Aging Related Resources
Below are additional age-informed resources, most external to the Department, that readers may find useful.
Resources for Professionals
- Certificate Programs
- Topics
- Behavioral Health in Aging Certificate via Boston University's CADER Team, online, 19 hours, $325
- Cares Dementia Basics & Advanced Certification via HealthCare Interactive, online, 4 hours for Dementia Basics at $199 or 6 additional hours for Dementia Advanced Care at a total cost of $299
- Certificate in Gerontology via OSU OKC, online, 25 hours, $159
- Foundational Competencies in Older Adult Mental Health via the E4 Center of Excellence at Rush Univ., online, 16 hours, no cost unless seeking CEs (with CEs the cost is $175)
- Mental Health First Aid for Older Adults via MHFA Oklahoma, this is a link to book a training of ≥10 individuals, in-person, 8 hours, no cost (indicate in the final box of the registration form that you are wanting the version for engaging with Older Adults)
- 988 Teams: Older Adults in Crisis: Call Center Resources Developed for 988 & Crisis Call Center Staff via the E4 Center of Excellence at Rush Univ., also ideal for Mobile, Urgent Recovery, and Crisis Center Teams, online, 1.5 hours, no cost (free resource, even with CEs)
- Clinical Confounds and Conflations: Serious Mental Illness, Dementia, or Both via the E4 Center for Excellence at Rush Univ., recorded webinar, 1.5 hours, no cost
- Grief and Loss: Beyond the Basics: Enhancing Healthy Grief Reactions in Bereaved Clients via the E4 Center of Excellence at Rush Univ., recorded webinar, 2 hours, no cost
- How Our Beliefs About Aging Impact Health and Well-Being, with Becca Levy, PhD, via the Psychology of Aging podcast with Dr. Regina Koepp, 1 CE hour, $27 (free resource without CEs)
- I/DD: Aging with Intellectual & Developmental Disability via Boston University's CADER Team, online, 3 hours, $90
- Social Connection: Report - Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community (2023) (including 6 Pillars to Advance Social Connection)
- Substance Misuse: Alcohol, Cannabis, Other Substance Misuse Among Older Adults: New Findings to Inform Prevention & Interventions via the E4 Center of Excellence at Rush Univ., recorded webinar, 1.5 hours, no cost
- Suicide: Suicide in Later Life: Clinical and Public Health Perspectives via the E4 Center of Excellence at Rush Univ., recorded webinar, 1 hour, no cost
- Suicide: What Increases Suicide Risk Among Older Adults, with Yeates Conwell, MD, via the Psychology of Aging podcast with Dr. Regina Koepp, 1 CE hour, $27 (free resource without CEs)
- Trauma: Trauma Informed Care & Strategies to Engage Older Adults via the E4 Center for Excellence at Rush Univ., recorded webinar, 1.5 hours, no cost
- For organizations: Building and Sustaining Effective Behavioral Health Care for Older Adults: Strategies and Considerations. This is from the E4 Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Disparities in Aging, Rush University Medical Center
- For organizations: NBCC has a Medicare Roadmap Webinar Series aimed at informing mental health counselors (MHCs), marriage and family therapists (MFTs), and other key stakeholders about the launch of Medicare recognition of these licensures.
- For organizations: 4Ms (What Matters Most, Mobility, Medication, and Mentation) Age and Dementia Friendly Technical Assistance. Oklahoma Dementia Care Network or call 405-271-8558 or e-mail OKDCN@ouhsc.eud
- For organizations: 4Ms for Behavioral Health-Age-Friendly Care for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders The 4Ms for Behavioral Health (What Matters Most, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility) provides a flexible framework for generalist clinicians with little to no geriatrics training to effectively assess and act on the unique behavioral health needs of older adults. Building on the 4Ms of an Age-Friendly Health System, the 4M-BH framework was adapted by the E4 Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Disparities in Aging.
