It is estimated that only half of older adults
who acknowledge mental health problems
receive treatment from any health care
provider, and only a fraction of those receive
specialty mental health services. The
specialty mental health services system
consists of private mental health providers
funded by private insurance and consumers,
and publicly and privately owned providers
funded by states, counties, and
municipalities. Institutional or facilitybased
mental health services include
inpatient care (acute and long-term),
residential treatment centers, and therapeutic
group homes. Community-based services
include outpatient psychotherapy, partial
hospitalization/day treatment, crisis services,
case management, and home-based and
“wraparound” services.