An overview of older adult peer support, highlighting the vital role of lived experience in promoting recovery throughout the lifespan.
Robert Walker, MS, CPS, COAPS - Rob Walker serves with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health’s Office of Recovery and Empowerment, where he advances peer support for older adults, the Deaf community, and the statewide peer workforce. He helped develop the Certified Older Adult Peer Specialist (COAPS) initiative in Massachusetts and nationally and has led programs such as Buried in Treasures and WRAP for Older Adults. Rob co-chairs the Older Adult Behavioral Health Collaborative and serves on national advisory boards focused on aging, behavioral health, and families.
Cassie Cramer, MSW, CPS - Cassie Cramer oversees the Older Adult Behavioral Health Network and the MA Hoarding Resource Network at the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health. With nearly 20 years of experience supporting at-risk older adults, she also serves as a clinician on one of the State’s first Behavioral Health for Aging Populations teams. A Certified Peer Specialist, Cassie is an advocate for statewide behavioral health, peer, and wellness supports that help older adults live in the community of their choice.
S.I.L.V.E.R. AMAs are not presentations, but rather hour-long interactive question & answer webinars with an expert in aging with a psychiatric disability. Regardless of whether you are a person living with a mental health condition, a family member, an administrator of a service, a provider, a researcher — people from anywhere get answers to their questions.
AMA-S webinars are also available as podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube Music
This event was supported by funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this project do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