Resources for Individuals and Families
- Classes
- Checklists and Similar Resources
- Healthy Brain, Healthy Mind and Healthy Brain, Healthy Mind for the Dementia Caregiver, online and in-person options, 4 hours over 4 weeks, no cost
- Healthier Choices, Healthier You (for people living with chronic health conditions), online and in-person options, 15 hours over 6 weeks, no cost
- A Matter of Balance, online and in-person options, 12 hours over 12 weeks, no cost
- Oklahoma Aging Advocacy Leadership Academy, combination of online and in-person, please see website for details
- Powerful Tools for Caregivers, online and in-person options, 9 hours over 6 weeks, no cost
- Information & Checklist-Assisted living for people with mental health disorders from AssistedLiving.org. This site also has resources, guides, and information on assisted living for specific populations (e.g. racial/ethnic minorities, faith minorities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people living with specific diagnosis), taxes, financial resources, and caregiver support.
- Questions Older Adults Can Ask a Healthcare Provider About Alcohol, Substances, and Drugs
- Silver Spaces Home Assessment: The vast majority of older adults want to remain in their own homes and communities. This “universal liveability” assessment is a resource for homeowners and professionals that can provide valuable insights to reduce injuries from trips, falls, and other hazards in a home as even minor modifications can make a big difference in safety and life quality.
Other Age-Informed Resources
- Podcasts/TED & TEDx Talks
- Articles
- Books
- Fact Sheets
- Imagery and Language
- Online Resources
- 988 Resources
Podcasts & Videos
- The Age Guide: Perspectives on the Aging Journey, by AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois Area Agency on Aging
- Aspects of Aging, by Aging Better Network, panel episode
- Century Lives, by the Stanford Center on Longevity
- Empowering Independence, by Villages OKC
- Kelsunn-on-the-Air Social Work Podcast, by Silas Kelly, episode: Aging in America #3
- Knowledge for Caregivers, by Kathy’s Consulting
- LeverAGE, by American Society on Aging, episode State of Mind: How Aging Plans are Tackling Mental Health
- Loneliness Busters, by Saumya Gupta
- Mental Health + Aging with Dr. Regina Koepp, by Clinical Gero-Psychologist Dr. Regina Koepp
- Older Women & Friends, by Jane Leder, episode: The Wonderful Assets to Getting Older with Social Gerontologist Jeanette Leardi
- Raising OKC Kids-Conversations with MetroFamily, episodes Supporting the Mental Health of Aging Relatives & Supporting the Mental Health of Aging Loved Ones During the Holidays, Part 2
- Relace Series, by Myndlace, episode: Beyond the Grey: Unpacking Ageism, Stigma & the Silent Battles of Older Adults
- When I'm 64 (Caregiving), by the Stanford Center on Longevity in collaboration with the Longevity Project
- Words Matter, 2-60 minute videos, by The National Center to Reframe Aging
TED & TEDx Talks
- Embrace age with a longevity mindset | Helen Hirsh Spence
- Let's end ageism | Ashton Applewhite
- What makes a good life? Lessons learned from the longest study on happiness | Robert Waldinger
- Why you feel younger (or older) than your age | Tracey Gendron
- Active coping shields against negative aging self-stereotypes contributing to psychiatric conditions (2019), by Becca R. Levy, Pil H. Chung, Martin D. Slade, Peter H. Van Ness, Robert H. Pietrzak. Keywords: Outcomes, PTSD, SI, GAD, MDD, age stereotypes (negative/positive), untreated/undertreated, active coping, reduced risk
- Age Stereotypes Held Earlier in Life Predict Cardiovascular Events in Later Life (2009), by Becca R. Levy, Alan B. Zonderman, Martin D. Slade, and Luigi Ferrucci. Keywords: Outcomes, cardiovascular health, age stereotypes (negative/positive), Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, reduction in risk
- Experts examine elderly care in Oklahoma, ranked 46th in long-term services, supports (2023) by Jillian Taylor from KOSU NPR. Keywords: Staffing, Options Counseling, PACE (Programs of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly), Advantage Waiver
