Staff, and Meal Staff.  Resource Development and Information and Referral Staff training will be conducted in 2005, with additional trainings conducted in 2006.If you would like more information on this project please email fuquacenter@emory.edu 

Title:  Community Care Service Providers Expansion Project
Partners:  Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression, Department of Human Resources Division of Aging Services, Southwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging and Southeast Georgia Area Agency on AgingDate:  2004-2005
Funding:  Department of Human Resources 2004-2005 ($43,500)

In June of 2004, The Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression received funding from the Georgia Department of Human Resources Division of Aging Services to expand the project funded     through the AFSP in two other Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) in Georgia that serve 32 counties in the southern part of the state.  DHR funding allows The Fuqua Center’s education and clinical intervention project to reach an additional 43 frontline Care Coordinators with the Community Care Services Programs, as well as potentially reaching 2075 high-risk community dwelling seniors.  

If you would like more information on this project please email fuquacenter@emory.edu 

Title:  National Depression Screening Day
Partners:  Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression, Emory University Department of Psychiatry, Emory Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program and Budd Terrace of Wesley Woods
Date:  2005
Funding:  Pfizer Pharmaceuticals

The National Depression Screening Day (NDSD) is a nationwide public health event run through the non profit organization Screening for Mental Health, Inc. It is designed to raise awareness of depression, anxiety, manic depression and suicide in the community, and to connect those in need with treatment. The Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression participates in this annual event by offering free, anonymous mental health screenings for a range of common emotional situations that often go undiagnosed and misunderstood.  The annual event offers individuals a free screenings, information about depression and anxiety, a brief private talk with a mental health professional, and a referral, if needed, to local treatment services.

Contact: Please visit our EVENTS page for information

Title:  Sharing in the Caring – 5^th Annual Caregiver Conference
Partners:  Emory University Center for Health in Aging, Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression & Emory Health Care and Wesley Woods
Date:  2005
Funding:  Sunrise Senior Living & Vista Care ($10,000)

Since 2001, The Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression has partnered with Wesley Woods Center of Emory University, Emory Health Care, and others to organize the Sharing in the Caring: A Caregiver Conference.  Our aging population will challenge the nation’s financial and human resources, causing significant stress on families, friends and communities caring for frail elders.  The purpose of this annual event is to give family members the opportunity to hear and interact with experts in the geriatric field.  Previous conferences included workshops on Social Security and Medicare, Communicating with your Health Care Provider, Depression in Older Adults and much more. 

Contact:  Please visit our EVENTS page for conference information. 

Past Training and Education Projects
Title:  Decreasing Suicide in Community Elderly
Partners:  Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression, Atlanta Regional Commission, Visiting Nurse Systems and Department of Human Resources Division of Aging Services
Date:  2002-2004
Funding:  American Foundation for Suicide Prevention ($100,000)

The Fuqua Center staff partnered with the Atlanta Area on Aging Community Care Service Providers care coordinators to pilot an intervention program that provided traditional educational seminars and monthly case conferences in order to facilitate the recognition of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among older clients.  The intervention proved successful by increased recognition of depression and suicidal ideation   in high-risk population. The intervention also increased the care coordinators’ recognition of all depressive symptoms over-time and enhanced the care coordinators ability to make appropriate referrals. As one of the first studies to look at older adults in the community, continued work through this project may have large affects on aging and mental health issues   throughout the state of Georgia.  By enhancing the care coordinator’s ability to recognize mental health issues and develop a strong referral system for clients in need of psychiatric service, depressed older adults will be recognized and treated. 

If you would like more information on this project please email fuquacenter@emory.edu 

Title:  Faith Based Initiative - Exploring Depression in Older Adults through Medical and Theological Frameworks
Partners:  Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression, Emory University Department of Pastoral Services at Wesley Woods, North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, Emory Clergy Care and Emory University School of Theology
Date:  2003-2004 

The Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression, in collaboration with the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church and the Wesley Woods Center on Aging Department of Pastoral Services, and Emory Clergy Care developed a Faith-based Depression Education Initiative focusing on Depression in older adults. The purpose of the initiative was to educate clergy and lay leaders of faith-based organizations about depression and other mental illnesses in older adults, teach clergy and laypersons how they can advocate for older adults suffering from mental illness, and assist faith based organizations in developing an action plan so that they can serve older adults with depression and other mental illnesses common in older adults. The half-day workshops provided attendees with information through both medical and theological frameworks.   There was a significant increase among participants’ recognition and understanding of   depressive symptoms at post-test including an increase in the knowledge, understanding, and   recognition of all depressive symptoms.  Participants’ knowledge of suicide and other mental illnesses also significantly increased after the training.  The half-day workshops provides attendees with information through both medical and theological frameworks.  The Fuqua Center is currently working with Emory’s Interfaith Health Program and Department of Pastoral Services to develop a plan to implement the initiative with other faith-based organizations throughout Georgia.   

To learn more about this project or to arrange for a workshop for your organization email fuquacenter@emory.edu   Title:  Feasibility of a web based depression program for caregivers

Partners: Emory University School of Nursing & Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression
Date:  2002-2003
Funding:  Emory University School of Nursing: The Center for Research on Symptoms, Symptom Interaction and Health Outcomes ($20,000) 

The Pilot Project funded by The Center for Research on Symptoms, Symptom Interaction and   Health Outcomes developed  and tested the feasibility of a web-based education program focused on the recognition of depressive symptoms in SS and caregivers for future use in a larger caregiver intervention.  The study design was descriptive, using a nonrandom sample of   20 caregiver participants to determine the efficacy of a web-based education program. The web-based program has four components: (1) video clips and case studies to aid in the recognition of depressive symptoms; (2) information about post stroke depression; (3)   strategies to facilitate the role of caregivers as advocates for SS during recovery; and (4) resources for the treatment of depression. Data was collected on-line and included the CES-D for depression, subscales of the Family Assessment Device, a program evaluation survey, and assessment of knowledge of depressive symptoms.  Using innovative technologies to deliver interventions to address depression for caregivers of SS and improve data collection methods in research are important areas of inquiry.  

Title:  Recognizing Mental Illness in Older Adults
Partners:  Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression and Central Savannah River Area Agency on Aging
Date:  2002
Funding:  Central Savannah River Area Agency on Aging ($500.00)  

The Fuqua Center developed a training course on mental illness in older adults for the Area Agencies on Aging Information and Referral Staff.  The purpose of the course is to heighten the staff’s awareness regarding prevalence of depression and other mental illnesses in older adults, increase staff’s ability to recognize symptoms of mental illness as being contributing cause for needing services, and increase INR ability to make appropriate referral to mental health services   To date, The Fuqua Center has trained almost 300 Information and Referral Staff statewide.  Of those participants, over 90% agreed the training extended their     knowledge of depression and mental health services.             

To learn more about this project or arrange for a training course for your organization email us   at fuquacenter@emory.edu