Despite recent advances, older adults suffering with depression often do not seek or receive effective treatment. One of the most promising approaches to improving the reach and effectiveness of late-life depression care is the systematic involvement of community-based organizations (CBOs) or family in care. CBOs have greater reach in the community and also frequently can connect patients to needed social services. Family members can be gatekeepers to care or encourage patients to seek care, and can also strengthen care in a number of ways.

In June 2014, the Archstone Foundation Board of Directors, as part of the Foundation’s Depression in Late-Life Initiative, awarded a four-year grant to a team at the University of Washington led by Jürgen Unützer MD, MPH, MA and Theresa Hoeft, PhD to support the Care Partners: Bridging Families, Clinics, and Communities to Advance Late-Life Depression Care project. Under this project, seven sites throughout California were awarded two-year grants to further develop a partnership between clinics and community partners (i.e., CBOs and / or family care partners) when implementing collaborative care to improve late-life depression care (watch a video about one of those clinics). In 2017, Archstone awarded Phase 2 of the Care Partners project to support four of the original sites for an additional three years (El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center, Sonoma County Human Services Department; Adult and Aging Division, Family Health Centers of San Diego and the VA McClellan and Fairfield Outpatient Clinics). Phase 2 also expanded the program to include four additional California sites that joined the project in July 2018 (Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, Neighborhood Healthcare, and the UC Davis Midtown and Elk Grove Clinics).

Building on the lessons learned in Phase 1, Phase 2 further explores partnerships with either a CBO or family care partner to enhance either an existing PEARLS or Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) program. In additional to providing technical assistance and evaluation, the team at UW focuses on building a learning community among the participating clinics and CBOs with the long-term goal of guiding future collaborations to improve late-life depression care in California and beyond.