Older Adult Mental Health Services

Weekly On-Site Individual Counseling

A Samaritan therapist will be on-site one day each week to provide individual counseling services for residents. Counseling hours are typically scheduled between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., allowing the therapist to serve up to eight residents per day. Samaritan Center manages the entire intake, scheduling, insurance verification, and billing process, minimizing the administrative burden on community staff. Residents are responsible only for their insurance copay or a private-pay rate of $50 per session. The designated counseling day will remain consistent throughout the partnership and will be established collaboratively by the community and Samaritan Center at the beginning of the contract.

Marketing Materials

Samaritan Center will provide professionally designed promotional materials to help residents and families learn about available services. Materials may include program brochures, event announcements, therapist biographies, and educational resources that support ongoing awareness and engagement.

Mental Health Presentation

Before individual counseling services begin, the Samaritan therapist assigned to your community will deliver an educational presentation for residents on a mental health and wellness topic. The presentation will also introduce the partnership between Samaritan Center and your community, explain available services, and provide residents with an opportunity to ask questions and learn how to access support.

Community Needs Assessment

At the start of the partnership, Samaritan Center leadership and members of our Older Adult Services Taskforce will meet with community staff to conduct a needs assessment. This collaborative process helps identify the unique needs, priorities, and opportunities within the community, ensuring that services and programming are tailored to best support residents and staff.

Annual Leadership Meeting

Once each year, Samaritan Center leadership and key stakeholders involved in the partnership will meet with community leadership to review program outcomes, gather feedback, and discuss future opportunities. This annual meeting helps ensure that services remain aligned with the community’s evolving needs and goals.

Promotional Kiosk

To help introduce services and build awareness, the Samaritan therapist assigned to your community will host an informational kiosk for up to three separate two-hour sessions during the contract period. These informal meet-and-greet opportunities allow residents and families to learn more about available services, become familiar with the therapist, and ask questions in a relaxed setting.

We recommend scheduling kiosk sessions in high-traffic areas during meal times or other periods of increased resident activity.

Samaritan Liaison

Samaritan Center’s Program Operations Manager will serve as the primary liaison for the partnership. This individual will coordinate events, oversee program implementation, manage logistics, and ensure smooth communication between Samaritan Center and your community.

Therapeutic Processing Group

A licensed Samaritan therapist will facilitate a therapeutic discussion group every other week. Groups are offered in designated seasons or cycles, with planned breaks before continuing the same topic or introducing a new one. Topics are selected based on community interests and identified needs, with facilitator-selected topics available when community preferences are not specified. Participation is free for residents and does not require a clinical intake or counseling enrollment.

Education Series

Samaritan Center’s Education Series provides engaging, one-hour presentations led by mental health professionals and subject matter experts. Communities receive six presentations annually, scheduled at a frequency that best meets their needs. Topics can be selected from Samaritan’s existing catalog or customized to address specific interests within the community.

Examples of presentation topics include:

• Trauma 101: Understanding “Big T” and “Small T” Trauma
• The Neuroscience of Humor and Laughter
• Challenging the Stigma of Addiction
• Good Neighbors, Bad Neighbors: Supporting Residents with Cognitive and Physical Decline
• Exploring Spiritual Direction and Purpose
• How Nature and Poetry Support Health and Emotional Well-Being
• The Power of Gratitude
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
• The Eight Dimensions of Wellness

Communities that already offer an established lecture series, support group, or educational program may choose to integrate Samaritan’s presenters into those existing events.

Annual Wellness Event

The Annual Wellness Event is a half-day experience designed to promote emotional, physical, creative, and social well-being among residents. The event includes:

• Movement for Mental Health Class led by Samaritan providers trained in Dance/Movement Therapy techniques.
• Creative Arts Experience facilitated by a Samaritan provider who is also a practicing local artist.
• Mental Health Education Session featuring an interactive presentation and question-and-answer discussion on a relevant wellness topic.

Staff Training

Samaritan Center offers professional development and training opportunities for community staff. Training topics can be selected by the community or chosen from a menu of Samaritan-developed programs. Sessions are typically 60 to 90 minutes in length and can include topics that satisfy Pennsylvania Department of Human Services mental health direct care worker training requirements.

Community Event Support

Samaritan Center staff, typically the therapist providing on-site counseling services, are available to participate in community events throughout the year. This may include health fairs, wellness expos, move-in orientations, open houses, family events, marketing initiatives, and other resident engagement activities. Their participation helps strengthen visibility, build relationships, and increase awareness of available mental health services.

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