Helping Older Adults with Serious Mental Illness
In 2021, Spurwink launched Bigelow, a Residential Treatment program that combines mental health and substance use treatment services to better meet the needs of people with complex challenges due to co-occurring disorders. Thanks to strong community support and a dedicated team, Bigelow now serves an average of 30 individuals per year with most experiencing exceptional outcomes, completing the program with a firm base of sobriety, stability, permanent housing, a source of income, strong natural supports, improved self-awareness, and coping skills.
Building on Bigelow’s success, in the Spring of 2023, Spurwink opened Kineo, adding ten beds to the campus specifically designed to serve adults aged 50 years and older who have serious and persistent mental illness. Kineo follows Bigelow’s treatment model, which has been proven by research (Drake et al., 2001) to improve psychiatric symptoms and functioning, decrease hospitalization, increase housing stability, reduce arrests, and improve quality of life. Given the age of residents served at Kineo, length of stay may be extend beyond the standard one year if needed.
Adults aged 50 and older who have a diagnosis of a serious mental illness are shown to have higher rates of medical comorbid conditions, significantly reduced life expectancy, and are more likely to be admitted to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities (SAMSHA). Like Bigelow, the Kineo program provides a residential treatment setting that includes behavioral health treatment, personal care services, health care supports, and psychosocial interventions individualized to meet residents’ needs and to help residents combat loneliness, boredom and find a sense of purpose and meaning.
With the addition of Kineo, the Adult Residential Treatment programs’ campus aims to serve 40+ clients per year. Clients are referred from a variety of sources and assessed based on their level of need and willingness to participate in all levels of treatment. Currently, there is a waitlist for services at Bigelow, and Kineo is quickly filling openings. We are excited to share this important new programming at Spurwink for a much-needed treatment program. For any questions, please reach out to Darlene Panzino, Senior Program Director of Adult PNMI Services, at (207) 838-2469 or dpanzino@spurwink.org.
