Whole health: integrating behavioral health into senior nutrition programs - the humboldt senior resource center (hsrc), in partnership with statewide aging and behavioral health stakeholders, will…

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living awarded a Cooperative Agreement totaling $496,126 to Humboldt Senior Resource Center, Incorporated on July 1, 2026, under the Special Programs for the Aging, Title III, Part C, Nutrition Services program (CFDA 93.045).

Humboldt Senior Resource Center will implement Whole Health, a statewide initiative to strengthen the senior nutrition program as a vital resource for adults aged 60 and older with behavioral health needs. The recipient will develop person-centered, trauma-informed practices designed for replication nationwide, focusing on increasing access to and participation in congregate nutrition services for older adults with anxiety and depression.

Work includes identifying barriers to congregate nutrition site access and piloting solutions; assembling and convening a statewide workgroup to guide implementation and evaluation; analyzing data from pilot sites; and disseminating at least ten Section 508-compliant tools and training resources scalable nationwide. Expected products include a statewide barriers and facilitators report, two or more pilot intervention models, pre/post evaluation results from 20 pilot sites, three replication toolkits containing fund development resources and trauma-informed training, and at least ten Section 508-compliant tools and resources for national dissemination. Projected outcomes by year three include a 25 percent increase in congregate meal program attendance over baseline; behavioral health integration at 100 percent of participating congregate meal sites; and a 100 percent increase in senior nutrition programs and staff trained in person-centered, trauma-informed care compared to baseline.

Performance occurs in California with a period of performance from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029.

Whole health: integrating behavioral health into senior nutrition programs - the humboldt senior resource center (hsrc), in partnership with statewide aging and behavioral health stakeholders, will implement whole health, a statewide initiative to strengthen the senior nutrition program (SNP) as a vital resource for adults aged 60 and older with behavioral health needs. The goal is to increase access to and participation in congregate nutrition services for older adults with anxiety and depression by developing person-centered, trauma-informed practices to be replicated nationwide. Objectives: to improve access to congregate nutrition sites by identifying barriers and piloting solutions to better serve older adults with behavioral health conditions; to assemble and convene a statewide workgroup to guide implementation and evaluation; to analyze data from pilot sites and disseminate at least ten section 508-compliant tools and training resources that are scalable nationwide. Outcomes: at the end of year 3, attendance in congregate meal programs increased by 25% over baseline; expand behavioral health integration so that 100 percent of participating congregate meal sites provide supports for older adults with anxiety and depression; year 3, create and disseminate toolkits: fund development, person-centered trauma-informed training, replication tools (e.g., data collection instruments, surveys, train-the-trainer materials, and best practices), to support national adoption; at the conclusion of the project, increase the number of senior nutrition programs (snps) and staff trained in person-centered, trauma-informed care by 100% compared to baseline. Expected products: statewide barriers and facilitators report, two or more pilot intervention models, pre/post evaluation results from 20 pilot sites, three replication toolkits containing fund development resources and trauma-informed training, and at least ten section 508-compliant tools and resources for national dissemination.