Ms. Williams and Ms. Burbick presented information concerning the Massachusetts PASRR process, including a detailed review of the standard of specialized services used in the state and specific case examples.

Lori Smetanka, Director of the Ombudsman Resource Center provided an overview of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and its work advocating for long-term care residents. She also reviewed the role of the ombudsman in supporting individuals seeking to transition out of the nursing home into a community based setting.

The concepts of a geriatric comprehensive assessment have been known for many years, but have had three major drawbacks: 1) a tenuous link between the assessment and clinical practice; 2) disconnects between assessments done for clinical and policy decision making; and 3) linkages between "silos" of health care. The interRAI assessment systems address these three gaps with a robust assessment that drives clinical practice, but also has proven applications to case mix payment, quality of care measurement, screening, and policymaking.

Mr. Magness discussed the recently released SAMHSA Toolkit designed to help staff, family, and older adults living in senior living communities identify the warning signs in order to prevent, intervene, and/or respond to the aftermath of a senior suicide.

Mr. Currie discussed the need for and process for creating affordable supportive housing opportunities for people living with severe mental illness and low incomes.

August 2012 PASRR Webinar
• Describe the current and future shortage of the mental health workforce for the older adult population
• Analyze the recommendations of the IOM Report and compare with the current status in their respective state
• Identify the role of PASRR in a comprehensive long-term care system

You can download a PDF version of the presentation slides at the bottom of this webpage.

Explain to states how and why the National Review of State Policies and Procedures was conducted
Determine how the findings from the national review apply to states’ PASRR systems
Principal Faculty and Credentials

Dr. O'Connor and Dr. Spinelli discussed effective practices in developing PASRR evaluation reports for persons with mental illness. The National Association of PASRR Professionals (NAPP) is in the process of reviewing such practices in order to provide guidance on ways to improve states' reporting of PASRR findings related to persons with mental illness.