JFS Receives MN DHS Grant to Expand Mental Health Services for Older Adults and Caregivers
JFS has received a two-year Live Well at Home grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services Aging and Adult Services division totaling $347,280.
The grant will be used to help older community members maintain their health, independence and community involvement by expanding on the current Program to Encourage Active Rewarding Lives for Seniors (PEARLS) that supports adults 55 and older and caregivers who are suffering from low mood or depression.
The grant funds will support the geographic expansion of PEARLS services to adults and caregivers in Hennepin county. Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis will collaborate with JFS to identify potential referral sources of individuals who may benefit from the program. Leaders hope to further diversify program participants.
The grant will also be used to provide four booster sessions to program graduates to help them revitalize the tools they acquired in previous PEARLS sessions.
The grant will also allow JFS to train counselors at other agencies in the PEARLS methodology so their agency may develop its own PEARLS services. The first two-day training was conducted earlier this month. Six agencies sent members of their staff to learn to successfully implement PEARLS in their organizations. The training was led by skilled PEARLS therapist Avi-Natan Zadaka, LICSW.