Abstract
A survey was administered to Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) mental health professionals to determine whether they perceived themselves to be competent in addressing the needs of older veterans, and if not how they believed their deficits could be remedied. Forty-two percent of the 803 surveys were returned and answered in a valid manner. Results indicate that DVA mental health professionals spend 30% of their time with older veterans. Although most have had geriatric training, one-third had none. Almost three-fourths say that they desire more education in geriatrics, particularly in the areas of dementia, depression, grief, substance abuse, and legal and ethical issues. Preferred formats for training varied, suggesting that a number of different venues should be offered to address the geriatric training needs of mental health staff. It appears that most public sector mental health professionals spend a significant portion of their work day with older adults, have received some geriatric training, and would like more training.
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