- Exploring the Health Effects of Ageism: Yale Psychologist Becca Levy on how ageism affects physical and cognitive health and well-being (2022) by Paula Span from the NYTimes. Keywords: Ageism, Health Outcomes, 7.5 Added Years, Bias, Cardiovascular, Memory, Negative Self Perception, Research
- More older Oklahomans are dying by suicide, reports say. What’s behind it (2025), by Jennifer Palmer with Oklahoma Watch. Keywords: 988, older Americans, suicide, firearms, rural, screening, mental health, substance use, primary care
- MPAs in Action: Incorporating Behavioral Health in Oklahoma: How Oklahoma’s MPA ensures that older adult mental health is a state priority (2025) by Elvira Makk Frid and Amy Herr with Generations Now, American Society on Aging. Keywords: Policy Academy, Oklahoma Mental Health and Aging Coalition, Oklahoma Behavioral Health State Plan, Oklahoma Human Services, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Oklahoma Behavioral Health Forum on Aging, Age-Informed
- Older Americans are the Ignored Victims of the Opioid Epidemic (2022) by Tara Law from TIME. Keywords: Overdose, Unique Risk, Prescriptions, Illicit Drugs, Harm Reduction, Prevention, Treatment “In 2019, nearly 10,300 people ages 55 and older died from opioid overdoses, compared to just over 500 in 1999”.
- PEARLS-Overcoming Depression from Home (2024) by Elizabeth Hewitt with NextAvenue. Keywords: Depression, Community-Based, Reduce Stigma, Leverage Existing Resources, Outcomes, Coaches
- Seeing Mental Illness (2024) by Elizabeth Hewitt with NextAvenue. Keywords: Geropsychiatrist, Effective Treatment, Overlooked, Misconceptions, Depression, Substance Use, Resilient
- The power and limits of law to fight structural ageism, ableism, and racism (2023) by Gelila Selassie and Denny Chan from Generations by American Society on Aging. Keywords: Home and Community Based Services, Options Counseling, Institutional Bias, Equitable Access
- Ageism Unmasked: Exploring Age Bias and How to End it (2022) by Tracey Gendron, PhD
- Aging Sideways: Changing Our Perspectives on Getting Older (2024) by Jeanette Leardi
- Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long and Well You Live (2022) by Becca Levy, PhD
- Healthy to 100: How Strong Social Ties Lead to Long Lives (2025) by Ken Stern
- Navigating the Messy Middle: A Fiercely Honest and Wildly Encouraging Guide for Midlife Women (2013) by Ann Douglas
- The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness (2023) by Robert Waldinger, MD and Marc Schulz, PHD
- The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health (2023) by Ellen J. Langer, PhD
- This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism (2016) by Ashton Applewhite
- 10 Myths About Aging from the National Institute on Aging: Did you know that depression is NOT a normal part of aging and neither is living with dementia? Did you know that older adults do NOT need less sleep? Check-out this article to learn more.
- 10 Ways to Love Your Brain
- 14 Modifiable Risk Factors for Dementia
- Social Connection and Cigarettes Graphic
- Fact Sheet: The State of Suicide Among Older Adults in Oklahoma
Imagery
Brief 1-2 Page Language Guides (great for sharing)
Detailed Language Guides (great for Human Resources and Information and Public Relations)
- Aging Is Living
- Aging While Black
- Art Against Ageism
- Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities
- Center for Mental Health and Aging
- Changing the Narrative
- Coalition to End Social Isolation & Loneliness
- Diverse Elders Coalition
- Encore Roadmap
- National Center to Reframe Aging
- National Council on Aging
- National Council on Aging: Evidence-Based Programs
- National Indian Council on Aging
- OKCares-Support & Resources for Caregivers
- OK I’m Ready-Overdose Prevention
- Oklahoma Area Agencies on Aging: Planning and Service Areas
- Oklahoma Mental Health & Aging Coalition
- Oklahoma's 988 Lifeline for Mental Health
- E4 Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Disparities in Aging at Rush University
