Older Adult Mental Health: Opportunities and Challenges
The panel will discuss opportunities and challenges that affect older adult mental health. Stanley G. McCracken, Ph.D., LCSW, RDDP will address some of the challenges in aging related to losses, isolation, changes in physical abilities, and ageism. Jeffrey Rediger, M.D., Master in Divinity will discuss current research which focuses on strengthening our resilience as we age and advances in integrative medicine, and he will also share his experiences as a psychiatrist in helping individuals impacted by mental illness to live their lives in active recovery. Nancy Carstedt will share her own experience as a woman who is living a life in long-term recovery from a substance use disorder and major depressive disorder with the support of her family, friends, and the community. Robyn Golden, MA, LCSW, ACSW will moderate the discussion.
Professional Bio of Jeffrey Rediger, M.D., M.Div., Faculty at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital
Jeffrey Rediger, M.D., M.Div. completed his training in Psychiatry at Cambridge Hospital/Harvard Medical School. After graduation, he worked at Vinfen Corporation for one year prior to accepting appointments to McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Rediger is a board-certified psychiatrist who specializes in the care of acutely ill psychiatric and medical inpatients who carry a wide variety of psychiatric diagnoses, primarily mood, and thought disorders. He is the Medical Director of McLean Southeast at McLean Hospital where he provides administrative oversight for the care of 30 acutely ill inpatients and the partial hospital program as well as the McLean staff at several local emergency rooms. Dr. Rediger provides direct patient care and supervises psychiatry residents. He also specializes in the care and treatment of those with spiritual, religious, and multi-cultural issues consistent with his training as a theologian and also of those with illnesses that can be understood within the framework of mind-body medicine. Additionally, he is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and serves as the Chief of Behavioral Medicine at Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center. Dr. Rediger research interests primarily center on paradigms of health and illness and give attention to both epistemological and practical issues. His teaching interests have focused on training residents in the core skills required for successfully treating psychiatric patients and on how to think about matters of spirituality, religion, culture, and mind-body issues as they impact psychiatric and medical patients. He will share advances in integrative medicine and effective approaches to addressing older adult mental health. Dr. Rediger’s innovative approaches to holistic health have gained national attention through publications and appearances on the Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Oz shows.
Professional Bio of Stanley G. McCracken, Ph.D., LCSW, RDDP, Lecturer at the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration
Stanley G. McCracken, Ph.D., LCSW, RDDP is a lecturer at the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration. He has published the areas of evidence-based practice, psychiatric rehabilitation, chemical dependence, behavioral pharmacology, behavioral medicine, aging, motivational interviewing, and staff training. He is a co-author of Interactive Staff Training and Practice Guidelines for Extended Psychiatric Residential Care and co-editor of From Task-Centered Social Work to Evidence-Based and Integrative Practice: Reflections on History and Implementation. He also is a co-author of the Council on Social Work Education Gero-Ed Advanced MSW curriculum in mental health and aging and the online training resource for substance use in older adults. He is a founding member of the Illinois Coalition on Substance Use and Aging. He has forty years of experience as a clinician, educator, and consultant specializing in the treatment of adults with mental health, drug, and medical problems.
Professional Bio of Nancy Carstedt, Executive Director of NAMI, Cook County North Suburban
Nancy Carstedt, Executive Director of NAMI, Cook County North Suburban has a 25-year history of executive leadership in nonprofits. Ms. Carstedt served as Executive Director of the Chicago Children’s Choir for 14 years, and for the past seven years, Nancy has been the Executive Director of NAMI, Cook County North Suburban. She is the mother of three adult children and grandmother of five grandsons. For the past 13 seasons, Nancy has been an usher at Wrigley Field for the Chicago Cubs. Nancy will share her personal recovery journey. Ms. Carstedt’s personal story demonstrates incredible courage and resilience. She is truly an inspiration!
Professional Bio of Robyn Golden, MA, LCSW, ACSW, Association Vice President of Population Health and Aging at Rush University Medical Center
Robyn Golden, MA, LCSW, ACSW serves as the Associate Vice President of Population Health and Aging at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago where she also holds academic appointments in the Departments of Medicine, Nursing, Psychiatry, and Health Systems Management. She is responsible for developing and overseeing health promotion and disease prevention; mental health; care coordination; and transitional care services for older adults, family caregivers, and people with chronic conditions. She is currently the Principal Investigator for the HRSA Funded Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program and the Commonwealth Funded Primary Care Redesign Project. For over 30 years, Ms. Golden has been actively involved in service provision, program development, education, research, and public policy aimed at developing innovative initiatives and systems integration to improve the health and well-being of older adults and their families. Ms. Golden is also a past chair of American Society on Aging and currently co-chairs the National Coalition on Care Coordination. She also is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare and is an NASW Social Work Pioneer. Ms. Golden received the Gerontological Society of America’s 2017 Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Productive Aging.
