MARQUETTE, MI — Upper Peninsula Health Care Solutions has received a $50,000 grant to support its Aging Adult Mental Health program.

The funding was provided by Investing in the Health of the Upper Peninsula, a joint initiative by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, the Superior Health Foundation, and the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. The project will expand specialized mental health support for primary care providers serving older adults throughout Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The program will provide primary care clinicians with access to education on evidence-based best practices in mental health care for aging adults. Training will be delivered through the Extension for Community Health Outreach model, a nationally recognized approach that uses case-based learning to connect providers with subject-matter experts to improve care delivery on specific mental health topics relevant to the treatment of mental health symptoms in the older adult population.

In addition to provider education, UPHCS will expand its Hub and Spoke Network Model of Behavioral Health Care to offer specialized psychiatric consultation for primary care physicians.

“For many older adults, a primary care provider may be their only point of contact with the health care system,” said Katrina Keough, assistant director of UPHCS. “By strengthening the ability of these providers to address mental health concerns, this project helps reduce the impact of access barriers, speeding symptom relief and improving care for our aging population.”

The UPHCS Aging Adult Mental Health Support Project is designed to build capacity within primary care settings to better diagnose and treat mild to moderate mental health conditions among older adults, ultimately improving outcomes and access to care across the Upper Peninsula. This project builds on the groundwork laid by the establishment of the UPHCS Behavioral Health Network in 2024.

For more information, contact info@uphcs.org.