Aging and Behavioral Health Alliance of East Central Ohio

To improve the health and well-being of older adults in East Central Ohio by advancing evidence-based and innovative behavioral health practice through education, collaboration, and advocacy.
The mission of the Aging and Behavioral Health Alliance of East Central Ohio (ABHA-ECO) is to unify, educate, and collaborate among professionals who work with older adults and their caregivers in all areas of mental, physical, and behavioral healthcare. We also strive to involve and include older adults who are consumers of healthcare services. To that end, the members of the ABHA-ECO prioritized several short-term and long-term goals.

Short-term goals:
1. Build the Alliance’s constituency (i.e., administrators of community agencies, academicians, direct care providers, administrators of long term care facilities, caregivers, and consumers).
2. Network among professionals in our region to build and promote links among service providers and available resources.
3. Disseminate information on correct billing and issues of coding within the Medicare system.
4. Provide education and promotion of best practices and evidence-based models of care.
5. Develop a system to transfer information and documents to promote a uniform plan of care and transfer of documents.

Long-Term goals:
1. Obtain funding to continue the work of the alliance
2. Obtain funding to implement models of evidence-based practices
3. Advocate for systems change
4. Become the premier clearinghouse for pertinent information in the field of behavioral health issues.

These efforts have coalesced due to the vision, planning, and funding from the Department of Psychiatry, Summa Health System as well as from grant monies received from the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA). The two organizations have joined together to create an organized coalition of professionals and consumers interested in improving geriatric behavioral health care in our region. Recently, the ABHA-ECO used the “second round” of OACBHA grant monies to create a website to encompass our identified goals and strategies. We see the creation of the ABHA-ECO website as an efficient way to communicate with our growing membership. ABHA-ECO’s current membership of almost 100 professionals, community leaders and consumers continue to grow. Our website will enable us to:

1. Educate professionals, the public and consumers of “Network of Care” and other appropriate links
2. Advocate effectively for legislation
3. Update professionals on upcoming trainings, pertinent information and current research opportunities
4. Develop and disseminate information about existing community resources

Developed by the Steering Committee, ABHA-ECO

If you wish to join the Alliance please Click Here