Certificate – Mental Health for Aging Adults

By 2030, older adults will account for 20 percent of the US population, making this our nation’s fastest growing group. It is estimated that one in five adults aged 55 and over experiences a significant mental health concern. Research shows that there is an insufficient supply of trained health and mental health professionals to meet this emerging need. Additionally, for the first time in history, most middle-aged adults will have living parents for whom they will provide care. As a result, clinicians are expected to see an increase in their elderly clientele, as well as family members who need support and guidance when providing care.

This new certificate program will teach you what you need to know when working with older adults. Participants will gain increased knowledge of the unique needs of the elderly, learn techniques for identifying normal age-related changes from non-normal changes, and practice evidence-based strategies for responding to the mental health concerns of this rapidly growing population. This program is useful for mental health professionals, family members, caregivers, Geriatric Care Managers and other advocates of the elderly.

Certificate Requirements: A minimum of 50 hours is required. This includes four core courses and at least five electives

Core Courses

• Foundations of Adult Development, Aging & the Older Adult Population
• Screening & Assessment of Cognition & the Dementias
• Assessment & Treatment of Mental Illness in Older Adults
• Applying Evidence-Based Psychological Treatments with Older Adults

Course Completion Time Limit

You will have 90 days to complete the online course from the date of registration. You may request 30 day extensions for a fee of $35. Extensions take a few days to process. An email will be sent to you when the extension access has been granted.

Certificate Series Enrollment

The certificate program enrollment fee is $35. Please submit a Certificate Program Enrollment form on or before registering for your third course in the series. You will have three years to complete your course work from the date of your enrollment. Click here to submit your Certificate Program Enrollment online or use the downloadable enrollment form available under “Related Downloads” on the right side of this page.

Certificate Series Completion

After you have completed the all the courses needed to fulfill the certificate requirements, please complete and submit a Certificate Verification form, available under “Related Downloads” on the right side of this page or send an email to conted@jfku.edu. Please allow six weeks for your course work to be reviewed and a certificate to be issued to you.