Training in Geriatric Mental Health: Needs and Strategies

This paper examines current numbers of U.S. mental health care professionals in psychiatry, psychology, social work, and nursing who are trained to treat late-life mental disorders and presents estimates of the increased numbers that will be needed by 2010. Strategies that may be effective in increasing the supply of geriatric mental health specialists are expanding incentives, such as fellowship stipends, loan forgiveness programs, and clinical reimbursement, to attract more clinicians to the field; encouraging professional organizations to offer certification in aging to highlight increased knowledge among professionals; and increasing core curricula in late-life mental disorders, or at least in aging, in all health professions. Other strategies are to diversify the range of training opportunities available by establishing short-term training initiatives to meet specific demands; use new technology to provide education to both professionals and the public; and establish "centers of excellence" to advance research training and clinical care in late-life mental disorders.