Service Program for Older People (SPOP)

Organization Description

Founded in 1972, Service Program for Older People, Inc. (SPOP) was one of the first agencies in the U.S. to focus on meeting the mental health needs of older adults living in the community. Today it is the only agency in the region dedicated exclusively to geriatric mental health care and is the area’s leading provider of long-term mental health treatment for homebound elderly. It provides affordable mental health care and related services to 1,000 New Yorkers each year.

The centerpiece of SPOP is its geriatric mental health clinic on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, which serves adults over age 55. The clinic is licensed by the New York State Office of Mental Health, and clinicians are trained to look for signs and symptoms of abuse.

SPOP works to reduce many of the barriers to treatment. The agency offers culturally-sensitive counseling in a client’s native language wherever possible and makes home visits to those who are too frail to travel. The clinic offers counseling at senior centers in the community, where individuals gather for social and educational programs. Clinicians explain the symptoms of mental illness and treatment options in an effort to address social stigmas and fears. The clinic also provides physical health assessments and medication management, and works with medical providers to coordinate treatment and medication.

In addition to general clinic services, SPOP also provides specialized substance abuse counseling, bereavement support, and day programs for adults with memory loss or serious mental illness.

SPOP has received local and national awards from the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation/American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, AARP, West Side Inter-Agency Council for the Aging, New York State Coalition for the Aging, and the American Psychiatric Association.

Location

Service Program for Older People (SPOP)
302 West 91st Street
New York, NY 10024

Contact

Phone: (212) 787-7120 x529
Fax: (212) 580-0533