By Kim Dodds, Human Services Coordinator, City of Lakewood
Please set aside November 10th for Collaboration.The Community Collaboration is having the HEROS program come in and offer a very special training – FREE – to all Collaboration partners. HEROS (Helping Elders through Referral & Outreach Services) is a geriatric outreach program that serves individuals 60 years and older in Pierce County, Washington. HEROS staff recruit and train businesses and organizations that come into contact with older adults through their everyday work activities (e.g. fire, police, bank tellers, apartment managers, hospitals, code enforcement) to identify and refer older adults that need assistance with mental health, health and other social services. Once an older adult is referred to the program, a geriatric mental health specialist will make a home visit to assess the older person’s overall needs and to subsequently link them to needed community-based services (e.g. mental health services, health services, housing, home-delivered meals, in-home services, etc.).