Careers in Geropsychology: Outpatient Geriatric Mental Health

Dr. Patricia Bamonti, PhD, is a licensed clinical geropsychologist who specializes in providing psychotherapy to older adults and caregivers in an outpatient geriatric mental health setting. She earned a degree in clinical psychology, focusing in geropsychology, at West Virginia University, and then she went on to complete an internship and fellowship with a geropsychology emphasis at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. Dr. Bamonti's research interests are depression and suicide in late life and coping with chronic medical conditions and adapting to related functional impairment. Currently, she serves as the Secretary for the Council of Professional Geropsychology Training programs and Social Media Overseer for the Society of Clinical Geropsychology, which is APA Division 12 Section II. She is active in training future geropsychologists, providing clinical supervision to trainees at the practicum, internship, and fellowship levels.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this episode, listeners will be able to:

1. Summarize the importance of having a mental health outpatient clinic specifically for older adults and the services frequently offered in this setting

2. Describe the patient population served in a geriatric mental health outpatient clinic

3. Identify evidence-based treatments for psychiatric conditions in late life

4. Give examples of possible modifications or adaptations for psychotherapy in late life

5. List important components of a psychodiagnostic assessment

6. Explain the importance/benefits of having an interdisciplinary team in a geriatric mental health setting

Also mentioned in the episode are the following websites/organizations/resources:

GeroCentral’s Clinical Toolbox: https://gerocentral.org/clinical-toolbox/

APA’s publication titled “Working with Older Adults: What Practitioners Should Know”: https://www.apa.org/pi/aging/resources/guides/practitioners-should-know

APA’s professional practice guidelines titles “Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Older Adults”: https://www.apa.org/practice/guidelines/older-adults

APA Division 12/II Society of Clinical Geropsychology: http://www.geropsychology.org/

The Council of Professional Geropsychology Training Programs (CoPGTP): http://copgtp.org/?target=home