Professional Bio of Jeffrey Rediger, M.D., M.Div., Faculty at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital
Jeffrey Rediger, M.D., M.Div. completed his training in Psychiatry at Cambridge Hospital/Harvard Medical School. After graduation, he worked at Vinfen Corporation for one year prior to accepting appointments to McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Rediger is a board-certified psychiatrist who specializes in the care of acutely ill psychiatric and medical inpatients who carry a wide variety of psychiatric diagnoses, primarily mood, and thought disorders. He is the Medical Director of McLean Southeast at McLean Hospital where he provides administrative oversight for the care of 30 acutely ill inpatients and the partial hospital program as well as the McLean staff at several local emergency rooms. Dr. Rediger provides direct patient care and supervises psychiatry residents. He also specializes in the care and treatment of those with spiritual, religious, and multi-cultural issues consistent with his training as a theologian and also of those with illnesses that can be understood within the framework of mind-body medicine. Additionally, he is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and serves as the Chief of Behavioral Medicine at Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center. Dr. Rediger research interests primarily center on paradigms of health and illness and give attention to both epistemological and practical issues. His teaching interests have focused on training residents in the core skills required for successfully treating psychiatric patients and on how to think about matters of spirituality, religion, culture, and mind-body issues as they impact psychiatric and medical patients. He will share advances in integrative medicine and effective approaches to addressing older adult mental health. Dr. Rediger’s innovative approaches to holistic health have gained national attention through publications and appearances on the Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Oz shows.
Professional Bio of Stanley G. McCracken, Ph.D., LCSW, RDDP, Lecturer at the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration
Stanley G. McCracken, Ph.D., LCSW, RDDP is a lecturer at the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration. He has published the areas of evidence-based practice, psychiatric rehabilitation, chemical dependence, behavioral pharmacology, behavioral medicine, aging, motivational interviewing, and staff training. He is a co-author of Interactive Staff Training and Practice Guidelines for Extended Psychiatric Residential Care and co-editor of From Task-Centered Social Work to Evidence-Based and Integrative Practice: Reflections on History and Implementation. He also is a co-author of the Council on Social Work Education Gero-Ed Advanced MSW curriculum in mental health and aging and the online training resource for substance use in older adults. He is a founding member of the Illinois Coalition on Substance Use and Aging. He has forty years of experience as a clinician, educator, and consultant specializing in the treatment of adults with mental health, drug, and medical problems.
Professional Bio of Nancy Carstedt, Executive Director of NAMI, Cook County North Suburban
Nancy Carstedt, Executive Director of NAMI, Cook County North Suburban has a 25-year history of executive leadership in nonprofits. Ms. Carstedt served as Executive Director of the Chicago Children’s Choir for 14 years, and for the past seven years, Nancy has been the Executive Director of NAMI, Cook County North Suburban. She is the mother of three adult children and grandmother of five grandsons. For the past 13 seasons, Nancy has been an usher at Wrigley Field for the Chicago Cubs. Nancy will share her personal recovery journey. Ms. Carstedt’s personal story demonstrates incredible courage and resilience. She is truly an inspiration!
Professional Bio of Robyn Golden, MA, LCSW, ACSW, Association Vice President of Population Health and Aging at Rush University Medical Center
Robyn Golden, MA, LCSW, ACSW serves as the Associate Vice President of Population Health and Aging at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago where she also holds academic appointments in the Departments of Medicine, Nursing, Psychiatry, and Health Systems Management. She is responsible for developing and overseeing health promotion and disease prevention; mental health; care coordination; and transitional care services for older adults, family caregivers, and people with chronic conditions. She is currently the Principal Investigator for the HRSA Funded Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program and the Commonwealth Funded Primary Care Redesign Project. For over 30 years, Ms. Golden has been actively involved in service provision, program development, education, research, and public policy aimed at developing innovative initiatives and systems integration to improve the health and well-being of older adults and their families. Ms. Golden is also a past chair of American Society on Aging and currently co-chairs the National Coalition on Care Coordination. She also is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare and is an NASW Social Work Pioneer. Ms. Golden received the Gerontological Society of America’s 2017 Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Productive Aging.