HHS Awards $1.08 Million to Expand BRIDGES Training and Resources for Older Adults

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Community Living awarded $1,084,718 to the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) to expand the BRIDGES for Older Adults project. This supplemental award increases federal funding for the September 2024–August 2027 project period to $4,345,417.

BRIDGES (Behavioral Health Resources for Integrated Development, Growth, Engagement, and Support) focuses on training and technical assistance for the professionals and organizations that interact with older adults. It is not primarily a clinical treatment program. Instead, BRIDGES aims to improve behavioral-health recognition and referral by:

• addressing behavioral-health barriers that can interfere with managing chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

LECOM will offer multiple levels of technical assistance so organizations can choose support that matches their readiness. Options in the federal notice include individual consultations, implementation coaching, office hours, cohort programs, and peer-to-peer learning.

• a Dissemination and Engagement Playbook usable across BRIDGES and other Administration for Community Living initiatives.

BRIDGES has already conducted needs assessments and stigma surveys, launched a national anti-stigma campaign, set up a technical assistance center and online resource hub, distributed toolkits across the aging and disability network, and provided training through webinars and conferences.

A free 13-module online behavioral health literacy curriculum is available for chronic-disease program facilitators, caregivers, and older adults. The curriculum focuses on recognizing behavioral-health concerns, responding appropriately, and making referrals when needed. Resources and training are available through the BRIDGES for Older Adults website.

Primary beneficiaries are aging-service organizations, chronic disease program grantees, caregivers, facilitators, and older adults who rely on community-based services. The expansion aims to increase the capacity of non-clinical staff to identify and address behavioral-health needs so those needs do not block access to health promotion and chronic-disease management programs.

The supplemental funding applies only to the third year of the cooperative agreement, running through August 31, 2027. The total federal contribution for the project's three-year span is approximately $4.35 million, including the original $3,260,699 awarded in fiscal year 2024.