Supplemental Evidence-based Program (EBP) Supports for Sustainable Delivery

Product not yet rated

Only available as part of a package

Most Falls Prevention workshops were forced to modify their evidence-based structure from a series of in-person sessions to an entirely virtual delivery platform to continue providing workshops to older adults due to the pandemic. As we return to some sense of normalcy, it has become increasingly apparent that virtual delivery, at least in some format, is here to stay. With its facilitators tasked with the remote delivery of Tai Chi for Arthritis (TCA), Bingocize and A Matter of Balance (AMOB), this presentation will highlight some of the strategies used by the NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA) to improve facilitator competency and comfort level with the technology needed. This session will also explore some of the additional supports which can be implemented to create evidence-based programs which are not only sustainable but have helped to make DFTA instructors more confident and successful regardless of what method of delivery they choose.

Belynda Rivers

Project Manager

New York City Department for the Aging

The mission of the NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA) is to eliminate the ageism confronted by approximately 1.7 million older New Yorkers (ages 60 and older) and to ensure the dignity and quality-of-life of this diverse population. As an agency of NYC government and a federal Area Agency on Aging, DFTA receives funds to provide supportive services to caregivers, referral services to people of all ages with disabilities and essential services to assist older adults to remain actively engaged in their communities while aging safely in their homes. During the 2020 Fiscal Year, DFTA successfully provided assistance to over 240,000 older adults through its in-house services and contracted programs. DFTA funds and oversees a system of over 250 senior centers and 28 Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Services (NORCs) citywide that both offer a range of services including nutritional support, information and assistance in obtaining benefits and entitlements, educational activities, cultural events/outings, volunteer opportunities, and other social engagement programs to foster enrichment and wellbeing. Most importantly, health and wellness is a key component of DFTA’s programming, as we coordinate a range of health promotions programs and activities -such as CDSMP and Falls Prevention- throughout its senior center and NORC network.

Meghan Shineman

Director, Program Devlopment & Health Care Innovations

New York City Department for the Aging

Meghan Shineman, MPA is Director of Program Development at NYC Aging. With 15 years’ experience in the public, nonprofit, health and aging sectors, Meghan coordinates NYC Aging's solicitations and innovative initiatives, including development of partnerships between CBOs and healthcare partners.

Dr. Phil McCallion, PhD

Director, Professor, Social Work

Temple University

Dr. McCallion’s research interests fill an important niche in the field of social work, bridging scholarship on aging populations and those with intellectual disabilities such as Down syndrome. He is co-principal investigator of the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging, a visiting professor at Trinity College Dublin, a John A. Hartford Foundation Social Work Faculty Scholar and Mentor, and a member of the steering committee of the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia. A renowned researcher, since 1996 McCallion has received more than $30 million in research funding and published more than 140 articles on interventions with older adults with chronic conditions, caregivers of frail elderly, persons with Alzheimer's disease, and persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities. As a mentor to junior researchers he has served on 23 doctoral student committees, of which he has chaired 14, and supervised 40 doctoral and master’s projects. McCallion's research began with randomized control trials of psychosocial interventions for people with dementia and their caregivers. His interests have extended to creating aging-prepared communities; evaluating non-pharmacological interventions; increasing the reach of palliative care programs; and developing community-oriented projects to assist aging persons with intellectual disabilities. Within his work McCallion emphasizes evidence-based interventions, collaboration with state and local agencies, and community capacity-building.

Lisa A. Ferretti

Research Assistant Professor

Temple University School of Social Work - College of Public Health

Lisa Ferretti is a Research Assistant Professor at the Temple University School of Social Work - College of Public Health. Lisa's current research focus is on social isolation and loneliness in older adults and people with disabilities. She has developed several interventions to support people as they manage feelings of loneliness and experience isolation. These interventions encourage the use of technology platforms as a means to address identified concerns and deliver small group interventions. Lisa's research supports inclusion, access and self-determination. Critically, this work includes advancing knowledge to suppor the development of responsive services, the workforce and infrastructure needed to meet the needs of older adults and persons with diabilities in maintaining their independence and quality of life with a critical lens on health disparities and continuous quality improvement.