Development and Evaluation of a Geriatric Mood Management Program

These findings raise important questions about im-proving access to mental health care for older veterans with mood disor-ders. The VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) Geriatric Re-search Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) fulfills one GRECC mis-sion of carrying out transformative clinical demonstration projects by developing programs to address geri-atric mood disorders.The VHA has successfully imple-mented the nationwide integration of mental health management into primary care settings. To design and implement these programs locally, in 2007, all VHAs were invited to submit proposals related to mental health primary care integration. Local sites were given flexibility in their use of different evidence-based models for delivery of this integrated care.