Equipping Nutrition Service Volunteers to Support Older Adults During Covid-19 and Beyond
We will discuss the prevalence and implications of social isolation, loneliness, and elevated suicide risk (SILES) among older adults and provide an overview of techniques and best practices that can be used to address SILES in among diverse, at-risk, isolated older adults who receive home-delivered meals. Next, we will discuss the effect of BE WITH (Belongingness and Empathy, with Intentional Targeted Helping), an 8-week warm calling program that connects trained nutrition service volunteers with older adults, on SILES. The findings shared will show how using lay providers (aging services volunteers) that serve as “natural helpers” offers measurable positive outcomes for older adults who are isolated and may be considering suicide.
Mary Chase Mize, PhD, APC, NCC
Postdoctoral Researcher
Georgia State University
Mary Chase Mize, PhD, APC, NCC, is a postdoctoral research associate at Georgia State University and co-primary investigator of "Equipping the aging network to address social isolation, loneliness, and elevated suicidality among vulnerable older adults during COVID-19 and beyond: A partially nested randomized control trial of the BE WITH Innovation" funded by ACL. Dr. Mize completed her dissertation under the direction of Dr. Laura Shannonhouse, who currently leads the BE WITH project. Dr. Mize is an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) trainer, and serves as assistant director of the HOPE Lab at GSU. Dr. Mize is also a part-time mental health clinician with Jewish Family and Career Services of Atlanta, where she works with older adults and individuals who have experienced grief and ongoing struggles with suicide. Her research interests include community-based suicide prevention and intervention efforts within the aging services network, as well as preparing professional counselors to work with older clients.
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